This text is part of the special issue on Trade Unionism
Since the creation of Labor Day in 1894, the challenges have evolved, but remain similar to those of the late 19th century.e century, according to the Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD). The latter wants to put people back at the heart of issues surrounding the organization of work.
In the early 1900s, unions mainly represented workers from the working class, recalls Luc Vachon, president of the CSD. “The strength of the movement lay in the pride they had in their work and their identity linked to their social class,” he summarizes. “It’s a reality that is still very present today. People need to give meaning to what they accomplish in order to be able to build themselves as people. There’s nothing worse than doing work that you don’t find meaning in.”
While union activities have since spread to other trades and professions, the topic of pride at work persists among employees, particularly those of the new generations. “All the research on the behaviour of millennials shows that the question of the meaning and importance of what they have to accomplish, in addition to the feeling of satisfaction, is essential for them,” says Mr. Vachon. Moreover, 39% of younger workers would expect their boss to create a pleasant work environment first and foremost, according to the 2023 Jeunesse study report by the Léger firm.
Quest for meaning
But are corporate cultures in line with this quest for meaning that workers are calling for? According to Mr. Vachon, “we often lose sight of this human dimension that work must preserve.” Productivity, automation, artificial intelligence, digitalization… “We talk a lot about the context of production and execution,” notes the union representative.
Economic priority has also replaced people in management decisions, deplores Luc Vachon. “We put it at the heart of actions and graft the rest around it. This is not how we should build our society and our world of work. The economy is not the goal. It is the tool to respond to social issues,” he maintains.
Thus, several leaders focus their objectives on technologies, in particular. “But people, that’s a dimension that is ignored, as if it were secondary to the rest,” denounces the unionist. But for whom do we produce goods and services? For people, society, the world. That includes workers.”
Even though millennials are more likely than members of other generations to prioritize this aspect, all employees should also be at the heart of companies’ decisions. Companies should think more about their activities by taking into account the aspirations of their employees, believes Mr. Vachon.
Unions still play a key role in responding to these challenges, believes the CSD president. “What is the best way to come together and act together, to interfere, whether in terms of social measures, work organization, mental health, taxation, wealth sharing or the various social safety nets that can be set up? What is the best collective way to intervene? It is, still today, the union movement.”
Collective levers
Not only do unions play a role in major political and socio-economic struggles, but they also enable progress directly in the workplace, he adds. “We believe that even in 2024, it is still the centrals and unions that are the best collective levers for making changes,” he says.
As Quebec and the rest of Canada have experienced a sharp increase in the cost of living in recent years, the CSD wants to make wealth sharing its hobbyhorse. “It’s not true that inflation affects everyone. Who buys basic goods by devoting the largest part of their income to it? It’s the middle class and those who earn the least,” argues Mr. Vachon.
He also believes that the issue of mental health and psychosocial risks in the workplace is more openly addressed than in the past. “And it is the interventions of trade union organizations that have led to this recognition.”
This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.