CUSW Advantage | CUSW-BC, Canadian Union - CUSW BC
The CUSW Advantage
They have a name for it – The Union Advantage.
After decades of research throughout Canada and the western world, the evidence is clear: there are enormous advantages of being in a union. Higher income, safer and healthier working conditions, stronger benefits, better pensions, longer paid vacations, stable work schedules, and most importantly, more rights on the job.
For workers looking to join a union throughout British Columbia, it’s a big decision, but one which will benefit themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
But the Union Advantage is about more than just numbers. It’s about respect. Workers who belong to a union like the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSW) aren’t taken advantage of by employers and bosses who want to play by their own rules.
Workers in British Columbia without a union are at the mercy of the employer, and policies that negatively affect their jobs can be implemented at any moment. Workers are forced to resolve issues or unfair workplace practices with their employer all by themselves. But unions provide workers with a collective strength that no one individual could have on their own.
That’s because unionized workers have a collective agreement, which is a legally binding contract that provides guarantees covering pay, benefits, and other rights that aren’t available to non-unionized workers. CUSW members throughout British Columbia are protected by experienced union stewards and officials who know the ins and outs of their agreements and are ready to defend their interests when called to do so.
That’s all part of the union advantage. And you don’t even have to take our word for it. The Big Business community in Canada complain about the Union Advantage all the time (as if it’s actually a bad thing). But working people and wage earners know otherwise.
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Just the Facts
Better Pay
Statistics Canada reports that unionized workers in Canada are paid $5.40 an hour – or 23% more – than non-unionized workers. For women, people of colour and other equity seeking groups, the pay advantage of belonging to a union is even higher. Only 28.4% of unionized workers report they have individual annual incomes under $40,000, compared to 44.1% of non-unionized workers. Long story short: it pays to be in a union.
Health and Safety
Research also reveals that unionized workplaces tend to be safer and healthier, with studies in the construction industry, for example, illustrating there are 30% lower critical injury claims, 17% fewer mobility impairments and 23% lower lost-time claims in unionized environments. This is mainly because unionized workers like CUSW members are more likely to report health and safety violations (either for themselves or their fellow members), and collective agreements spell out specific union demands for safer workplaces.
Benefits and Pensions
78% of union members have access to a workplace pension, but less than 42% of non-unionized workers do. These percentages are almost exactly the same for workplace benefits as well (77% compared to 47%, respectively). CUSW believes everyone should enjoy safe and secure retirement and live their golden years not having to worry about finances.
Job Security
Unionized workers are more likely to be working full-time, permanent and enjoy longer work tenures with employers. This means a lot when it comes to seniority and a lifetime of increasing pay and benefits. Non-unionized workers have far more precarious, temporary, part-time and insecure jobs. Unions like CUSW in British Columbia provide a powerful defence against those bad bosses who want to consistently nickel and dime wage earners.
Equity
Unionized workplaces are more equal, not only between employers and employees (that goes without saying), but between lower and higher paid workers themselves. The wage gap is lower in unionized workplaces, with relatively higher wages for lower paid workers, and better wages especially among women and young workers. Unions play a vital role in reducing both financial and social inequality in British Columbia and throughout Canada. This makes good economic sense, because for unions like CUSW, no one should be left behind.
Work Life Balance
Related to job security are more predictable schedules, standard hours of work, shift premiums and overtime pay, all stipulated within collective agreements. And according to research from McMaster University and the United Way, unionized workers are less likely to report struggling with paying bills and suffering stress from potential changes in income, leading to overall better mental health outcomes than non-unionized workers.
Training and Education
Unions place a premium on life-long learning and skills upgrading. Not only do unionized workplaces provide more of this training (as required through collective agreements), but many unions like CUSW provide free or heavily subsidized training themselves. In the economy of British Columbia during the early 21st century, workers need to be prepared for ever changing jobs and new forms of work.
Advocacy
Unions aren’t just single-minded organizations. Many are active in engaging elected officials and policy makers to ensure the rights workers have won through decades of struggle remain intact, and that workers everywhere – in British Columbia, throughout Canada and around the world, and whether in a union or not – are free from oppression and exploitation.
Workplace Democracy
Unions help create workplaces where grievance and arbitration procedures are clearly defined through collective agreements instead of timely disputes. As well, unions like CUSW in British Columbia provide democratic institutions and spaces where workers can affect change from the bottom up. That’s because we believe wage earners should control their places of work, not the other way around. Unions aren’t just about dollars and cents, but resting control over the labour process itself. This democratic ideal was first formulated in the labour movement by the miners’ union in the late 19th century, who believed those who work in the mines should control them.
The CUSW Advantage
CUSW is a proudly democratic and independent union based on fairness, membership participation and our ongoing struggle for workers’ rights. We have a proud history going back over twenty years, and we’ve never stopped improving ourselves, changing with the times, and taking on new issues and efforts that benefit working people.
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There are several important ways in which CUSW differs from other unions in British Columbia
Democracy and Participation
Belonging to a union like CUSW means having a voice at work and decision-making power about your job and work-life balance. Our union has instituted a specific Participation Model which ensures rank and file members, committees, and stewards all work together and are at the centre of driving our union forward. The diverse membership of our union is a family and a community, and are active participants in how CUSW works and serves their needs.
Equity
CUSW is proud to support its members and their families through a variety of key health and welfare benefits that stand above and beyond. CUSW sponsors a legally recognized Trust Agreement where members decide their level of benefits and coverage to meet their own particular needs. Some of these benefits include:
- Dental care
- Vision care
- Life Insurance
- Disability Benefits
- Prescription Drug Plan
- Member (Employee) Assistance Programs
By pooling our resources and bulk purchasing power, CUSW can provide affordable, high-quality benefits for members and their families in British Columbia which they most likely couldn’t attain on their own.
Health and Safety
Work doesn’t have to hurt, or kill. Yet almost 1,000 workers in Canada died on the job last year, and thousands more were inured or became sick because of their job. And tragically, many leading experts agree these numbers are dramatically under-reported. CUSW has always made health and safety a top priority. Besides collective agreements that include strong health and safety standards that protect our members in British Columbia, CUSW also sponsors workshops and training on issues like mental well-being and a variety of other important workplace health issues.
Retirement Plans and Pensions
CUSW provides affordable financial planning services, group RRSPs and other financially related benefits. A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is a government approved program which allows you to save a part of your income that has not been taxed. Our union believes retirement plans and pensions are simply deferred wages that are invested and received at a later date.
That’s why CUSW has a direct interest in protecting those investments on behalf of its membership. The difference is that our union takes a hands-on approach and helps educate its members to become financial planners and experts in their own right. After all, you understand your investment and retirement needs better than anyone else.
Jobs and Hiring
CUSW doesn’t only want to make the working lives of our members better and safer, but more convenient. That’s why we developed our highly popular, online Job Centre, where members seeking work in British Columbia are matched with employers offering jobs at their workplace. In line with our principles of fairness and equality, CUSW ensures that job opportunities are evenly distributed, and free of prejudice or favouritism. The Job Centre is an open an accountable system based on the criteria set forth in our collective agreements and by our workplace partners.
Training and Life-Long Learning
The new global economy is always changing, industries come and go, and skill sets are always in flux, but CUSW is up to the task. That’s why we’ve made skills development and training such a high priority for our membership. CUSW has a Training Trust Fund that allows our members to enhance their skill sets to take on the advanced, high-paying jobs of the future.
And although these courses are primarily technical in nature, others include training on interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, leadership, negotiation and arbitration. It’s our way of creating well-rounded members and knowledge workers in British Columbia who are ready for any challenge.
