Professor of Labour Studies Larry Savage wrote a piece recently published in the The Toronto Star about the rise of strike activity in Canada and the reasons behind the growing momentum.

He writes:

“The pandemic was a turning point that revealed a stark prioritization of profits over workers’ health and safety. Those same front-line workers are now demanding their due, refusing to return to a job that offers poverty wages and next to nothing in terms of benefits. They have a renewed understanding of the value of their labour and are willing to fight for decent work, even if it means striking.

For decades, unions’ bargaining power was in decline. But that shifting political and economic landscape has provided unions with renewed leverage at the bargaining table. After years of stagnant wage increases and defensive concessionary bargaining, unionized workers in retail, transportation, and other sectors of the economy are now seeking to regain lost ground — and are increasingly willing to engage in strike action to bolster their demands.”

Continue reading the full article on The Toronto Star website.