IUOE News Winter 2013

Feature Article
Unions Across Canada
A brief history of who we are
We sometimes forget, or simply have not been exposed to
the basic history and importance of unions in Canada. Why
were they formed? Who did they serve? What different union
bodies are there? What are the benefits of being a unionized
worker? This feature clearly discusses these questions and
reminds us all of the important part we play in the country’s
workforce as organized, skilled union members.
by Dr. Brendan Sweeney, McMaster University
Unions have played an important role in Canada for over
100 years. While they originally consisted primarily of skilled
craftsmen important to life in the 19th century—like black
smiths, barrel makers, printers, and brewers—today’s unions
represent a diverse group of
workers. Teachers, nurses, miners,
auto workers, police officers, fire
fighters, university and college
professors, and NHL players are
members of today’s unions. In
fact, almost one-third of all workers in Canada are members
of unions.
What do unions do?
Once a majority of workers in a given workplace or industry
decide that they want to be represented by a particular
union (often through a secret ballot vote), that union takes on
several functions.
The first is to negotiate agreements with employers that
“Teachers, nurses, miners, auto workers,
police officers, fire fighters, university
and college professors, and NHL
players are members of today’s unions”
outline the terms and con ditions of employment, including
wages, benefits, hours of work, and health and safety regulations.
This happens through a process of collective bargaining,
and the result is a legal contract called a collective agreement.
These agreements generally last from three to five years,
although longer and shorter contracts are not uncommon. In
instances where the employer and the union do not agree on
specific issues, media tors, conciliators, and arbitrators may be
brought in to help. In some cases, the two par ties may reach
an impasse, which may be followed by a work stoppage.
There are two main types of work stoppages: a strike (where
workers refuse to go to work) and a lockout (where the
employer refuses to allow employees to work). Strikes and
lockouts were much more common in the 1970’s and 1980’s,
however, the vast majority of
collective agreements in Canada
are negotiated without a day lost
to a work stoppage.
Another important function of
unions is to manage conflict and
disagreement in the workplace. This often comes in the form
of grievances, which happen when one party alleges that the
other has contravened a rule in the collective agreement.
Union representatives and managers then follow a process
that helps them come to a fair resolution and ensures that the
grievance does not disrupt the efficient operation of the
workplace.
In some very serious cases, grievances may by referred to a
mediator or an arbitrator, who make (or help make) a solution
26 News December 2013