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By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: The holiday Canada gave the world

Sep 5, 2022 | 8:00 AM

SO SAYS THE HEADLINE on the website of the National Union of Public and General Employees. The headline, of course, refers to Labour Day, today.

Activities in Kamloops will consist of a picnic in the park and an opportunity to mingle with union and non-union workers and their families, but most of all, it is a holiday dedicated to the memory of those who were not afraid to stand up for improved working conditions and salaries, changing the face of labour relations.

The first Canadian Parade for workers’ rights took place April 15, 1872, in Toronto. The parade was the first of a long effort of events that continues to this day to protect the rights of workers.

To quote the website- “Today we take paid holidays, safe work places, medical care, unemployment insurance, fair hours, union wages and ‘the weekend’ for granted. But how many of these advances would have happened if it were not for the long-forgotten heroes who fought so hard to make unions, and Labour Day, a reality in the first place?” and all that is true.

But let it also be remembered that thanks to that pressure, many companies have seen the light and worked more closely than ever with their workers to make changes.

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I have only paid union dues for two short periods in my life – when I started with the CBC in 1966, and again recently when I stayed on reading news after giving up my role in management.

The rest of the time in my long career I was on the other side of the table during negotiations with our union. We have never had a strike, we have had relatively few grievances and we have a pretty good relationship.

In my view, the secret to good labour relations is honesty. Leaders who are not afraid to have open discussions, to stand by their word and to understand what needs to happen to get to a peaceful resolution of a dispute.

My sense is that labour negotiations are changing. It’s more about making a win-win situation instead of the knocking heads efforts of the past. To compromise when you can and to stand firm when you can’t.

I believe there will always be a need for labour unions to keep companies accountable. And there will always be strikes, but maybe fewer than the past.

The major goal of both sides going forward is to ensure that workers are treated fairly, but in a way that companies can still meet reasonable production and profit goals. That vision may take a while to reach, but with some hard work, it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.