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 ???). Such cliches need to be persistently criticized by socialists.
This post continues by providing evidence that, like CUPW, the largest Canadian public-sector union–CUPE–uses the cliche “fair wages” without justifying such a cliche or even specifying what it means by the cliche.
What are fair wages?
In the collective agreement between the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network Operating as Home and Community Care Support Services, Mississauga Halton (the Employer) and CUPE Local 966 (the Union), we read on page 2:
ARTICLE 2 — MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
2.01 The Union acknowledges that it is the exclusive function of the Employer through the Chief Executive Officer and their designates to generally manage the enterprise and, without restricting the generality of that function, to:
a)Maintain order, discipline and efficiency;
b)Hire, promote, demote, transfer, reclassify, discipline or suspend employees, to discharge any employee who has acquired seniority for proper cause, provided that a claim by such employee that they have been improperly dealt with in one of these areas, or discharged without proper cause may be the subject of a grievance and dealt with as hereinafter provided;
c) Operate and manage its operations in all respects in accordance with its commitments and responsibilities and in pursuance of its policies, to decide on the number of employees needed in any classification, establish job qualifications, determine the location of operations, the schedules and assignment of work, the methods, processes and means of operation, and the extension, curtailment or cessation of operation.
2.02 These rights shall not be exercised in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this agreement.
That clause includes such management rights as hiring, firing, disciplining and directing the work of postal 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 public-sector workers (and workers who work for employers in general)? Perhaps some “leftist” can explain it. More likely, though, the so-called left will remain silent about the issue.
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 CUPE: Fair Wages
- From no date (https://cbi.cupe.ca/faqs/):
Frequently asked questions
…The bottom line is that workers have more power to improve their working conditions when they come together collectively as a union. With CUPE’s professional representation and research support, a union will certainly improve your working conditions by bargaining for fair wages, better benefits, paid leaves, predictable schedules, protection from arbitrary dismissal and fair and transparent policies that apply to everyone.
- From January 20, 2025 (https://cupe.ca/mount-sinai-clerical-staff-rally-fair-wages-and-decent-working-conditions):
Mount Sinai clerical staff rally for fair wages and decent working conditions
- From no date, but probably 2024 (https://cupe38.org/fair-wages/):
Fair Wages
Together, let’s make our voices loud and clear: City Hall counts on us, and we’re counting on fair pay to keep Calgary running.
Send a message to City Hall to demand fair pay for CUPE 38 members.
- From December 3, 2024 (https://cupe.ca/city-richmond-hill-managers-see-big-raises-while-workers-forced-strike-fair-wages):
City of Richmond Hill managers see big raises while workers forced to strike for fair wages
While CUPE 905 members at the City of Richmond Hill are on strike for fair wages that keep up with the cost of living, data shows that managers at the city have received double-digit raises over the past three years- some as high as 36% and 48%….
“The message sent by management to CUPE 905 members is that raises are fine for them, but when it comes to paying fair wages for those who actually do the work to keep the city running, they aren’t interested,” said CUPE Local 905 City of Richmond Hill Unit Chair Jake Matta.
“Some of the raises received by management add up to more than many of our members make in an entire year, yet we are told that they don’t have the money to pay their workers fairly. All we are asking for is fair wages that keep up with inflation so that our members can afford to live in the community they work in.”
- From November 19, 2024 (https://cupe.ca/saskatoon-public-library-workers-return-picket-line-fighting-fair-wages-and-safe-workplaces):
Saskatoon public library workers return to the picket line fighting for fair wages and safe workplaces
People walking a picket lineCUPE 2669, the union representing Saskatoon public library workers, are back on the picket line today fighting for fair wages and safety measures to keep library workers and members of the public safe. …
“We’re back on the picket line because the employer is refusing to provide wage increases for all library workers that will help them keep up with the rising cost-of-living,” said Paige Yellowlees, communications coordinator for CUPE 2669. “After a generational cost-of-living crisis, we will not accept piecemeal wage offers that don’t provide fair wages for our members across the board.” - September 24, 2024 (https://cupe.mb.ca/2024/09/24/health-care-bargaining-update-strike-notice-served-for-october-8/):
Health Care Bargaining Update: Strike Notice Served for October 8
CUPE is demanding fair wages and better working conditions for health care support workers.
- From December 8, 2023 (https://101.cupe.ca/2023/12/12/fair-wages/):
MEMORANDUM TO: ALL ONTARIO REGION STAFF RE: CUPE FOR FAIR WAGES CAMPAIGN
Greetings, The Home and Community Care Support Service Locals (8 locals across Ontario) have returned to the bargaining table to negotiate their Wage Reopener. The Employer’s proposal was very disappointing. In response, we have decided to launch a campaign called “CUPE for Fair Wages”. Please see the attached flyer and share with all of your locals asking for their members, friends, and family to support this important initiative by signing our petition.
In solidarity, Atixhe (TJ) Zeneli LHIN/HCCSS/OH Associate Coordinator Health Care Sector CUPE National - From October 24, 2023 (https://cupe.on.ca/these-heroes-deserve-fair-wages-cupe-local-966-files-no-board-report-for-almost-1000-members-in-long-term-care/):
“These heroes deserve fair wages”: CUPE Local 966 files No-Board report for almost 1000 members in Long-Term Care
- From July 26, 2022 (https://cupe.ca/100-strike-vote-brock-university-workers-signals-university-it-must-deliver-fair-wages-better-jobs):
100% strike vote by Brock University workers signals to university that it must deliver on fair wages, better jobs.
After facilities management workers at Brock University voted unanimously over the weekend in favour of a strike mandate, their union is putting the university on notice that a fair wage increase and better job security are key to ensuring that operations on campus continue without interruption. - From September 3, 2021 (https://cupe.ca/premier-higgs-insists-concessions-instead-offering-fair-wages):
Premier Higgs [Conservative Premier of New Brunswick] insists on concessions instead of offering fair wages
Conclusion
CUPE 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 CUPE 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 