Support your local union
People figured out long ago that standing together gave them strength. Standing together empowered each person in the group exponentially and standing in a community made them an unstoppable force.
Today’s rich have found that principle still applies and that employers sticking together has let them keep all the wealth and avoid contributing to the rest of society to create a stable economy.
Unions were formed so that there would be fairness and democracy in the workplace and workers would be paid enough to support their families and contribute to society. Without unions to represent workers, those wealthy employers have carte-blanche authority.
The collective agreement is the culmination of years of bargaining. Our small local began in the 1950s with a contract barely one page long and today it is 51 pages. Those 51 pages are the result of years of unpaid time union activists have contributed to ensure that the workplace is governed fairly and that workers have recourse and support in times of conflict.
Unions have provided a higher level of wages for non-union workers since employers must pay a comparable wage to attract workers. Medical benefits, paid sick leave, vacations, paid holidays and pensions have all been negotiated over the years by unions.
There is a trend to try to shame public sector unions for these gains and to view unions as a threat. This is simply brainwashing to try to acclimatize us to lower wages and fewer rights as corporations and the governments increase control over our lives [“Trustees respond to ministry,” January 9].
It’s not about the money, it’s about who gets the money. The government gives tax relief to the wealthy and their corporate sponsors rather than encourage our economy to grow by paying fair wages to public-sector workers who provide needed services for the community.
Daphne Ross, president
CUPE 476 Powell River
