Politics is Union Business

Whenever the topic of politics and unions come up, there is always someone who asserts that unions have no business involving themselves in politics. Where this myth came from, we're not sure. But one thing we are sure of, it is a myth.

Throughout history, employers have understood that involving themselves in politics is a real cost of doing business. They understand that if they want laws that favour them, than they have to elect politicians and governments who think the way they do. If you have any doubts about this, all you need to do is look at the list of campaign fund contributors. The largest corporate employers in the province and the country contribute huge amounts of money to ensure that politicians that favour employers rather than workers are elected.

During the summer of 1996 we had a lengthy dispute in the major retail food sector that was seriously impacted by politics. The employers waited until the outcome of the provincial election to determine their strategy because the Liberal Party had promised the business community that the first thing it would do if elected to government would be to repeal the anti-scab laws. That would mean the employers could open the stores with so-called 'replacement' workers, and the lock out/strike would have dragged on for months. Politics and political action became very important for 12,000 of our members during that provincial election campaign.

For us not to have participated in that election campaign would have gone against the best interests of our members. Indeed, at the same time that we had a six-week dispute with the retail food employers during that summer of 1996, UFCW members in Alberta had a 12-week dispute with the same employers. The only difference between our situation in BC and the dispute in Alberta was that under Alberta law, the employers used replacement workers, and the dispute dragged on for twice as long as it did in BC.

This leaflet answers a few of the most common questions about the union's involvement in politics, and why it is critical for working people, through their union, to be actively involved in the political process. UFCW Local 1518 has a long-standing tradition of involvement in issues which will improve the lives of our members both in the workplace and the community. Part of that tradition must be our involvement in the political process.

Q. Why is politics Union business?

A. Every day political decisions are being made which can affect all of us. Decisions which change labour law in the province can have a major effect on every one of our members. For example, in 2001, the provincial Liberal government tore up the Collective Agreement of UFCW Local 1518’s 2,500 Health Care Sector members, and rolled back their wages. The Campbell Liberals have passed numerous other changes to the labour law, changes that have cost our members hundreds of thousands of dollars just to protect our members' rights. The Campbell Liberal government was responding to its friends in the corporate community and implementing its own anti-union, anti-member, philosophy. As it has done in the past, Local 1518 will participate with other unions to defeat this government and replace it with a government that would repeal much of the Campbell Liberal government law, and pass labour law that was fair and equitable to both union members and employers. This is just one example of why politics are union business.

Q. How does legislation affect you and your family?

A. Laws which increase taxes, reduce Employment Insurance, change Workers' Compensation, reduce the amount of money government is prepared to expend on health care, education and other basic social services, among other things, all affect you and your family.

The union can go to the bargaining table and negotiate a wage increase for you. But if the government turns around and introduces user fees for services, the wage increase we negotiated is reduced. That takes money out of your pocket. Even the right to negotiate a wage increase for you depends upon the law allowing a union to do so.

If the government passes tax laws which favour large corporations by reducing the tax they have to pay, that means you have to pay a bigger share of the taxes the government requires. That makes meeting your needs and those of your family that much more difficult. Every day, new laws are proposed or passed which have direct affect on you and your family to one degree or another.

Q. Why should you and your family be involved in politics?

A. The answer to this question is simple. Because political decisions made at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government impact upon your life and that of your family.

The problem we all face is finding the time to make sure we know what is happening day in and day out with our politicians and government. Who's got the time? Well, the union has the time.

Through the union you can keep tabs on what the various levels of government are up to on a regular basis. Local 1518 has the resources and affiliations with other unions to keep an eye on what laws and policies the various levels of government are changing. Local 1518 can lobby politicians to change laws which discriminate against our members and other working people in the province. Through our affiliations with the BC Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress, we have a strong political voice in Victoria and Ottawa.

Q. How can you and your family make a difference?

A. There are a number of ways in which you and your family can make a political difference. Keeping as up to date as possible about what laws governments are passing, participating in the political process in your community, even just voting in elections all makes a difference.

It is important that we keep in place a government which is fair in the legislation it passes. Working people don't want anything more than to be treated fairly. We want fair taxes, fair labour laws, education and health care which meets our needs and those of our families and friends. Working people and their unions have never asked for favorable treatment, just fair treatment.

But keeping a fair government in office costs money, and we must pay our fair share of the cost of electing such governments.

UFCW Local 1518 established a Political Action Fund in 1992 so that we can pay our fair share towards electing politicians who will represent our members the way they should be represented. The Fund is maintained through member contributions. If you want to ensure that your political interests are protected, you can contribute to the Political Action Fund.

We also urge you to become directly involved by joining a political party, any political party, but get involved.

The Union Can Make A Difference!

POLITICAL ACTION FUND RESOLUTION
(Passed by the membership province-wide, June 1992)

M/S/C TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD TO ESTABLISH A POLITICAL ACTION FUND OF THREE CENTS PER WEEK PER MEMBER AND ADMINISTERED AS SET OUT IN THE POLICY STATEMENT.

• the fund will be administered by a committee of the Executive Board.
• the fund will be used to:
• support political issues of special interest to Local 1518 members or
• the union as a whole
• support municipal issues and candidates
• support provincial issues and candidates
• support federal issues and candidates.

The committee will develop a set of criteria which must be met before any money is released from the fund. This criteria will apply to issues, candidates, and political parties.

The fund is NOT an affiliation to any political party.

Any member who is opposed to having a portion of his/her dues put into the fund can have the money withheld from the fund by providing a signed form letter to the union office. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT POLITICAL ACTION, CALL 604-526-1518 or 1-800-661-3708.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Ivan Limpright, President
Frank Pozzobon, Secretary Treasurer