Unions have long been a cornerstone of Canadian society, playing a pivotal role in shaping the country's labour landscape, including here in Kawartha Lakes.

They provide a collective voice for workers, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and equitable employment practices. Unions also play a crucial role in political advocacy. They lobby for policies that protect workers' rights and interests, contributing to the development of progressive labour legislation.

But perhaps the most important role they play is in how they contribute to greater income equality by advocating for fair wage distribution. They help to narrow the wage gap between different sectors and demographics, promoting a more equitable society.

It is common to hear negative comments from non-unionized workers because unionized workers typically make higher wages. But unions often set the bar for better wages for everyone, eventually. When they secure higher wages for their members, it can indirectly raise pay standards across the industry – including for non-unionized workers. Employers may then need to offer competitive wages to attract and retain skilled workers.

Bashing unions for their success in securing higher wages and benefits for workers is a race to the bottom in thinking. It is exactly the kind of thinking that large corporations like to exploit, to keep workers divided. The collective bargaining power wielded by unions serves as a counterbalance to the influence of powerful corporations, ensuring that the interests of workers are not eclipsed by profit-driven motives.

By negotiating collective agreements, unions also contribute to a more balanced distribution of wealth. This equitable approach to wealth distribution is a cornerstone of a more successful, healthier society, for there is nothing more divisive in society than economic inequality.

As Lindsay resident David Rapaport writes in the February 2024 edition of the Advocate, the new reality of our economy, replete with precarious work and ‘gig’ jobs means there are few protections for such workers. As he notes, “…unions that have the power to challenge the politics and economics of ultra-greed can effectively address those realities and inequalities.”