A wave of job actions: New survey sheds light on Canadians' perceptions of organized labour

With wages that have largely failed to keep up with inflation, many Canadians have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic with bolder demands for the quality of work that they hope to do, as well as the benefits and compensation they wish to receive.

This spring, federal public servants made headlines when they led the largest strike in Canadian history. That action was followed by a port worker strike in British Columbia, a strike by 3,000 Metro grocery workers in Toronto, which wrapped up this week, and ongoing strike action from Ontario's public broadcaster.

And the wave of job actions is far from over. Elementary school teachers in Ontario are planning to take a strike vote this fall, while Canadian workers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate over the weekend, to name a few.

So how do Canadians feel about labour unions and the value they bring to workers? A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute hopes to shed some light on those perceptions.

CANADIANS LARGELY BELIEVE UNIONS HAVE HAD POSITIVE IMPACT

Released Friday, just days before Labour Day, the survey of 2,023 Canadian adults found that three-in-five people feel that unions have had a positive impact for the workers they represent — approximately three times as many as the number of people who believe unions have had a negative impact.

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Canadians are more divided when considering the impact of unions on the country’s economy as a whole, the survey notes. Forty per cent of people surveyed said the cost-benefit calculation has been positive, while 30 per cent said it has been negative.

In most of the country, the majority of people believe the right to strike and bargain for better work conditions is more important than the risk of damage to Canada’s economy. Only in Saskatchewan was this found to be the reverse.   

SATISFACTION WITH UNION REPRESENTATION  

Most workers said union membership has been a plus. Roughly 62 per cent of members of public sector unions and 63 per cent of members of private sector unions indicated that they’re satisfied with the representation they receive. Half as many said they’re dissatisfied.

Many union members have turned to a union-representative for advice on a work-related issue. Roughly one-in-five (22 per cent of people) surveyed said they have done this more than once and two-in-five (39 per cent) said they have done this once or twice.

Of those who spoke to a representative, 30 per cent said they felt totally supported during this process, 38 per cent said they felt mostly supported and 33 per cent said their representative made them feel unsupported.

Women are more likely to feel they did not receive adequate support than men, the survey found, with 36 per cent and 30 per cent expressing this respectively.

BENEFITS OF UNION MEMBERSHIP VS. COSTS

When discussing the benefits of labour unions, people often weigh the cost of union membership against the benefits that collective action can deliver.

Approximately one-in-five union members surveyed said they receive a huge benefit in return for their membership dues, while closer to two-in-five (38 per cent) said this is more of a benefit than cost.

On the flipside, roughly two-in-five (39 per cent) said they do not think they receive enough of a benefit to cancel out the cost of their membership dues. Public and private sector union members are equally likely to say this.

The survey notes that women are more likely than men to say they do not receive enough benefit for the cost associated with union membership (47 per cent versus 34 per cent respectively).

POWER OF ORGANIZED LABOUR

The survey also asked participants how they felt about the power of organized labour in Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, there have been 481 work stoppages across the country since 2021, resulting in more than 5.1 million lost work days — the most lost work days in a three-year period since 2003-05.

Overall, 35 per cent said the power of organized labour has increased in the past decade or so. One-quarter (25 per cent) of Canadians said it has decreased.

Current union members were divided, the survey found, with 28 per cent saying union power has increased and 31 per cent saying it has decreased.

Approximately 39 per cent of Canadians said unions are too powerful in Canada, compared to 20 per cent who believe they are not as powerful as they should be, the survey states, noting that assessments of union power vary across party lines.      

WORKERS WEIGH IN ON DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES      

When asked which of the main federal political parties they think is currently best suited to improve their situation, 49 per cent of public sector union members said the NDP, traditionally associated with organized labour, is the best option — reflecting a 31-point advantage over the next option chosen.

Meanwhile, workers in private sector unions are less certain. Approximately one-third (32 per cent) surveyed said the Conservative Party would be best, one-third chose the NDP (32 per cent) and 26 per cent picked the governing Liberal Party.

METHODOLOGY

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey from Aug. 25 to 29 among a random sample of 2,023 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

For comparative purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20, according to the national, non-profit organization.

The survey and complete list of findings are available online.