Monday, August 23, 2021 Safer, Better, Stronger Union representation has been linked to lower injury rates and fatalities in the construction industry Newsletters BC Local 68 Manitoba Local 152 Ontario Construction Sectors Construction A study by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) on Ontario’s construction sector suggests that unionization can have a positive effect on injury rates. Organizations that are unionized were associated with a 25 percent lower rate of injury than those that are not. The data was compiled using workers’ compensation injury information from 2012 to 2018. Musculoskeletal injuries at unionized workplaces were also shown to be 23 percent lower, and critical or severe injuries were 16 percent lower. Overall, the results suggest that union representation does promote safety and helps prevent injuries on job sites. CLAC accomplishes this through many avenues, including a robust safety training offering. One can infer that union members do benefit from the combined effort of management and union when they work to provide access to training. CLAC Training provides a whole suite of safety and skills training, and so it’s not a surprising outcome. That’s an advantage that not all nonunion companies would have access to because there’s just a greater availability, accessibility, and more focussed programming for workers. Statistics Canada reports that union workers are three times more likely to have their certificate of qualification than nonunion workers. Unionized workplaces also have a more robust injury reporting system. This means that workers are more likely to report an injury because they feel comfortable bringing it to light. The size of an organization is also a factor in reported injury rates. Larger companies had 25 percent fewer lost-time allowed injury claims than smaller companies, according to the IWH study, and the biggest unionized companies had a 44 percent lower risk. In smaller companies, there was no difference. Some questions still need to be answered, however. “The general finding was that unionization was associated with a lower fatal injury rate, but it was actually associated with a higher nonfatal injury rate,” says lead study author Lynda Robson. “That was kind of a puzzle and not what people were expecting because they expect unions to generally make conditions safer.” Further investigation will be required to determine why this is. Source: hrreporter.com You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026