Introduction
Kiri Vadivelu, a member of Socialist Action, posted the following on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/reel/2156080044871135):
For long time, Liberals and their counterparts betrayed Canadian workers coast to coast under the disguise of democracy. Mark Hancock, National President of CUPE showed everyone how to confront political and legal thuggery in the true Canadian way. Enough is enough. Let us stand up with Air Canada workers for our rights and free us from generations of oppression and slavery.After enslaving chinese workers to build Canadian Railway, poor workers were thanked with Chinese head tax. Likewise, then racist system sent RCMP to steal children from native homes in order to assimilate into American culture of eating burgers and drinking Coca Cola. The white supremacy ruled this country with iron fist funding of police and military industrial complex while cutting earned worker rights and benefits.
Most of the words in bold are my emphases.
I will start with conclusions first and provide proof in the list that follows the conclusions that Hancock believes that there is such a thing as fair wages.
Conclusions First
Hanock implies that there is such a thing as “a fair wage” Hancock does not question this assumption, but accepts it. The radical left should reject his assumption since Hancock simply ignores the issue of exploitation. From Richard Arneson (1981), “What’s Wrong with Exploitation? In pages 202-227, Ethics, Volume 91, Number2, pages 205-206:
,,, exploitation involves an exercise of power by some over others, to the disadvantage of the less powerful. Marx never tires of emphasizing that ownership of capital [and managers in the hierarchical division of labour within the government or state] confers power to command the labor of others. Within any class society wrongful exploitation will involve interactions between persons of markedly unequal social power, and the inequality will determine the distribution of benefits from the interaction. In market economies these inequalities of power assume the form of great disparities in bargaining strength between capitalists and workers.
Does Hancock take into account the necessary differences in bargaining power of unionized workers and management? Not at all. He addresses the issue completely in terms of the amount of raise which he and others consider fair, without specifying how the condition of economic dependence of workers on employers and the implicit economic coercion that characterizes the employer-employee relation.
Just think of why you do not express your real opinions at work in front of management. Or why, when you or others are expressing yourselves freely in the lunchroom, when a manager comes in, the talk changes.
Economic coercion involves oppression and exploitation despite the exchange of money between employers and workers.
From Arneson, page 219:
It appears that the worker exchanges a day’s labor for a day’s wage, but according to Marx it is really labor power that is exchanged for the subsistence cost of its reproduction; and furthermore, according to Marx this latter exchange is only apparently an exchange,
whereas in reality the capitalist coerces the worker who has no genuine choice in the matter. The appearance of exchange conceals the worker’s “economical bondage”; “In reality, the labourer belongs to capital before he has sold himself to capital.” [or the government or state]
Rather than criticizing an economic form such as the wage and the economic coercion that arises with that economic form, Hancock assumes its legitimacy. What is illegitimate for him is not the qualitative question of whether wages are legitimate or illegitimate because they involve the lack of freedom of the workers, at the level of classes (since there is indeed some freedom of choice at the individual level of trying to find a particular employer), but the quantitative question of the level of wages.
To be sure, the level of wages is indeed of concern for workers–in order to be able to live–and live with at least a variety of choices as consumer and to provide for one’s family. To deny the importance of the quantitative level of wages for workers is absurd, but to focus on this aspect of the employer-worker relation without looking at what the wage relation involves in terms of the lack of freedom of workers is to be blind to a large part of what life involves in a society dominated by a class of employers.
A fair raise or wage in the context of the class power of employers is social democratic—not socialist. Exploitation and oppression constitute necessary features of such a society, and to refer to fair raises or wages in that kind of society is reformist and does nothing to enlighten workers about how to address this inherent exploitation and oppression and to seek to solve them once and for all.
In one of the quotes below from Hancock, he states the following:
CUPE won’t relent until flight attendants are paid for every hour they work!
However, flight attendants, like Air Canada workers in general, perform a surplus of labour that produces the surplus of value (profit) for Air Canada (see The Rate of Exploitation of Workers at Air Canada, One of the Largest Private Employers in Canada). As I wrote in that post:
The rate of exploitation or the rate of surplus value=s/v=2251/3223=70%.
That means that for every hour worked that produces her/his wage, a worker at Air Canada works around an additional 42 minutes for free for Air Canada.
In a 6-hour work day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 3.5 hours and works 2.5 hours for free for Air Canada. Of course, during the time that the worker produces her/his own wage, s/he is subject to the power of management and hence is unfree (see, for instance, Management Rights, Part Four: Private Sector Collective Agreement, Ontario and Employers as Dictators, Part One).
In an 8-hour work day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 5 hours 36 minutes and works for 2 hours and 24 minutes free for Air Canada.
In a 12-hour day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 8 hours 24 minutes and works for free for 3 hours 36 minutes for Air Canada.
I asked artificial intelligence to calculate how many hours per month do Air Canada workers work for free on the basis of a rate of exploitation of 70%; the answer was between 31 and 33 hours for free. The “fair wage” which they receive (even if all visible paid hours are accounted for) is hardly the same as the value which they produce. Furthermore, during the time that they produce both their wage and the surplus of value that constitutes the profit of Air Canada, they are subject to the dictatorship of Air Canada.
Hancock assumes that as long as workers receive a certain wage, they are not exploited. Such a view needs to be persistently criticized. The radical left, however, are silent over the issue–or they idealize Hancock’s actions and fail to engage in any critique of his position.
What does Hancock have to say about the management rights clause in collective agreements (implied or explicit)? How do such rights translate wages into “fair wages.” Is the following fair?
Agreement Between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Air Canada Component, Effective April 1, 2022
ARTICLE 3 – RESERVATIONS OF MANAGEMENT
3.01 Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the control and direction of the employees, including the right to hire, to suspend or discharge for just and sufficient cause, to advance or step back in classification, to reassign, to transfer, to promote, to demote, to lay off because of lack of work or for other legitimate reasons, is vested solely in the Company.
3.02 Any of the rights, powers or authority the Company had prior to the signing of this Agreement are retained by the Company, except those specifically abridged, delegated, granted or modified by this Agreement.
3.03 Article 3 shall not apply to detract from the right of an employee to lodge a grievance in the manner and to the extent herein provided.
3.04 No employee will be unlawfully interfered with, restrained, coerced or discriminated against by the Company on the grounds of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or political affiliation.
Why does management have such power? How does a wage compensate for the control over workers’ lives and labour at work? How can any wage be fair in such circumstances? So many questions, but Hancock never answers them. He merely assumes that there is such a thing as a “fair wage” as long as the bargaining was “free.”
Let us now turn to proof that Hancock believes that there is such a thing as fair wages.
- From August 14, 2025 (https://canadianaviationnews.ca/cupe-welcomes-porter-cabin-crew/):
“When workers organize, they win,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. “We are honoured to welcome Porter cabin crew to CUPE. We look forward to making sure they get a fair deal when negotiating their very first collective agreement.”
- From January 30, 2025 (https://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2025/01/30/10138928.htm):
CUPE National President Mark Hancock Joins Alberta Education Support Workers as Strike Heats Up
CUPE 3550 picket (Photo: Business Wire)
CUPE 3550 members continue to hold their strike position while the province and employer begin to show signs of desperation in their public messages intended to divide and deflate members’ resolve.
“CUPE members across Canada, and right here in Alberta, are leaing the way in fighting for fair wages and strong public services,” says Hancock. “I’m so proud to stand with them on their picket line as they show incredible strength in this effort to achieve fairness for their profession and their community.”
- From January 3, 2025 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-september-2024-december-2024):
National President’s Report – September 2024 – December 2024
And when politicians try to force locked-out or striking workers back on the job, CUPE members are there to defend Charter rights to free and fair collective bargaining. …
Collective Bargaining/Strikes/LockoutsCUPE 2815
On October 10, 2023, CUPE 2815 members who work at Videotron in Gatineau, Quebec overwhelmingly rejected their employer’s substandard offer. Instead of returning to the table to negotiate a fair contract, the employer locked the 214 workers out on October 30. …Maritimes Region
New Brunswick
As CUPE members and staff, we remain committed to holding the new government accountable. We’ll be putting Susan Holt and the New Brunswick Liberals on notice: we demand real investments in vital public services, a firm commitment against privatization, and fair wages for the invaluable workers who deliver these essential services. …Prince Edward Island
While CUPE members who work in health care on the Island, many who earn just $20.98/hr, are being forced into binding arbitration instead of being offered fair wages at the bargaining table, the government continues to approve unauthorized salary hikes for CEOs and management. …
I was thrilled to see CUPE PEI call out King and his government to immediately implement fair wage increases and return to the bargaining table with a fair offer for our hardworking members.Health care workers on Prince Edward Island continue to resist an unacceptable wage offer, highlighting the government’s lack of interest in engaging in a fair collective bargaining process. The government holds the ultimate legislative tool – binding arbitration – but has yet to use it to reach a reasonable agreement. In response, the health care council has been intensifying its efforts to engage members and organize collective actions, aiming to pressure the government into negotiating fair wages.
Ontario
There is no doubt that caring for children during these crucial and formative years is work that deserves fair wages, adequate benefits, access to a pension plan, and so much more. …Manitoba
CUPE is proud of these health care workers who were militant in mobilizing to achieve a fair deal that included wage increases that will help workers cope with the rising cost-of-living while addressing the ongoing health care staffing crisis. …The tentative deal acknowledges the critical role these workers play in the health care system and provides fair wage increases to support both retention and recruitment of workers in Manitoba’s health care sector.
Alberta
Shortly after my last report, the United Conservative Party (UCP) government blatantly undermined workers’ rights by forcing CUPE 2545 and CUPE 2559 to Alberta’s Dispute Inquiry Board (DIB), preventing them from their Charter right to fair collective bargaining. …CUPE leaders denounced the UCP’s actions as an assault on workers’ rights, with the government’s-imposed wage directive preventing fair compensation for vital education staff.
British Columbia
As we look ahead, we are eager to continue to work with the BC NDP, pushing to ensure that our members’ priorities – fair wages, improved working conditions, and robust public services – remain central to the government’s agenda.Airlines
As the union representing more than 18,500 flight attendants across Canada, CUPE applauds the introduction of Bill C-415 by NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo, which aims to end the longstanding abuse of unpaid work in the airline industry. Currently, most airlines only pay flight attendants when the aircraft is in motion, forcing them to work up to 35 hours per month without compensation.
Flight attendants across the country have been very vocal about being forced to work for free, and CUPE is proud to see the NDP taking action with this legislation. The bill would set the necessary standard for fair pay, and CUPE is calling on the government and all opposition parties to support it and ensure it becomes law before the next election. CUPE won’t relent until flight attendants are paid for every hour they work! - From April 8, 2024 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-december-2023-march-2024):
National President’s Report – December 2023 – March 2024
CUPE 3903
Three thousand contract instructors, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants at York University, commenced strike action on February 26, 2024. With the ever-escalating cost of living rising over the last several years, combined with the unconstitutional wage restrictions imposed by Bill 124, CUPE 3903 wants its employer to address the imbalance created and bring to the table fair wage enhancement. [I will not make other references to the idea of fair wages in this document since it is similar to the other president’s report in using the cliche often.] [ - From April 6, 2023 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-december-2022-march-2023):
National President’s Report – December 2022 – March 2023
CUPE members are exhausted, but we are also ready to fight even harder for our rights, for recognition, and for fair wages and working conditions not only for ourselves but for everyone. [I will not make other references to the idea of fair wages in this document since it is similar to the other president’s report in using the cliche often.]
- From September 10, 2022 (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jack-magnus_statement-from-cupe-on-pierre-poilievre-winning-activity-6975130047401664512-H2Wb/?originalSubdomain=ph):
Statement from Mark Hancock, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), on Pierre hashtagPoilievre winning the Conservative Party leadership:
“Pierre is a career politician who has been collecting a six-figure salary on the public’s dime since he was 24, and he’s spent every minute of his time in office fighting against fair wages, good pensions and a better life for working people.
- From January 10, 2022 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-september-december-2021):
CUPE 3535
These members are holding strong and have returned to the bargaining table to fight for fair salaries.
- From June 30, 2021 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-june-2021):
ocals 1190, 1251, 1418, 1840, 2745, and 5017 representing more than 8,100 members in New Brunswick, have reached a formal deadlock in negotiations. Locals 1252 and 1253, representing close to 12,800 members, are in conciliation. This situation has led CUPE leadership in the province to send an ultimatum to the Premier of New Brunswick: Higgs has 100 days to settle collective agreements for our members, who have been waiting long enough for a fair deal. Government has until Labour Day to fix recruitment and retention issues and bring fair wages to the 21,860 CUPE members in bargaining and if they refuse to act, CUPE members will mount a province-wide coordinated action.
Strike training is currently being offered to members. Although we all want to avoid a strike, the CUPE members are feeling extremely frustrated, devalued, and disrespected. They haven’t had a fair wage increase in almost 12 years.
- From December 19, 2019 (https://cupe.ca/cupe-appalled-nb-premier-higgss-assault-charter-rights):
CUPE appalled by NB Premier Higgs’s assault on charter rights
CUPE is appalled by New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs’s disdain for nursing home workers and their Charter rights. On Wednesday, Higgs’s Conservative government passed Bill 17, which added more restrictions on basic bargaining rights for New Brunswick nursing home workers. Higgs previously threatened to call an election if the legislature did not pass the bill.“This premier has no shame. This bill does nothing to fix the glaring violation of workers’ Charter rights in New Brunswick,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. “Higgs was willing to spend millions of dollars of public money on another election to get his way, rather than simply pay nursing home workers a fair wage. That isn’t just shameful – it’s a disgrace.”
- From March 26, 2019 (https://cupe.ca/national-presidents-report-march-2019):
Newfoundland and Labrador
CUPE 3336 members are entering bargaining with a campaign for fair living wages, and to put an end to precarious work.
Conclusions
Hanock implies that there is such a thing as “a fair wage” Hancock does not question this assumption, but accepts it. The radical left should reject his assumption since Hancock simply ignores the issue of exploitation. From Richard Arneson (1981), “What’s Wrong with Exploitation? In pages 202-227, Ethics, Volume 91, Number2, pages 205-206:
,,, exploitation involves an exercise of power by some over others, to the disadvantage of the less powerful. Marx never tires of emphasizing that ownership of capital [and managers in the hierarchical division of labour within the government or state] confers power to command the labor of others. Within any class society wrongful exploitation will involve interactions between persons of markedly unequal social power, and the inequality will determine the distribution of benefits from the interaction. In market economies these inequalities of power assume the form of great disparities in bargaining strength between capitalists and workers.
Does Hancock take into account the necessary differences in bargaining power of unionized workers and management? Not at all. He addresses the issue completely in terms of the amount of raise which he and others consider fair, without specifying how the condition of economic dependence of workers on employers and the implicit economic coercion that characterizes the employer-employee relation.
Just think of why you do not express your real opinions at work in front of management. Or why, when you or others are expressing yourselves freely in the lunchroom, when a manager comes in, the talk changes.
Economic coercion involves oppression and exploitation despite the exchange of money between employers and workers.
From Arneson, page 219:
It appears that the worker exchanges a day’s labor for a day’s wage, but according to Marx it is really labor power that is exchanged for the subsistence cost of its reproduction; and furthermore, according to Marx this latter exchange is only apparently an exchange,
whereas in reality the capitalist coerces the worker who has no genuine choice in the matter. The appearance of exchange conceals the worker’s “economical bondage”; “In reality, the labourer belongs to capital before he has sold himself to capital.” [or the government or state]
Rather than criticizing an economic form such as the wage and the economic coercion that arises with that economic form, Hancock assumes its legitimacy. What is illegitimate for him is not the qualitative question of whether wages are legitimate or illegitimate because they involve the lack of freedom of the workers, at the level of classes (since there is indeed some freedom of choice at the individual level of trying to find a particular employer), but the quantitative question of the level of wages.
To be sure, the level of wages is indeed of concern for workers–in order to be able to live–and live with at least a variety of choices as consumer and to provide for one’s family. To deny the importance of the quantitative level of wages for workers is absurd, but to focus on this aspect of the employer-worker relation without looking at what the wage relation involves in terms of the lack of freedom of workers is to be blind to a large part of what life involves in a society dominated by a class of employers.
A fair raise or wage in the context of the class power of employers is social democratic—not socialist. Exploitation and oppression constitute necessary features of such a society, and to refer to fair raises or wages in that kind of society is reformist and does nothing to enlighten workers about how to address this inherent exploitation and oppression and to seek to solve them once and for all.
In one of the quotes below from Hancock, he states the following:
CUPE won’t relent until flight attendants are paid for every hour they work!
However, flight attendants, like Air Canada workers in general, perform a surplus of labour that produces the surplus of value (profit) for Air Canada (see The Rate of Exploitation of Workers at Air Canada, One of the Largest Private Employers in Canada). As I wrote in that post:
The rate of exploitation or the rate of surplus value=s/v=2251/3223=70%.
That means that for every hour worked that produces her/his wage, a worker at Air Canada works around an additional 42 minutes for free for Air Canada.
In a 6-hour work day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 3.5 hours and works 2.5 hours for free for Air Canada. Of course, during the time that the worker produces her/his own wage, s/he is subject to the power of management and hence is unfree (see, for instance, Management Rights, Part Four: Private Sector Collective Agreement, Ontario and Employers as Dictators, Part One).
In an 8-hour work day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 5 hours 36 minutes and works for 2 hours and 24 minutes free for Air Canada.
In a 12-hour day, the worker produces her/his wage in about 8 hours 24 minutes and works for free for 3 hours 36 minutes for Air Canada.
Hancock assumes that as long as workers receive a certain wage, they are not exploited. Such a view needs to be persistently criticized. The radical left, however, are silent over the issue–or they idealize Hancock’s actions and fail to engage in any critique of his position.
There may be union reps who merely pay lip service to the idea of fair wages, using it as a ploy to sell a tentative collective agreement. There is no evidence that Hancock uses the cliche as a ploy. He probably believes in the phrase (just as his predecessor Paul Moist believed in contracts as the foundation of society).
On the assumption that he does indeed believe in the cliche of “fair wages,” it would be useful to look once again at another illegal strike by CUPE members, this time about 55,000 education support workers in 2022 and the possibility of a general strike in that context. I will do that in the future.
The Abolitionary 