1. The economic advantage of union membership
Everyone knows that union members make higher wages, but few are aware of just how much higher the union wage premium is. In Alberta, a wage survey conducted by StatsCanada in 1996 found that, on average, union members earned 30 per cent more than their non-union counterparts in the same occupations.

At a national level, Labour Force Information (Stats Can 71-001) found that in March 2001, the average union hourly wage was $19.77 per hour compared to $15.92 for non-union workers. Average weekly wages for union members were 24 per cent higher than for non-union workers.

Union members spend their higher incomes in their communities – to the benefit of local businesses. Union members also pay higher taxes into provincial coffers – providing the provincial government with the means to provide better public services. Furthermore, union wage levels provide a benchmark that pushes up wage levels for non-union workers.

2. The effect of other union benefits
Perhaps the most important union benefit other than wages is the fact that almost all union members have pension plans. It should come as no surprise that Alberta has both the lowest unionization rate in Canada at about 24% - we also have the least number of people with registered pension plans at 25.6 %. Seniors’ poverty and health issues are becoming a more and more critical problem for the province. If we had higher union density, this problem might not even exist!

Union members also enjoy other benefits that most other workers do not. Dental plans, sick leave provisions, and other supplemental health care plans enjoyed by union members take pressure off the public system and promote a healthier workforce.

3. Unions encourage higher productivity
Higher wage levels commanded by union workers force management to be more efficient. In fact, high wage economies tend to be more productive and quicker to adopt new technologies. High wage economies generally have lower levels of unemployment. And, because of the spin-off effects of higher tax revenues and more productive company operations, high wage economies tend to support higher quality public services and social programs, lower crime rates and higher literacy rates.

If unions are such a good thing …