Since 2000, $80.5 million of taxpayer money has been given to unions or union affiliates by the Ontarian government for the purposes of ‘bargaining expenses.’ This, despite the fact that “it is absolutely not normal practice for an employer to reimburse unions for their costs of bargaining. Unions collect dues for that very reason.” Elsewhere in Canada, unions are pushing for a change in the labour code that would restore unionization by card check rather than secret ballot. This article covers this debate, as well as the evolving role of unions in British Columbia. Additionally, read the province of Alberta’s stake in the current NAFTA negotiations here. In Australia, we’re seeing a substantial push for unions to be taxed like companies. This comes after a report by Menzies Research Center that found that:
union revenue increased by 42 percent after inflation over the past 14 years while union membership fell by 41 percent in the private sector. The report said union finances were increasingly drawn from enterprise bargaining and superannuation and insurance products.
Lastly, Italy is facing a high-profile case after New York Times article was released highlighting the unfair wages and working conditions in the supply chain of luxury garment apparel. Read more here.
