Essential workers have been some of the hardest hit casualties of this pandemic. The amount of stress they have been through from their time at work has definitely taken a toll on them. Not only were they put under a lot of stress but some have had to experience working in poor conditions, faced discrimination, and had their work hours reduced.

Thankfully unions are formed to protect employees from these negative situations at work. Unions fight and stand with workers to help them achieve better workplace conditions. A union helps workers in numerous ways by:

• Helping workers gain a better and safe working environment
• Fighting for fairer wages and benefits
• Aiding workers in gaining more rights and power in the workplace
• Ensuring that all workers are treated fairly and equal
• Providing job security for all workers
• Securing workers have overtime pay and better vacation entitlements

To learn more about how the union helps workers, the video below shows Scott Payne, a Senior Advisor who works for a union called UFCW local 401. He tells his personal story on why he joined the union and what drives him to improve people’s lives for the better.

Below is another video of Scott where he tells a time when he and the union helped workers out of a difficult situation during the pandemic.

The benefits of unions are impactful in helping unionized workers achieve better work conditions. This impact ultimately leads to workers having a feeling of safety and security in life as well. Workers rely a lot on their jobs to support themselves and their families throughout their day-to-day lives and with unions assisting them in securing a better work-life, it eventually creates a better quality of life for all.

Below is an infographic that shows some of the facts about unions in Canada:

Personal Reflection: 

Before I got to talk with Scott Payne from UFCW Local 401 and before I worked at Superstore, I never really knew what unions did. I just knew that a small portion of the money I made from work would be going towards the union dues. I didn’t really know how the union would use that small portion of money and how they would use it to benefit workers. From having my interview with Scott, I have learnt a lot of things about unions and how impactful they are for workers.

Unions help workers achieve a better work-life and this ultimately leads to workers acquiring a better quality of life. From the story Scott tells when they shut down a factory for having poor working conditions for workers, it made me realize how important unions are. Without the help of the union, more lives could have been lost for the workers of the factory. Unions reinforce the importance of workers and that workers are human beings who do not just operate to do their job. Unions give workers a voice to practice their rights and to feel safe in the workplace.

From doing this project, I hope that this brings more awareness to the community of the impacts that unions have on workers. My hope is that the people who come across this project will be able to learn more about what unions do and that it shows how helping one another doesn’t just make someone’s life better, but it leads to a much larger impact by bettering the lives of everyone.