Empowerment and risk. Those have been the defining words used to describe workers and labour unions since 2023 during an unprecedented Canadian labour movement. The country has seen a wave of strikes, with union victories inspiring a growing number of workers to demand better benefits. This momentum has been bolstered by the recent passage of federal anti-scab legislation, which prevents employers from bringing in replacements while their employees are on strike. The surge comes amid the growing difficulties workers face in a turbulent economy and indicates a power shift, away from employers to their employees.
How Big is the Movement?
A clear measure of this labour movement’s scale is the number of workdays lost to disruptions and stoppages. In 2023, Canada surpassed 147 labour disruptions, costing over two million work days lost due to strikes. The first ten months of 2023 exceeded 2019’s 12-month total of just over a million days lost. In addition, strikes in 2023 averaged a length of 75.4 days compared to 33.2 in 2019. Such a large wave of strikes has not been seen since the 1970s, with the number of days lost at the highest in over a decade. “Strikes have been virtually non-existent for most of the past 30 years or so,” says Professor of Sociology at McGill University Barry Eidlin.
A Historic Wave of Strikes
The recent surge in labour action spans across industries and regions, showcasing the determination of unions. Canada suffered from the largest public sector strike in history with 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers walking out. The PSAC is the largest national labour union, representing members from every corner of the public sector across every province and territory. Another instance is Air Canada pilots, whose 10-year collective agreement was up for renewal in 2023. Air Canada’s pilots possess irreplaceable and highly specialized skills. Combined with the retirement packages many accepted during the pandemic – which reduced the number of available pilots – this gives them significant bargaining power heading into negotiations.
Why Now?
Inflation has driven increased labour activity, as many collective agreements – up for renewal during this period – prompted unions to demand better benefits. Peaking in June 2022 at 8.1 per cent, inflation has come down to 2.5 per cent in July 2024. However, the impact lingers, with workers struggling to make ends meet as they continue to recover from heightened rates of inflation. The rising cost of living goes hand in hand with the housing crisis; workers are under more pressure and are therefore willing to go on strike for an extended period of time, given the increased need for better wages. In addition, Canadian workers have experienced “deteriorating job quality,” along with stagnant wages and eroding benefits over the last couple of decades. The pandemic has exacerbated these effects. Spotlighting essential workers, it brought attention to working conditions, giving unions the public leverage they need to push for better wages. The unusually low level of unemployment is also helping unionsas it tightened the labour market, and made workers’ skills more valuable. With the retirement of the “baby boomers,” a large demographic in the workforce, younger workers are capitalizing on their value.
A Federal Win for Unions
Not only have labour unions managed to get better deals for their workers from companies, they are also celebrating the passing of Bill C-58, anti-scab legislation. This legislation aims to address scabbing, a strategy in which employers bring in replacements for their striking employees. Similar legislation passed in Quebec in 1977, and British Columbia in 1993; these laws protected workers during collective bargaining. However, Bill C-58 marks a first occurrence of protecting workers’ rights in such a manner at the federal level—a monumental victory for unions. Bill C-58 now bans the use of replacement workers in federally regulated industries. Already, business groups have come out, in oppositingthe bill, stating it risks decreasing productivity in an already struggling Canadian economy. Canadian Chamber of Commerce CEO Perrin Beatty said that, in the context of the increased wave of strikes, the bill would most certainly lead to more lost days of productivity, thereby harming Canadians. There is concern the supply chain could be interrupted if ports and railways go on strike, with no one to replace their work while negotiations take place. Labour advocates have countered this accusation, calling it “fear mongering”,pointing to the fact that similar legislation in Quebec and British Columbia have not harmed the province’s economies. The bill will not only give the unions more leverage at the bargaining table, it will also reduce the hostile work culture employees feel toward their employers when replacement workers are called in. Given that the bill will come into effect 18 months after royal assent, businesses hope for a potential new Conservative government that will repeal the bill, while unions urge Liberals to expedite the implementation process.
This surge in labour activity and the accompanying Anti-Scab Legislation reflect a significant shift in the balance of power between workers and employers, signalling Canada’s labour movement is not merely a response to economic pressures but a broader reassertion of workers’ rights and collective strength.
Edited by Catriona Hayes Morris
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and they do not reflect the position of the McGill Journal of Political Science or the Political Science Students’ Association.
Featured image by Ken Withock, obtained through Unsplash