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 Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL) 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.

Usually, in collective agreements there is a management rights clause (and even when there is not, such rights are impicit and recognized by arbitrators). Such rights usually include such management rights as hiring, firing, disciplining and directing the work ofworker s–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 Newfoundland and Labrador workers (and workers who work for employers in general)?

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 the NLFL: Fair Wages

1. From 2025 (no url since it is a pdf file, and I use Chrome extension for pdf files):
   

   2025 Budget Submission

   The NLFL is dedicated to advancing the cause of working people and fostering a progressive society where no one is left behind. We advocate for: …

   robust collective agreements that ensure workers are compensated fairly for their labour….

   Investments and job creation related to the energy transition must:
   • Ensure new jobs are good jobs: Prioritize quality employment with fair wages and benefits….

   The Power of Fair Wages: Making Work Pay in Newfoundland And Labrador
   
   Every worker deserves dignity and the ability to meet their basic needs. [So, if a  worker receives a wage that permits him [and her or his family?] to meet basic needs, then the worker recieves a fair wage–even if the worker is exploited or oppressed? As for dignity–how can workers attain a dignified life when they are treated as things by employers? What of the management rights clauses, implicit or explicit, in collective agreements (see for example the many posts that I have posted with management rights clauses in them). 
   

2. From August 30, 2024 (https://nlfl.nf.ca/labour-day-message-from-nlfl-president-jessica-mccormick/):
   

   Labour Day Message from NLFL President Jessica McCormick

   Unions have always been at the forefront of the fight for workers’ rights, advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions, and job security. This Labour Day, let’s stand together and demand a better deal for workers. Together, we can create a society where every worker can live with dignity and respect.

3. From January 2024 (no url since it is a pdf file, and I use Chrome extension for pdf files):
   

   All workers deserve dignity and fair wages.

   In December, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) published the first province-wide living wage report for Newfoundland and Labrador. A living wage is a conservative measure of what people need to earn per hour to afford basic expenses based on the cost of living in their area. For government, this calculation can inform labour market and social policies to ensure government programs are properly structured to help working people climb out of poverty.

4. From May 1, 2023 (https://www.facebook.com/NLFED/posts/23881865591412647/):
   

   Happy May Day!

   On May 1 we celebrate International Workers’ Day. It’s a day to celebrate the progress working people have made and to re-double our efforts to fight for fair wages, benefits, safe working conditions and a more just society for all.

5. From April 14, 2023 (https://www.facebook.com/NLFED/posts/why-does-childcare-matter-to-workerswe-asked-federation-of-labour-committee-memb/10026309950728112/):
   

   Why does childcare matter to workers?

    

   We asked Federation of Labour committee members to share their thoughts during committee meetings today.

    

   Newfoundland and Labrador needs affordable, accessible childcare! Early Childhood Educators deserve fair wages, benefits, safe working conditions and respect!

6. From February 3, 2022 (https://kickercna.ca/2022/02/03/two-st-johns-businesses-earn-praise-for-their-treatment-of-workers-during-pandemic/):
   

   Workers at two Newfoundland companies say their employers have gone above and beyond to ensure staff are safe, comfortable and treated fairly during the pandemic.

   Sherri Breen
   

   Mary Shortall, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, said her organization has examined some of the negative impacts of COVID-19 upon low-wage earners.

   Shortall says about 50,000 workers in the province work for less than $15 an hour.

   The federation says COVID-19 exposed problems such as the failure of some employers to fulfill their obligations to provide fair wages to workers.

   “There are employers who step up and there are employers who don’t, and there’s no real consistency,” said Shortall.

7. From March 24, 2021 (https://www.facebook.com/NLFED/posts/the-newfoundland-and-labrador-federation-of-labour-finds-ubers-selfserving-propo/6041591979199949/):
   

   The Canadian labour movement stands united with the growing global movement demanding full rights and protections for gig economy workers….

   Governments have a responsibility to make work better – to provide workers with security, safety and fair pay.

8. From August 27, 2020 ( https://www.facebook.com/NLFED/posts/dominion-workers-deserve-a-fair-wage-a-great-show-of-support-for-these-workers-t/5032991050060052/ ):
   

   Dominion workers deserve a fair wage – a great show of support for these workers today.

9. From June 8, 2020 (https://www.facebook.com/NLFED/posts/the-newfoundland-and-labrador-federation-of-labour-nlfl-is-launching-a-shop-loca/4634520273240467/):
   

   The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL) is launching a “SHOP LOCAL” campaign….

   When you shop, consider: Does this business support worker-friendly policies? Do they pay fair wages and benefits? Are they unionized? Will my money stay in the provincial economy? Consider who you are supporting with your money.

10. From October 19, 2016 (https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/FINA/meeting-45/evidence):
    

    FINA Committee Meeting

    House of Commons
    Standing Committee on Finance

    Ms. Mary Shortall:

    That’s been a huge question for the provincial government as well, particularly now in times of fiscal restraint, when we’ve been arguing that you need to increase immigration levels and you need to allow the people who come here to stay here—not the temporary foreign worker model, but opening the doors to allow more immigrants and to have strong provincial growth strategies as well, working hand in hand with the federal government.

    To encourage people to stay, there needs to be support: strong public services, fair labour rules and fair wages, and language supports. The labour market agreements can assist with that.

Conclusion

The NLFL uses the cliche “fair wages” or its equivalent, likely to justify its unions attempting to “sell” certain collective-bargaining proposals to union members as well as to criticize the employer’s intransigence if the employer refuses to meet the bargaining team’s target wage. Nowhere does the NLFL specify what it means by “fair wages” (except with the exception, perhaps, of referring to a wage that meets basic needs–but the NLFL merely asserts such a definition without justification.) Furthermore, even given such a definition, the NLFL never demonstrates how fair wages can be fair in the context of the domination of the class power of employers.