Labour Unions, Workplace Rights and Canadian Public Policy

This paper addresses the future of labour unions and of workplace rights as they pertain to Canadian public policy. I argue that the established policy regime has unduly limited the purview of unions and the rights and protections afforded workers, and that unions are becoming increasingly marginalized under it. After then considering various alternatives, I argue for a "good practice" paradigm, one that relies less on formal certification and collective bargaining rights and more on the provision of universal rights designed to ensure basic levels of dignity, fairness, and voice (i.e., good practice) at work. Under this paradigm, the role of unions would be less one of negotiating and enforcing rights where they are certified, and more one of ensuring the effective implementation and enforcement of state-mandated rights in all workplaces, regardless of whether they are certified for purposes of collective bargaining.