To start with a union is only as good as the members who belong to it. The other this
is this, we have business associations, political associations, we have coops for the
farm community and the medical college of surgeons, not to mention the Lawyers and
their group. Working people have an association too, its called a Union. Auto Makers,
Loggers, Packinghouse Workers and even Hockey Players have a union. The union is
the bargaining agent, just like brokers bargain the price for farmers with grocery stores.
There is nothing wrong with unions what so ever, when they act within the boundaries
set by the membership. The Union Movement is involved in bargaining, education and
safety programs and even in improving the social issues of the day. If it were not for
unions many social benefits we have today they fought societies battle to achieve the
human rights we enjoy. Yes social and civil disobedience is part of the democracy we
cherish in this country. All things in society are not always comfortable but they make
us aware of the issues facing us and unfortunately sometimes they are as necessary
as raising interest rates or taxes.
Now sometimes unions overstep their bounds just like the chamber of commerce does,
in certain local situations. Unions by definition do not tell the business how to run its
affairs, all they do is ensure the business or management of the business lives up to the
contract they signed with the members of the union.
We had a situation here in the agricultural industry this year during harvest where the
union members pulled a wildcat in the middle of harvest at the packinghouse. In the end
the two main instigators were fired and the union did not step in to save them as they
went way beyond what is acceptable.
I look at the Union Movement through the eyes of someone who has been a Union President
and at another time as a General Manager. The union/ management relationship is what
both parties make it. The individual members make up the union and if they are informed
and they participate things work well most of the time. When only a few go to meetings and
control the agenda problems set in, and that is the fault of those who go support their
association. The other criticism I have is that the Union Management has become more about
managing the pension fund that the people who are in charge of progress for the people they
serve. And yes, they tend to make more money, if someone feels the are not making the same
kind of money they should form a union not sit around being jealous of those who have one,.
Unions bring abut social and economic progress and sometime social instability but then a
democracy should always have a measure of social unrest it is the heartbeat the advances
society and ensures the strength of our democracy.
