Canadian HR Reporter

January 27, 2014 CANADIAN HR REPORTER ROUNDTABLE 17 Sponsored by: Image problems plague entire workforce — not just unions Unions are not the only entity struggling with perception problems — so is the entire workforce, argued Ted Mallett, vicepresident and chief economist at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). He points to certain studies indicating workers do not opt for unions if they are satisfied with their jobs. That involves communication, quality decision-making and employee involvement, which go above and beyond the bargaining table, he said. "You're not talking about the PR problem, you're talking about the general public having a very different perspective on the workplace than unions. It's not just a problem that necessarily needs solving, in our view," said Mallett. "These kinds of shifts are important to make sure that we've got the appropriate policy means and the appropriate policies out there to ensure that it's not really a union-centred or an employer-centred kind of perspective. It's what people want, how do they want to associate themselves and how do we allow that to take place?" And in order to be an attractive alternative for non-traditional and non-unionized groups, labour efforts will not only have to offer tangible motivation for those specific workers, but an image they can rally behind. "If the unions are going to make that progress, they've got to make it compelling for people to belong to that group that has that affiliation and an image for them to aspire to want to be a part of," said Edwards. The solution, according to Newman, lies in education. For unions, knowledge is power, and they must draw from the past in order to move ahead in the future. "The best possible tool, the best possible weapon, is education," she said. "The facts are solid. What have the unions done — and more importantly — what have you done for me lately? That's the key question and perhaps the most problematic question given the current trending that we're seeing." whether or not the union is successful. If the union is successful, you are in a transformed workplace, you are dealing with a third party, but there is no reason why your workplace cannot continue to succeed." In fact, Knight went so far as to say that in extreme cases, a union can be the best option for employees. That is, the union can act as a partner and help implement effective HR policies, essentially forcing employers to do exactly what they ought to have been doing. However, more often than not, employers balk at the notion of having a union seep into their office. To an extent, unions might be considered a last resort, a plea for help from employees who historically organize when the terms and conditions of employment are not up to code. So it stands to reason that fashioning a well-oiled workplace will quash any whispers of organizing amongst staff. "It's already too late. You can't start having a non-union workforce when the union shows up to try to organize your employees. You have to start having a non-union workforce from the moment you decide to be a business that employs people," said Knight. "And the only effective way I've seen an employer remain a non-union workplace is by having excellent human resources policies and practices and by doing the kinds of things that unions would come to the workplace they could help the workers achieve." That includes fair and transparent wages, opportunities for development, above-par health and safety policies, and a welcoming environment for women, visible minorities and persons with disabilities — all the components a union will bring, said Knight. "If that's the workplace you're offering, then your chances of remaining a nonunion workplace are significantly higher — there are no guarantees — but they're significantly higher than if you're operating a workplace that does not practise those values," he said. "It's not a lip service, it's day in and day out. That's the only way I've ever seen it succeed." Watch videos from the roundtable Videos from the roundtable are available on Canadian HR Reporter's website. Simply go to www.hrreporter.com/ labourrelationsroundtable to view videos from the panel discussion. Jamie Knight, a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti, said the only surefire way to remain a nonunion workplace is with excellent HR practices. Three's company Despite an uphill battle on the horizon, Unifor has donned its armour in an attempt to regain unions' former stronghold in the workforce. So what happens if a union comes knocking? Rule number one: Don't panic. "The big thing is overreaction," said Jamie Knight, a partner at labour and employment law firm Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti in Toronto. "The fact of the matter is most businesses, unless they're inherently unhealthy, will survive a union-organizing campaign Anna Goldfinch, national executive representative at the Canadian Federation of Students, said union messaging like "we brought you the weekend" doesn't resonate with young workers who don't have weekends off. Bill Murnighan, director of Unifor's research department, said the idea union workers have "jobs for life or gold-plated working conditions is not the reality." YOUNG WORKERS Babes in the woods? Unifor intends to mobilize young workers — an often overlooked demographic when it comes to organized workplaces. While this cohort tends to belong to precarious work and is stunted by high unemployment rates, young workers are a virtually untapped membership base for unions. Herewith, Anna Goldfinch, national executive representative at the Canadian Federation of Students, explains the key to engaging the future of the workforce — and perhaps the union drive itself: "The workforce is changing, labour conditions are changing, especially for young people in this province and in this country — there is more and more underemployment, precarious employment for youth here in Canada. They see unions as organizations that represented people like their parents, people who were in Monday to Friday, nine to five. That's not for them. Messaging from unions like 'The folks that brought you the weekend' is incredibly effective for those that have weekends but, increasingly, young people don't have weekends. They don't see themselves fitting into union culture because it doesn't reflect the lifestyle and the work they participate in. If unions are going to make themselves relevant to youth and to students, they need to start communicating that they're applicable in any workforce and the benefits that our parents enjoyed, if they were working in a unionized environment, are available to young people — and that unions will reflect young people more and more as young people start to participate in them. And because unions are democratic organizations, the more young people get involved, the more unions are going to reflect their priorities. Strategies might actually be better focused on working with unionized workers, especially youth, in having them educated about why unions are important and why they are members of the union. They are the ones going out and saying, 'This is why I'm a unionized worker, this is why it's important to me, these are the benefits that are brought to me from being part of a union.'"

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