The history of Industrial Relations in Canada demonstrates that workers fought long and hard for the right

to unionize. Yet, looking back one could argue that unions seem to have outlived their usefulness. After
all, the government and employers both claim that workers' rights are better protected now than ever
before through legislation such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Ontario Human Rights
Code, and the Employment Standards Act (which sets minimums for wages, overtime, severance pay and
leaves). Recent Common Law precedents for 'constructive dismissal', ‘unjust dismissal’, the
requirements for reasonable ‘notice and pay in lieu of notice’ are also provided as evidence that workers’
rights are protected without union intervention.
1. Do you believe that unions have outlived their usefulness in Canada? Discuss. (2 Marks)
2. If you were an employee at Wilson Brothers, would you prefer to be a union or non-union worker?
Explain. (1 Mark)
3. Provide constructive feedback to at least two other students’ postings. (2 Marks)

The challenges faced by the workers in securing better wages, job security, better workplace conditions
and better benefits in industries contributed to the formation of the unions in Canada in the past.
However, in the present, the government has introduced many legislations to protect the rights of the
employees, for instance, Employment Standards Act that lays out the minimum standards for basic
conditions of employment, including wages, vacation, leaves of absence, work hours, overtime, and
notice and severance pay obligations upon termination. It also lays out the legal rights and duties of
employers and employees. The unions in the past were formed to fight for the basic rights of workers,
but we are at a much better position now with the introduction of all the labour laws. I would partly
agree with the statement that unions have somewhat outlived their usefulness but have also failed to
provide its bargaining unit members with some additional benefits. I agree that unions provide better
working conditions to the employees by introducing concrete clauses like seniority which becomes a
major factor in determining the promotions, temporary and permanent layoffs, shift preferences,
vacation preferences but they have failed somewhat in providing the best wages to its employees.
Today’s market is very competitive, and the employers introduce many retention programs to keep their
employees engaged. There are times when employers increase their employee’s wage rate if they find
there are recruitment/retention challenges in the market. Therefore, these programs will provide better
wages and working conditions to the employees. But with the collective Agreements (CAs) having a fixed
merit increase after every qualifying period, the pay rates sometimes tend to fall below the median
wage. If the rates do not get adjusted prior to the expiration of the CA than the employees have to
accept the rates in the CA and have a lesser benefit compared to the employees working in a non-union
environment. There are times when the CAs expire and the parties don’t start negotiations until after six
months or more after the expiration of the CA which again put the employees of at a lesser benefit.
Although the employees get retro paid, but they suffer from financial challenges for that brief period of
time when no adjustments are made to the wages. To sum up, in industries where employees are
vulnerable to exploitation, the trust between the employees and the employer is eroded or where
collective bargaining can improve job quality, unions remain relevant and necessary but if the culture of
the workplace is positive and the employees have the ability to voice their opinions individually or
collectively and the employer responds, then having a union might work against the employees.

If I were an employee of Wilson Brothers, I would prefer to be a union employee. The following
rationales contribute to my decision:
 - Lack of the solid procedures and policies. This leads to a situation where the workplace issues
may be addressed in an uncertain manner and the decisions may be made on the personal
opinions rather than a process leading to that outcome.
- No Job descriptions designed for each position to evaluate the scope of duties of a particular
position and the expectations of the role.
- No salary placement plan in place. Not having a structured salary placement plan in place to
determine the salaries of the employee can create many issues within the employees.
- No formal performance evaluation process for salary increases, job awarding, promotions etc.
may not be recognized as a transparent approach.
- No Employee Engagement programs. Ensuring that the employees are engaged is very important
for the overall morale of the workforce and retention.
- No clear lay-off process in place which puts the employees in the fear of losing their jobs at any
instance.

All these factors put me in a situation where I have no job security at all. Although the CEOs believe in
maintaining a great culture at the company but there are times when the direct management may not
align or abide by the cultural expectations. Being a union employee, i will have a concrete collective
agreement in place that will stipulate the processes for addressing most of the employee relation issues.

Gabriella’s Response
1. Unions remain essential in Canada, serving as advocates for workers in various industries. Unions help
to negotiate collective agreements to secure fair wages and working conditions, protect worker rights, and
provide support and representation in disputes with employers. Unions also play a crucial role in
promoting equity and social justice, advocating for broader issues like income inequality and workplace
diversity. Unions offer training and educational programs to empower their members and help engage in
political advocacy to support worker-friendly policies. Despite the changes in the labor environment within
Canada, unions continue to be a significant force in protecting and advancing the interests of Canadian
workers.

2. As an employee working at Wilson Brothers, whether I would choose to be in a union or not would
depend on various factors. For instance, at company locations such as Calgary, Brandon, Montreal, or
Halifax/Dartmouth where there isn't a union, you might initially feel comfortable because you're proud of
the company's success and believe in direct communication with management. However, if there's a
sense of uncertainty about job security or if there are issues like inconsistent salary practices or a lack of
clear HR policies, you might start seeing the benefits of having a union. Unions can provide added
protection against unfair treatment and help address workplace concerns more effectively. On the other
hand, at the Toronto location, where there's already a union, you might feel a sense of security knowing
that there's a collective group advocating for your rights and interests. It is important to consider that
being part of a union might also mean things move more slowly compared to the company's usual quick
decision-making process.

Hi Gabriella,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this matter. Highlighting the role of the union in actively
participating in various roles such as negotiating collective agreements, provides a well-articulated
overview of the role of the union. However, it appears that your outlook on whether the unions have
outlived their usefulness in Canada is not expressed explicitly.

I strongly agree with your reasoning for your decision-making process of whether to be a union or
nonunion employee at Wilson Brothers. There are plenty of factors that could contribute to one’s
decision on unionization. Sharing both the perspectives, you provide an understanding of the benefits
and drawbacks of being unionized. This balanced approach enhances the discussion and allows one to
have an informed decision making process.

Mikayla Paul’s response

The question if unions have outlived their usefulness in Canada I believe is going to differ from person to
person, based on their lived experience. There are many legislations currently in place that will protect a
worker and their rights, such as the Employment Standards act, and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
With a union workers will have that extra layer of protection, due to their collective agreement, from job
security, to helping ensure that an equal workplace is available to all workers. Unions seek to improve
wages, benefits and other terms of work for the employees they represent. Although this is largely an
economic role, this objective also includes non-economic issues such as health and safety, work hours
and job security. (Suffield and Gannon pg. 73)

With that being said, I do not think that Unions have yet lived out their usefulness in Canada and
continue to stay prevalent in this ever-changing economy. The decisions they make within their collective
agreement trickles down to the non-union sectors as a guideline that they can follow which can be
greatly beneficial to the employees in those sectors. Some of the improvements in working terms
that unions are able to achieve will be adopted in the non-union sector. (Suffield & Gannon pg.
73) Unions also allow employes to have a voice, and allow them to be heard through collective
bargaining, where this could be more difficult of a process for an employee who is not apart of a union.
In addition, with the job sector always changing, and companies making extreme changes to
employment, a union will provide a sense of protection to their employees if something like
restructuring were to occur within their organization.

If I was an employee at Wilson Brothers I would prefer to be unionized. Although the company has had
great success throughout the years, the current state of the economy and the threats to their company
such as profit loss can make it a very unsettling environment for their current employees. Being a
unionized employee would give emphasis to job security. As well, they would have a collective
agreement to follow, which would be helpful when recruiting, as right now there is nothing in place.
Making this change I think would greatly impact the company and assist them in being able to hire and
retain employees especially in the Vancouver area. Since the organization is so large, being unionized
would give employees a voice that they might not have had before
Dear Mikayla,

I appreciate you for providing your thoughts on the role of unions in Canada and how they impact the
employees. Your acknowledgement of the perspective on this topic that may vary on individual
experiences certainly add dept to your discussion.

I resonate with your opinion that union workers will have that extra layer of protection, with the
collective agreement, from job security, to helping ensure that an unbiased and equal workplace
opportunities are available to all workers. Your outlook of how union have their influence on the
nonunion employees with the collective agreements is well-articulated.

However, I would like to encourage you to provide more examples to support your opinion that the
unions have not outlived their usefulness in Canada. I believe that with the incorporation of concrete
examples to your viewpoint could have been further strengthened your perspective on this matter.

Your thorough reasoning on your decision to be a union employee at Wilson Brothers has convinced me
as well that I would prefer to be a union employee at this organization. Your demonstration of the affects
of the economy on the organization and having no job security undoubtedly provide a solid foundation
for advocating the benefit of being a unionized employee at Wilson Brothers.