Unions make a difference both at work and in the quality of life you earn.
The Canadian Labour Congress released a study this week to show just how much better the union advantage truly is. This study shows that on average in Canada, unionized workers earn almost $5 more an hour than non-union workers.
But this advantage doesn’t just belong to union members. It benefits everyone. All together, that union advantage is worth $785.8 million each week to the country – money that gets spent in communities and supports our economy.
Alberta
There were 423,400 union members working in Alberta in 2012. That’s 24% of all employees. Their weekly payroll of over $475.8 million accounted for nearly 26% of the total for the whole province.
On average, unionized workers earned $4.60/hour more than non-union employees. That union advantage translated into $56 million more every week paid into local economies to support local businesses and community services.
Manitoba
There were 196,600 union members working in Manitoba in 2012. That’s 36% of all employees. Their weekly payroll of over $176 million accounted for 41% of the total for the whole province.
On average, unionized workers earned $5.31/hour more than non-union employees. That union advantage translated into $36.3 million more every week paid into local economies to support local businesses and community services.
Saskatchewan
There were 155,300 union members working in Saskatchewan in 2012. That’s 35% of all employees. Their weekly payroll of over $158 million accounted for 40% of the total for the whole province.
On average, unionized workers earned $5.32/hour more than non-union employees. That union advantage translated into $27.4 million more every week paid into local economies to support local businesses and community services.
For more information, city breakdowns, and infographics, visit the Canadian Labour Congress.