Unions Make Democracy Work
Workers join unions to build worker power in pursuit of better pay, improved benefits, safer working conditions, and a voice on the job. However, unions also need to advocate for workers beyond the jobsite.
Across both our countries, at all levels of government, we need leaders dedicated to serving the needs of working families. That means electing leaders who stand up for the right of workers to organize unions, to negotiate fair and just contracts, to protect hard-won wage and benefit standards, and to enjoy a dignified retirement after a lifetime of demanding work. Democracy can only succeed when we hold elected officials accountable in our fight to ensure that workers’ interests are at the forefront of government actions.
We see this in Canada where the Sustainable Jobs Act (Bill C-50) formally recognizes the need for workers’ voices, their unions, to be engaged in the policies that will create and protect good, unionized jobs in the transition to a low-carbon economy. While in the US, the Biden Administration is strengthening the legal protections for workers to join unions. And where employers unlawfully refuse to recognize unions or bargain in good faith, the Administration has added teeth to the legal remedies available against such lawbreakers.
The Biden Administration has also updated and strengthened the process for establishing prevailing wage standards on federally funded construction projects – also known as the Davis-Bacon Act, the law that prevents low-road contractors from securing construction contracts by slashing the wages of workers below the local prevailing wage. As a result, over 1.2 million construction workers employed annually on federally funded construction projects will receive the protection of local area standards, and the local communities that they live in will realize the benefits that grants.
BAC members have always understood that our skills, work ethic and commitment to craft are what distinguish us in the field. Those skills were on clear display at the Ford Research & Engineering (R&E) Campus in Dearborn, Michigan where the members of BAC Local 2 Michigan are busy constructing a campus that will shape the next generation of the automotive industry. In a similar vein, BAC members and our contractors must be prepared to meet the emerging challenges that a changing construction industry presents. Accordingly, we will continue to explore new building products and systems that provide the potential to expand work opportunities for BAC members.
Change within our industry has been a constant since our union’s founding. But what has not changed over the years is the commitment of BAC members to each other, their community, and their fellow workers. This solidarity was front and center last year when BAC locals across the International Union provided support to striking workers across industries ranging from autoworkers to healthcare workers to the entertainment industry. 2024 will be an equally busy year for unions as workers across all industries seek better pay, benefits and treatment on the job.
2024 is also a federal election year in the US. As union members, we need to be mindful that what workers win at the negotiating table or on the picket line can be undermined by elected officials. So, let’s make sure that government delivers for working families by supporting those candidates that stand up for the rights of workers and their unions.