By Karla Thorpe, Director, Leadership and Human Resources Research
Belonging to a union may seem like an antiquated notion to many in today’s work environment. And since union membership is not growing as fast as overall employment, union density (the share of unionized workers in the overall workforce) is declining. But the ranks of organized labour continue to swell. Nearly 5 million Canadians in 2012 either belonged to a union or were covered by a collective agreement-an increase from 3.8 million in 1997.
Over the years, unions have fought to protect their members’ rights to safe employment, good working conditions, equal pay for work of equal value, and other rights that many now take for granted. But unions also create good paying jobs with benefits for their members.
Unionized employees, who are covered by a collective agreement or a union contract, earn higher wages than employees who are not. True, the union wage premium in Canada has been steadily declining since 1997 in both the public and the private sectors. But in 2013, the average hourly wage for unionized employees in the private sector was $23.90, compared with $21.85 for non-unionized employees. In the public sector, unionized employees earned an average of $30.52 per hour; non-unionized employees earned $29.52 per hour.
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 7619 has issued 72-hour strike notice to Teck’s Highland Valley Copper (HVC) operation near Logan Lake, B.C., following unsuccessful negotiations to reach a fair collective agreement. The notice was served Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m., with the union preparing for potential strike action if an agreement […]
The jobs of thousands of USW members have been plunged into uncertainty due to U.S. tariffs, outsourcing and offshoring. In 2025, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) has supported initiatives that help build union-to-union solidarity, which is critical to ensuring workers have a voice. Over the years, the USW has supported the efforts of the Mexican […]
Scott Lunny, United Steelworkers Director for Western Canada, released the following statement following the Alberta referendum vote: “Albertans have made their voices heard. They want to remain part of a strong, united Canada. Now it’s time to put division behind us and get back to work building a better future for working families. “It’s time […]