Should unions organize low-wage and temporary workers?
CBC Radio | Posted: January 12, 2018 6:35 PM | Last Updated: January 16, 2018
Organizing labour.
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Crowds gathered outside Tim Hortons' across Ontario this week, and they weren't there for a double-double and Timbits.
They were rallying to support Tim Hortons' workers, many of whom have lost a host of benefits and perks after minimum wage in the province increased to $14 this month.
Those protests were organized by the labour movement who undoubtedly sense this may be a perfect moment to mobilize, and unionize, low-wage fast-food workers.
The controversy over higher minimum wages has shone a spotlight on the plight of the working poor, who have little leverage when it comes to negotiating pay and benefits.
The retail and food service sector long ago replaced the unionized manufacturing industry as Canada's biggest employer. That means there are more Canadians selling things than making them. However, the retail and food service sector have little representation by unions.
What do you think? Has the labour movement failed low-wage and temporary workers? Or do labour laws in this country make it easy for employers, such as fast food franchises, to strategically avoid unions?
Canada's labour movement is vowing to organize like never before, and fight for fairness for low-wage and temporary workers. Are collective agreements the best way for low-wage workers to improve working conditions? Or are unions trying to recruit more young service industry workers so they can beef up their declining ranks?
Our question: "Should unions organize low-wage and temporary workers?"
Guests
Tiffany Balducci, president of the Durham Northumberland CUPE Council, on the executive of the Durham Labour Council, and part of an advocacy group called WeAreOshawa
Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress
Sylvain Charlebois, professor of Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University, dean of the Faculty of Management, and adjunct professor of Marketing and Consumer Studies at University of Guelph
Stephanie Ross, associate professor in the school of Labour Studies at McMaster University
What we're reading
Last week on Cross Country Checkup
CBC.ca
- Tim Hortons faces protests over employee benefit cuts
- Demonstrators picket Tim Hortons after cuts to employee benefits
- 'Greed is not OK': Backlash grows against Tim Hortons worker benefit cuts
- Part-time staff at Ontario's 24 colleges vote to unionize, OPSEU says
- Sask. full-time jobs down, part-time gigs up: StatsCan
- Clawing back employee perks after minimum wage hike 'completely unacceptable,' Ontario labour minister says
- OPINION: Ontario's experiment with minimum wage could transform Canada's economy: Don Pittis
National Post
- Kathleen Wynne gets help from Timmies in attacking small business
- Minimum wage hikes could speed up pace of automation, not relocations, as businesses look to offset costs: unions
Toronto Star
Waterloo Record
Policy Options
- Precarious work is real (Mar. 13, 2015)
CUPE
Law of Work
A look back at attempts to unionize low-wage, temporary workers
- McDonald's Workers Are Set to Strike for the First Time in UK History (Vice, Aug. 17, 2017)
- Employees at second Tim Hortons in Winnipeg move to join union (Metro, Jul. 27, 2017)
- Quebec union's labour contract with McDonald's is landmark (Globe & Mail, originally posted Apr. 18, 2002, updated Mar. 29, 2017)
- Winnipeg employees form 1st union at Canadian KFC/Taco Bell franchise (CBC, Sept. 15, 2016)
- Why McDonald's Employees May Never Unionize (Eater, Jul. 2, 2015)
- What Canada Can Learn From Sweden's Unionized Retail Workers (Huff Post, Mar. 18, 2015)
- I'm making $21 an hour at McDonald's. Why aren't you? (Reuters, May 15, 2014)
- McDonald's employees fed up (CBC, Sept. 18, 2000)
- McDonald's workers decertify union (CBC, Jul. 3, 1999)