[The Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) on strike. Photo Credit to Public Domain Dedication]

Unions continue to demonstrate their influence in Ontario as strikes affect thousands of residents every day. 

This was evident in 2023 when elementary school teachers across the province voted a 95% majority to strike, showing the impact of organized labor on essential services.

However, union membership has been steadily declining since the 1980s, prompting an examination of the implications of this downward trend.

Research indicates that one of the most notable consequences is the widening inequality gap between unionized and non-unionized workers.

A striking contrast exists between the private sector and the public sector which have a 14.9% vs 76.5% unionization rates respectively.

Given this data, public sector employees earn on average 8.8% more than their private sector counterparts in equivalent positions.

Additional benefits in the public sector include enhanced pension plans, earlier retirement options, and remarkably, a layoff rate 14 times lower than the private sector.

Despite these advantages, union membership has continued to decline over the past four decades.

Analysis of gender-specific data reveals interesting patterns: while overall union membership decreased from 32.3% to 31.4% between 2000 and 2020, the decline wasn’t uniform across genders. 

Male union membership dropped by 4.3%, while female membership actually increased by 1.9%.

This disparity can be attributed to changing employment patterns.

Traditional male-dominated and highly unionized industries such as construction and manufacturing (with 88.8% and 72% of males make up the workforce in those industries respectively) have experienced a shift toward less unionized sectors like retail and office work.

Statistics indicate a 17% decrease in construction and manufacturing workers when adjusted for population growth.

This transformation definitely aligns with rising education levels over recent decades, suggesting that the decline in unionization may be less about political factors and more about educated workers, particularly males, choosing career paths outside traditionally unionized industries.

Historical context provides another perspective.

Since the 1937 Freedom of Trade Union Association Act, which protected workers’ rights to organize, unions have achieved many of their original objectives: improved wages, reasonable working hours, and safer working conditions.

These accomplishments may partially explain why maintaining the high unionization rates of previous eras has proven challenging in modern times.

The evolution of union membership reflects larger changes in workforce composition, education levels, and industry preferences.

As the nature of work continues to change, the role and structure of unions may need to adapt to remain relevant in an increasingly diverse and educated workforce.