Union Angst

"I believe there is a genuine public purpose served by requiring financial transparency in all institutions that receive a substantial public benefit.  It exists in government, Crown corporations, charities and most recently on native reserves.  Now we are extending transparency to another set of institutions that enjoy public benefits, that being labour organizations."
B.C. Member of Parliament Russ Hieberg, sponsor of private member's Bill C-377.

On December 13, the Canadian House of Commons passed Bill C-377 by a vote of 147 to 135; a piece of legislation which requires financial transparency for labour organizations.  Unions are somewhat less than thrilled.  They view this as representing the dark side of the Conservative government's assault on democracy and Canadian values, part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's 'hidden agenda'.

Chris Wattie/Reuters

The Opposition has supported outraged unions, as a discriminatory assault on organized labour.  Which will now be subject to tough disclosure  requirements.  Critics of the bill denounce it, claiming that forcing unions to be transparent about their financial activities with tax authorities looking on, represents a constitutional and privacy right violation.

Perhaps it's just long-overdue and fair. Not according to NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair who insists: "This is an attempt by the Conservatives to break down the system of representation and protection of workers' rights in Canada."  The government, on the other hand, insists the public has a right to know how unions spend members' dues, tax deductible, and costing Ottawa roughly a half-billion yearly in lost revenues.

Come to that, and more to the point, that information should be open and available to union members.  They are, after all, the ones who are forced by law to pay those dues.  Whether or not they want to, on the basis of the conclusion that they benefit materially from union contracts through the bargaining process, and should pay for what is of benefit to them.

Which is true, but there is also the fact that unions engage in activities which are set apart from workers' interests.

Charitable organizations are able to issue receipts to their supporters to be used for income tax purposes.  Those organizations are not supposed to be politically active to maintain their charitable status.  The donations they receive - voluntarily, by those who support their work - are recognized as a public good.  And are meant to be used principally in support of another public good, their charitable work.

Unions, on the other hand, are politically engaged.  Their negotiations to increase wages and benefits for their members are political in nature.  Moreover, they also become heavily involved in politics having nothing whatever to do with their purported reason for existence.  Their members, who must support them through wage deductions, may not all support their unions' 'extracurricular' political activities, but they haven't the option of opting out.

Where once unions had a respected and responsible and needful place in the order of workers' pay packets and benefits, that is hardly the case any longer.  Most unions now are reliant on representing government employees; they have far less of a representative role in the private sector and primarily because they are no longer needed as they once were.  Employers, including government, are more responsive to workers' needs.

Which hasn't stopped the unions from being aggressive and bellicose, painting managers and employers as ruthless and heartless, out to get the upper hand in all negotiations with their workers.  Unions prefer their adversarial role, when they could just as well have a co-operative role that would still benefit their members.

It is their threatening style that fails to impress their members, along with the arrogance they display when engaging in "international solidarity" events of their choosing that many of their members deplore.  And it is simply good common sense that as a public institution their books be open and transparent.

And about time.  It should be of wide interest to those involved to be able to peruse information on salaries, expenditures and the time union executives spend on political activities.  We will all find it useful, as will Revenue Canada.