"I was there when we brought the Union in. The first-time contract they won for us was unbelievable. It changed the quality of my life. I am now a Shop Steward and enjoy working with my Union and looking after my fellow workers. "
Canadian labour cited a new report which detailed the essential policy to build the middle class is unionization. The study was released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on May 1. According to the report’s co-author, economist Hugh Mackenzie, union representation affects a worker’s ability to move up the middle class ladder. Holding a union card also buffered workers from the devastating effects of hard economic times and offered greater access to upward mobility. “The findings suggest that there is a huge opportunity cost for workers who lose a unionized position, especially during recessionary periods,” said Mackenzie. “Conversely, workers represented by a union tend to move a notch or two up the income ladder. They’re not only better positioned to weather economic storms — they’re more likely to experience the Canadian middle class dream — upward income mobility.” He said policies should facilitate the rise of collective bargaining in Canada because “the health of the middle class depends on it.”
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