May Day: Strong Unions Build Worker Power

Canada’s unions mark May Day by celebrating worker power and the contributions that workers and their unions make to society.

“Today is a day to celebrate our wins and fortify ourselves for the next fight. Workers can achieve incredible things when they come together. Being a union member means having a safe workplace, better pay, more benefits, and good work-life balance. When working people unite, they make an economy that works for us all,” says Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress.

From the General Strike of 1919 to workers fighting today for fair wage increases in response to the affordability crisis, we know that when workers come together, they win. It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, we are all workers and when one group wins, we all do.

The gains that unions secure are only made possible because of workers who organize. Workers come together across geography, job role, and background to join or create a union because unions are the best way to secure the things they care about. Unions foster solidarity, build people’s power, and win.

Today we celebrate workers. Nurses, teachers, firefighters, journalists, professional athletes, retail store clerks, manufacturing workers, auto workers, miners, electricians and construction trades workers—these workers (and more!)  keeping the labour movement going and continue to make gains for workers everywhere.

When we stand together, we make things better for everyone. On this May Day, we call on workers everywhere to remember what can be gained when we build collective power.