@ISIDEWITHQuestionseconomyStarted 10yrs agoActive 2wks ago

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?

In 2015 the percentage of workers in Canada who belong to a trade union increased .1% to 30%. Canada's unionized workforce has actually grown in recent years. Today, the CBC reports that about 4.56 million workers are members of unions up more than 800,000 since 1997. Unions expansion has been outstripped by the non-unionized workforce, which grew by about 2.5 million over the same period.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 793 Social Democracy voters.

90%
Help
10%
Hurt
74%
Help
9%
Hurt
10%
Help, in theory but have recently become corrupt and should have their powers limited
1%
Hurt, I support some private unions but am strongly against public unions
6%
Help, but ban their ability to make political donations

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Social Democracy voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @8KMCS9Rfrom British Columbia  answered…4yrs4Y

Neither, unions do not exist for the benefit of the economy

 @B2KRKJ3from Ontario  answered…2wks2W

I don't think labour unions and labour rights should be considered as factors regarding economy since it monetizes people's rights and safety.

 @B29K2FS  from Pennsylvania  answered…4wks4W

Some help, others hurt. Depends on the Union, and ban unions and companies from making political donations. I support private and public unions, but larger unions should be regulated

 @9YFJQZ9from Ontario  answered…3mos3MO

They help the economy only IF they are actually not being greedy. They should be checked by the goverment for any greedness.

 @9H4CMCQfrom Ontario  answered…1yr1Y

Help, BUT I do believe some better measures need to be put in place to aid the employer even a little bit when it comes to removing employees who are 'riding the gravy train' because their employer is literally hand tied and cannot get rid of them due to union contracts. There are good honest people willing to work who are not able to due to unproductive workers who 'play the game' and remain employed. These type of employees, become a cost to the product/service their company is providing. At the same time, I do not think power should be given to the employer catre blanche.

 @9GSPNQKfrom Alberta  answered…1yr1Y

Help, but employees should have the ability to influence and or unite on key issues. However, labor unions should be prohibited from publicly or privately supporting one party.

 @9GPTJ2Dfrom British Columbia  answered…1yr1Y

It depends on the union, some are better at advocating for workers' rights and best interests; others are more focused on justifying and funding their own existence and do not offer value for the union fees they charge members

 @9GNXXXTfrom British Columbia  answered…1yr1Y

A mix of both, rather than just one or the other. Depends on the relationship with management, leadership, and other factors.

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Labor Unions” news articles, updated frequently.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO

Volkswagen Faces Explosive Strikes Over Plant Closures and Job Cuts

Tens of thousands of Volkswagen workers will participate Monday in strikes at plants across Germany, labor union IG Metall said, marking the largest walkouts at the carmaker’s domestic operations since 2018.The walkouts, which are planned to last several hours, follow weeks of collective bargaining negotiations during which VW refused to rule out mass layoffs and potential plant closures in its home market — drastic measures the company says are necessary to prop up its fortunes amid competition from China and weaker European demand.A so-called “peace obligation” between workers and the company, which prohibited industrial action, expired on Saturday, allowing strikes to take place from Sunday at virtually all of Volkswagen’s German factories.“If necessary, this will become the toughest wage dispute Volkswagen has ever seen,” IG Metall’s chief negotiator Thorsten Groeger said in a statement Sunday. “How long and intense this dispute will be is Volkswagen’s responsibility at the negotiating table.”“Volkswagen has set our collective bargaining agreements on fire, and instead of extinguishing this fire during three rounds of negotiations, the management board keeps throwing open barrels of gasoline onto it,” he added.The walkouts will be the first large-scale strikes that Volkswagen has faced since 2018, according to IG Metall, when 50,000 workers idled plants over pay. Although the work stoppages will last only a few hours, it is possible that 24-hour warning strikes could be called later this year. Indefinite strikes could also be called as a last resort, but only after members have been consulted again, IG Metall said.The strikes represent a fresh headache for Europe’s largest automaker, which saw operating profit for the first nine months of the year tumble by a fifth from the previous year, as its flagship brand struggled. Vehicle sales also slipped on particularly weak demand in China, where it is losing market share to Chinese electric vehicle brands.

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