Letter to the Editor, Sun Media
Re: Geoffrey Johnston’s “Labour Day’s Part I”
In the days leading up to Labour Day it is always interesting to read the pieces outlining the history and predictions of the future of organized labour. In this particular piece however it is quite interesting that Mr. Johnston would find it relevant to reach out to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business for information on the labour movement.
Satinder Chera, a VP of Communications for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is given space for his anti-union vitriol with little more to back it up than a strange conspiracy theory that he terms “union salting”. Acknowledging that the CFIB has done an excellent job fighting for their small business members through campaigns on such issues as high credit card merchant fees and protecting gained benefits for their members, I find it strange that they now see a need to attack organizations that also fight for their own members and protect the benefits gained.
It’s also richly ironic that Mr. Chera claims that unions have “too much power”. Nowhere in the article does he acknowledge how many meetings the CFIB has had with different levels of government, nor does it indicate how often they have lobbied and on what specific subjects. I think if one were to take a quick glance at the facts it would become very apparent who has the balance of power and influence here. The “big, bad, way too powerful union” claim flies right out the window.
On the economic impact of higher wages gained through union density Mr. Chera again conveniently ignores the fact that a strong labour principle has always been to shop local, to spend money in community run businesses, not big box giants. This fact is either lost on Mr. Chera or he is just not interested in acknowledging a very simple fact. If 37% of Kingston’s jobs are unionized you’d think Mr. Chera would try to capitalize on that for his members rather than try and alienate that potential sales revenue.
Regarding Mr Chera’s claim that unions should not be responsible for anything other than collective bargaining, he completely ignores benefits and protections that have been gained through social justice and political activism that even he currently has available to him as a non-union member. I think that if Mr Chera closely examined many of the benefits he enjoys today he could thank a union, yet he is determined to criticize organizations for doing exactly what his lobby group is doing – building on the past and fighting for the future of their members. This is odd at best.
Adam Jackson
Regional Vice President Union of Taxation Employees –PSAC