Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Thirteen: Public Sector, Alberta

Introduction

The power or employers to dictate to workers is hardly confined to Canada, of course. Various countries dominated by the class of employers have the right to dictate to workers except as limited by the collective agreement (and, of course, certain legislative acts).

Collective Agreement Between the City of Medicine Hat and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 46

From Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Medicine Hat and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), local 46 (inside and outside workers), January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2026, page 6:

5 MANAGEMENT RIGHTS

5.1 The City reserves all rights not specifically restricted by provisions of this Collective Agreement.

Such a short clause–but it gives management as the representative of the employer vast powers over the inside and outside workers in Medicine Hat; the collective agreement limits the power of the employer, which is certainly better than not limiting its power–but it hardly expresses a fair situation, where a minority dictate to a majority what to do, how to do it, when to do it and so forth.

Since this clause forms part of the collective agreement, does the collective agreement express a fair contract? Does it express the freedom of workers? Does it express a democratic way of life or its opposite? Does it express economic democracy? Economic dictatorship? Economic justice?

There is nothing fair about collective agreements which concentrate most decision-making power over our work lives in the hands of the representatives of employers called managers. Collective agreements limit such power–but they do not by any means challenge such power. Indeed, they do not challenge the dicatorship of employers (see for example Employers as Dictators, Part One). Nor do they challenge the use of human beings as things that are treated as means for other people’s ends.

The law certainly does not prevent the exploitation and oppression of workers; workers may be able to use the law to limit their exploitation and oppression–but not abolish them.

What do you think? Do collective bargaining and collective agreements express something fair? Do they enable workers to be treated as human beings and not as things? Do union members really discuss such issues to any great extent? Do so-called leftists or “progressives?” Why or why not?