Unions are fighting us
Questioning the role of the modern union
Tyler Kurz
Do I blame the maintenance staff and food workers for going on strike? No. Would I blame our professors for walking the line next week? No. Everyone wants a piece of the proverbial pie. If you are a hard-working and devoted employee, you should be entitled to equitable compensation for your labour. But is the CAW fighting for fair and equitable treatment? Or is this a desperate plea from a distressed university to the Government of Manitoba to end the unsustainable tuition freeze?
The idealistic notion of constricting tuition income, while increasing the student population to an over-capacity level, has left the university’s operational budget in a very deep hole. If I was a member of the maintenance staff that’s having trouble keeping the washrooms at a tolerable level of cleanliness due to a lack of dollars, then I would want to scream and shout and find a way to get my voice heard. I speculate that this strike is not about getting better dental benefits, but rather is a cry for help. Unfortunately, a strike will not answer this cry to solve the problem. In the most recent bargaining update, CAW claims, “the U of M continues to show a complete lack of respect for employee’s [sic] basic human rights.” Not respecting their basic human rights? What this biased propaganda does not tell you is that they are fighting for an average wage increase of five per cent over the next three years, while 12,700 provincial government employees, 5,000 Manitoba Hydro employees, and a number of Red River College
If the union leaders really wanted to help out their members, they would help dig deep to the root of the problem, and not nit-pick at irrelevant short-term objectives.
employees have recently settled for wage increases of around 2.5 per cent for the next three years (the same number that the university has proposed). I have trouble believing that the majority of the CAW members believe that they’re being stripped of their basic human rights. In fact, two out of the four key points in the most recent bargaining update from CAW are about wages, while, unsurprisingly, none address the lack of respect for basic human rights.
Without debating whether or not the workers deserve a 15 per cent wage increase over three years, that kind of sizeable monetary increase alone would cripple the already famished U of M operating budget. Most importantly, what would that mean for students? Even larger classes, outdated equipment, more auxiliary fees, poor professor recruitment, less funding for sport and recreational programs, among other operational expenses. These unrealistic union demands threaten the average student’s already middle-of-the-road standards. I believe the union is doing more harm to their members than good.
I am not entirely against the idea of unions. They provided a very noble and valuable service in the early 20th century. I am questioning their value in our current economic state. There are several examples of unions using deception, intimidation, radical misspending, and unjust voting practices. In fact, there have been documented cases recently of unions harming industries. Unions have ravaged the American auto industry and we have witnessed the strain they have caused on the airline and steel industries. Have you been to Flint, Michigan lately?
Yet in our modern economy, however, I believe that unions have become an unnecessary part of our society. In our liberal nation, we have the Labour Board of Canada, as well as heavy provincial regulation protecting the rights of all employees. In Manitoba, the Workers’ Compensation Board does a good job managing various cases of sick leave and disability. While I agree that unions helped shape these laws, they no longer provide substantial value to the employer-employee relationship. In my opinion their negotiation efforts are becoming more trivial. In the case of the CAW strike, they want 2.5 per cent more than the university is proposing, and they are literally arguing for a handful of short-term sick days.
If J.S. Woodsworth were alive, he would scoff at these petty negotiations. He fought for real basic human rights. If Woodsworth knew that the union bosses in North America now make around $100,000, and sometimes an excess of $500,000 per year, he would roll over in his grave. Now it makes sense! In order to maintain this kind of lifestyle and power, union bosses need to convey a sense of urgency and injustice to their followers. The bias, the propaganda, and the exaggerated trivial negotiations are what the union leaders prey upon to maintain their shaky grip on power.
So, do I blame the maintenance staff and food workers for going on strike? No. Nor would I blame our professors for walking the picket line next week. They too are the victims of a mismanaged government program, which has left them frustrated with the university’s inability to provide them with their basic needs. What better way to channel this frustration then a strike? If the union leaders really wanted to help out their members, they would help dig deep to the root of the problem, and not nit-pick at irrelevant short-term objectives. Their current bargaining strategy does not address the long-term interests of their members, and it may actually hurt their future, the university’s future, and most importantly, the students’ futures.
Tyler Kurz is a recent graduate from the faculty of management who currently works at a large unionized corporation in Manitoba.
