Introduction
I was surprised to read an article from Kiri Vadivelu (December 31, 2024, “No to Legislative Strikebreaking! Victory to Postal Workers!”) in The Red Review, a “Socialist Action journal.” [Socialist Action is an allegedly socialist organization]. Vadivelu was a candidate for mayor in the last municipal elections in Toronto–and I voted for him since he seemed to express some of the views that I share.
Idealization of the Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Slogan “Fair Wages”
For this reason, I was surprised to read his article on the recent postal workers strike in Canada by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the federal government’s forcing the workers back to work. I certainly agree that such a move by the federal government should be criticized, but this hardly justifies Vadivelu’s implicit idealization of his use of the social-democratic slogan “fair wages”:
By weakening CUPW, Ettinger [CEO of Canada Post] is attacking the very bench mark CUPW sets for fair wages in the entire delivery sector. This is nothing short of class warfare….
Postal workers set the benchmark for fair wages and rights in this industry. Attacking our union isn’t just an attack on CUPW—it’s an attack on every logistics worker in Canada.
Historically, CUPW was a militant union. As a consequence of Vadivelu’s use of this trade-union cliche, I decided to see whether CUPW used this social-reformist or social-democratic cliche as well (or its equivalent, such as “fair compensation”). Indeed, it does (see Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part One: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)). Such cliches need to be persistently criticized by socialists.
This post continues by providing evidence that, like CUPW, the largest Canadian private-sector union–Unifor–uses the cliche “fair wages” without justifying such a cliche or even specifying what it means by the cliche.
What are fair wages? Since workers who work for an employer are necessarily means or instruments for purposes defined by employers (a minority), and those workers do not determine those purposes, how can any wage be fair (see The Money Circuit of Capital)? Perhaps some “leftist” can explain it. More likely, though, the so-called left will remain silent about the issue.
In the collective agreement between Unifor and Expertech Network Installation, Craft and Service Employees, dated January 25, 2021-November 30, 2023, there is a management rights clause on page 8, which reads:
ARTICLE 8
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS8.01 The Company has the exclusive right and power to manage its operations in all respects and in accordance with its commitments and responsibilities to the public, to conduct its business efficiently and to direct the working forces and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it has the exclusive right and power to hire, promote, transfer, demote or lay-off employees, and to suspend, dismiss or otherwise discipline employees.
8.02 The Company agrees that any exercise of these rights and powers shall not contravene the provisions of this Agreement.
That short clause includes such management rights as hiring, firing, disciplining and directing the work of Unifor workers–subject to the limits of the collective agreement and relevant legislation. Such rights hardly are “fair” since they permit management to control workers’ lives in various ways and, ultimately, to treat them as means for purposes undefined by the workers themselves (see The Money Circuit of Capital and Employers as Dictators, Part One). How can wages in any way compensate for the loss of freedom of Unifor workers (and workers who work for employers in general)?
What of the exploitation of workers at General Motors and Unifor’s lack of addressing the issue (see The Rate of Exploitation of General Motors Workers).
My argument from another post also applies to the issue of “fair wages”:
As shown in the last post, unions persistently claim that, through collective bargaining and a collective agreement, there can arise somehow (by magic?) “a fair and equitable collective agreement.” There can be no such thing as long as there exists a market for workers, where human beings are treated as things and as means for purposes over which they have little control. To claim otherwise is to bullshit workers–and workers deserve much better than this.
The Rhetoric of Unifor: Fair Wages
- From January 27, 2025 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/transdev-transit-workers-show-solidarity-not-wearing-uniforms-heading-towards):
“We need more government investment in fixing and growing public transit here in B.C.,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “Transit workers deserve good jobs, fair wages and not having to worry when their next break to go to the bathroom might be on their shift.”
- From January 15, 2025 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/unifor-calls-education-funding-resolve-staffing-crisis):
Unifor calls for education funding to resolve staffing crisis
EDMONTON—Unifor stands in solidarity with Alberta’s striking education workers and calls on the provincial government to restore funding for fair wages and adequate staffing, including for the 3,500 education workers represented by Unifor in the sector. …
“If Alberta is half as prosperous as Premier Danielle Smith claims, it can easily afford to invest in public education. That means fair wages for education workers, and enough of them to give our students the best possible education,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle.
- From December 9, 2024 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/statement-international-human-rights-day-0):
We believe that the right to collective bargaining is fundamental to ensuring that workers can demand fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity on the job. The erosion of these rights in recent years has had profound consequences for working people across Canada and beyond.
Unifor has consistently raised our voice in opposition to any attempts to undermine the right to organize and bargain collectively. We are deeply concerned by efforts in various jurisdictions to restrict access to fair wages, benefits, and job protections for workers.
- From November 30, 2024 (https://www.unifor.org/news/events/whistler-rally-fair-wages):
Whistler Rally for Fair Wages
Join Unifor members and the B.C. Regional Council for a rally in support of Whistler hotel workers bargaining for a fair contract.
- From November 28, 2024 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/take-action-support-amazon-workers-world-wide):
Take action to support Amazon workers world-wide
From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, workers and allies across 30+ countries unite to say: Enough is enough. It’s time to #MakeAmazonPay. Join us in demanding fair wages, union rights, environmental responsibility, and tax justice!
Amazon has spent untold millions trying to silence workers and crush unions. This Black Friday, workers across the globe are standing up. The fight for fair wages and safe working conditions will NOT be silenced. #MakeAmazonPay
- From October 1, 2024 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/unifor-bargaining-begins-dhl-express-canada-workers):
Unifor bargaining begins for DHL Express Canada workers
“Improving working conditions and securing fair wages at DHL Express Canada is all about demanding respect, safety, and improved conditions for our road transportation members,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. …
“Our members have ensured packages arrive on time in the face of a management squeezing more from our members, increased automation and surveillance, and using inflation to drive their own profits,” Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Len Poirier.
“It is time for DHL Express Canada to recognize our members’ value and deliver improved working conditions and fair wages.”
- From July 18, 2024 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/unifor-local-1541-workers-best-theratronics-rallying-fair-wages-and-workers-rights):
Unifor Local 1541 workers at Best Theratronics rallying for fair wages and workers’ rights
- From December 6, 2023 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/expertech-members-rally-demand-fair-wages-and-job-security-bell-canada):
Expertech members rally to demand fair wages and job security from Bell Canada
More than 100 telecommunications members from Expertech gathered in Kingston, Ontario, on Tuesday, December 5, to demand fair wages, improved benefits, and an end to the persistent issue of contracting out at Bell Canada.
- From April 10, 2019 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/workers-interrupt-chartwell-retirements-open-house-demand-fair-wages):
Workers interrupt Chartwell Retirement’s open house to demand fair wages
Members working for Chartwell Retirement Homes in Orangeville, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Windsor organized coordinated actions to interrupt Chartwell’s open house this past weekend to demand Chartwell pay its workers a fair wage. …
The open house actions are part of the union’s Pay Fair Chartwell campaign. The campaign aims to inform residents, families and community members of Chartwell’s unwillingness to pay workers a fair wage.
- From October 6, 2014 (https://www.unifor.org/news/all-news/navistar-workers-want-fair-wages-all-workers):
Navistar workers want fair wages for all workers
HAMILTON, ON: Workers at a Navistar Canada Inc. say they are determined to address an unfair wage structure at their workplace.
Members of Unifor Local 504, on strike since September 29, are seeking wage parity by proposing to eliminate a two-tier wage structure. At the same time, they are also refusing a company demand to implement a third tier of wages for new hires. [Of course, union members should oppose tier-waged systems–but the non-existence of tiered-wages hardly justifies calling the wages received “fair.]
Conclusion
Unifor uses the cliche “fair wages” or its equivalent, likely to “sell” certain collective-bargaining proposals to union members as well as to criticize the employer’s intransigence if it refuses to meet the bargaining team’s target wage. Nowhere does Unifor specify what it means by “fair wages” or how fair wages can be fair in the context of the domination of the class power of employers.
The Abolitionary 