‘Union Advantage’ exists fiscally, socially, according to study
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Canadian Labour Congress claims unionized workers earn $793-million more collectively each week
OTTAWA—A new Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) study claims the average unionized worker in Canada earns $5.11 an hour more than non-union workers.
The study, called The Union Advantage in Canadian Communities, looked at what workers with unions bring to Canada as a whole, as well as 29 selected communities across the country.
“That extra money in the pockets of individual workers means the union advantage is worth a cumulative $793-million per week added to our economy,” CLC president Ken Georgetti said in a statement.
Georgetti said cities and towns with more union members enjoy higher incomes overall and support a richer mix of businesses and services.
“These services benefit everyone in the community,” he said. “In short, they are better places to work and live.”
According to Georgetti, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have confirmed that broadly-based collective bargaining is the best mechanism to build a healthy middle class.
“When workers, through their unions, are able to bargain freely for decent wages, benefits and pensions, there are benefits for the middle class and for society as a whole,” he said. “Unionized workers spend most or all of their pay cheques in businesses in their local community.
“We believe that decent wages and decent pensions enrich the community and the country.”
The report can be found at www.canadianlabour.ca.
