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Will Humpty Dumpty Have a Great Fall?
Canada is one of only a handful of countries that still forces workers in its unionized companies to pay union dues, even if the workers choose not to join the union. This means that Canadian unions enjoy huge and guaranteed revenue streams. As a result, many unions are arrogant and greedy - and, of course, the teachers’ unions are no exception.
Now a group of employees at Alberta’s Old Dutch Foods (they make Humpty Dumpty potato chips) is challenging the law, as this Canadian Constitution Foundation article explains. If the employees win, there is the potential that other Canadian unions would lose their monopolies.
We all know that monopolies are inflexible and unresponsive. Imagine if the teachers’ unions had to persuade teachers to join them - as opposed to joining a different union or even no union. For one thing, the unions might decide to reduce their dues (in the neighbourhood of $1000 a year, at present). They might stop supporting a bunch of left-wing causes, like fighting against free trade, that many of their members agree with. They might even offer to give teachers professional development in good teaching methods and materials. Wouldn’t that be something!
It certainly would lower the 100,000 + salaries earned by union brass. I can see the trend from Europe coming over here, especially in the smaller private unions. As for public unions, probably down the road. But if they are smart about it, perhaps they should allowed the person to choose the options of union dues. And dumped the political causes that are paid by unions, and fund charity causes such as fundraising for medical equipment, or in the case of teachers’ union, a tuition fund for reader tutors, so children of lesser means can access private tutoring for reading problems.