Canadian Union laws favor unions way more than US; a comparison

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Londo_Jowo

Lifer
Jan 31, 2010
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londojowo.hypermart.net
If they end support for their union then who may represent them to retain their apparent comfort in wage and benefits? How did they attain such status in the first place?

A necessary balance is needed, yet the trend in the USA is to remove bargaining representation, protection, and rights of the worker in order to favour the employer.

Ideological extremism rather than practical balance.

The union was trying to get the shop mechanics and machinist to join the union. The workers never requested a union meeting, the union came to the shop seeking members and the shop owners were required by law to set a time for the workers to meet with the union. The workers saw no benefit to joining the union so they walked out of the meeting.
 

DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
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This completely ignores the main reason for the large difference, the difference in public union labor. The majority of public work in Canada is union, while most public positions are non-union in the U.S. the U.S already has strong laws protecting public employees, so unions are not as necessary in the public area.

Only 16% of Canada private work force is unionized compared to around 7% of the US private work force. So while it is still difference it isn't as big as it would seem.
 
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DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
9
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You don't understand Canadian politics at all do you? Canadian conservatives are left of Democrats in most cases... So yeah.

Not really, Conservatives in Canada are to the Left of Republicans in the U.S, but they are most certainly to the right of U.S Democrats. So Yeah you are the one who is ignorant.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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You don't understand Canadian politics at all do you? Canadian conservatives are left of Democrats in most cases... So yeah.

Not only that, but it was the Liberals who eliminated the Deficit, paid down the Debt, and put in place the Regulations which made the 2008 Recession not sink the Canadian Economy like happened in most other nations.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,755
6,320
126
Not really, Conservatives in Canada are to the Left of Republicans in the U.S, but they are most certainly to the right of U.S Democrats. So Yeah you are the one who is ignorant.

I disagree. On a few philosophical issues you are correct. Practically speaking though, Canadian Conservatives are Left of even the US Democrats.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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Not really, Conservatives in Canada are to the Left of Republicans in the U.S, but they are most certainly to the right of U.S Democrats. So Yeah you are the one who is ignorant.

It is a common saying by many Canadians in reference to the comparison of the two countries political structure. Without a doubt we are far more liberal than the GOP on many issues. And there are some policies that are left of the Democrats which would be branded (rightfully) socialist in the U.S.
 

PokerGuy

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
13,650
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What evidence do you have giving the rich everything they want will make the US better off?

Excellent smash against that strawman, look at him go down!

I've never said anything of the sort, but hey, you can argue against made up positions all you want.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-23/the-real-reason-for-the-decline-of-american-unions.html

Interesting, looks like Canadians protects their unions way more than America does and their union participation rate is still high (same as America's peek in the 1950's essentially).

And their economy seems to be doing fine. Next time another conservative moron bitches about union laws in the US, i'm going to point to Canada.

Maybe it's the destruction of private sector unions that's the cause of our decline.

Thanks conservatives!

Talk about simplying the issue to fit your acute view of the world.

Canada doing well is because of unions? Nothing else huh?
 

PokerGuy

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
13,650
201
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Perhaps because they're running their country better than we are running ours and maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to see why what they're doing is better than what we're doing? The other option is to remain ignorant of what goes on in the rest of the world and just remain in your own bubble.

By who's measurement are they running their country better than we are ours? Should we also learn from the legal system of the Saudi's? Or perhaps the Chinese can teach us a thing or two about free speech?

Nothing wrong with looking at how other countries handle things, but pointing to another country and saying "hey, we should do the same because that's what they do and it agrees with my agenda!" is stupid.
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
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Personally, I would never join a union. I want my compensation, benefits, and treatment to be entirely due to the merits of my own work, not due to the bargaining of a representative for me and hundreds/thousands of others. Unions only really seem useful to me in industries where there is very limited competition for workers, so that market forces can't create an environment where companies have to one-up each other to attract the best talent. Then again, if there's very limited competition for workers, maybe a bunch of those people should be doing something else.
 

stormkroe

Golden Member
May 28, 2011
1,550
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Canada is a funny place to explain. Even though the vast majority of jobs are non-union (thank the lord), there are provincial wage standards set in place for most of the jobs that are responsible for the country's good economy. So you don't hardly get people low-balling their employees.
Social upbringing is more geared to saving money and living within your means too, a huge percentage of families in small town Alberta grow gardens in their yards to offset the insane price of food. EVERYone recycles, most people actually have savings, many people even use financial planners. Secondary education is just a given, and trades are streamlined for the workers to advance in.
Now, in my experiance the 'free' health care is mostly a joke. For one thing it's not free, since there's no such thing, and there's a good reason why most people STILL buy suplimental policies. How about waiting 14 months to get an MRI? I actually waited almost an hour once in the hospital when my youngest son was a baby and was choking on a marble. No one would do anything. They were going to ambulance him to Edmonton (1.5 hour drive) but thankfully it finally dislodged on its own. Anyway, tldr Canada isn't the free healthcare utopia that everyone parrots.
So, here's the short of it:
HUGE landmass full of resources
1/10th the population if the US
Mostly standardized wages
Mostly skilled worker class
Very low percentage of 'white-trash' (of any color)
Strict immigration control. There are lots of legal immigrants, illegals are GONE.

Long enough to now.