Sunday, August 20, 2023

Striking: Pros and Cons

By Geoff Dueck Thiessen, Regional Director, Winnipeg Member Centre

In Canada, we have seen an increase in strike activity in the last several months. Notable examples in the last year are education sector support workers in Ontario, federal workers, Metro grocery workers in Ontario, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries workers (ongoing), Manitoba Hydro workers, and dock workers in BC. Across the border, the screen actors strike has been ongoing since mid-July. And experts seem to agree that strike action will likely increase.

Withholding labour is a critical tool for unions. Across the table, employers can also lock unionized workers out. Both actions must be carefully thought through.

In recent decades, union density has been decreasing in North America, partly because many of the gains won by unionized workers have become normalized, and employers have been taking steps to retain workers. By emphasizing employee morale and improving engagement programs and benefits plans, employers made unionizing and ultimately striking less necessary.

But the COVID-19 pandemic and the exhaustion and inflation that followed have facilitated a big shift. Employers seem less skilled at taking the extra care with their workers, and workers across sectors are now less interested in taking on any extra for employers who are short-staffed, short-supplied, and uncertain about the economy.

Many Local 306 members have asked about striking this year. CLAC’s view is that striking should be used as a last resort for a few reasons:

Strike pay is not full pay, and in most cases, workers never make up for the loss in pay they experience while striking.

Strike action can have a harmful effect on workplace culture. Tension can become intense when workers disagree about strike action. And striking workers end up back in the workplace, trying to rebuild a relationship with their employer, and this can be difficult.

Strike action can harm the employer, which can ultimately harm the workforce. A simple example would be an employer who loses sales due to strike action, and therefore has less revenue to pass on to workers or worse, can’t stay open and has to lay workers off.

That said, sometimes striking is the best option. Here are some arguments in favour of striking:

Employers need to know to take workers seriously. If unions never strike, they can lose some bargaining power. It can also put pressure on the employer and the union to reach an agreement. Many settlements are reached in the last 24 hours leading up to a strike or lockout deadline.

Strike action, if done well, can bring workers together.

A strike is an opportunity to educate the public about the situation workers are in. If a union can’t bring the public on side, it is less likely that it will achieve desired gains at the bargaining table.

Regardless of whether the wage losses from striking are ever recovered at the bargaining table, sometimes workers feel they need to take a stand.

CLAC’s commitment to members is to take strike action seriously in the following ways:

• Try our hardest to avoid strike action by reaching agreement at the bargaining table that members can support.

• Having the necessary plans in place in case strike action is needed.

• When taking strike votes, ensuring as much as possible that the information is clear and the vote is accessible, so everyone can share their voice.

• When taking strike action, doing so in a smart way that gives us the best chance at protecting members and achieving bargaining goals.

• Preserving the dignity of everyone involved, and taking a professional approach to media relations.

• Keeping the lines of communication open with members.

Ultimately, the goal of a union should be to reach a good agreement and avoid a strike. But sometimes, it’s going to be a necessary tool which, if done well, can be effective.

Striking: Pros and Cons

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