Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?

They help the economy only IF they are actually not being greedy. They should be checked by the goverment for any greedness.

Hurt. Most unions are puppets of the companies and enforcers of bad company relations and bad policies.

I believe that they currently offer higher rates than privatized industry. This raises the cost to consumer and productivity goes down. Their entitlement appears to be abused. I work in an industry that is both union and non union and see an abuse of this in the union regions more. The cost is higher, causing a higher cost to the consumer, while the worker makes more and contributes more to society creating a catch-22, but their productivity is lower. I believe more research and data informed decision making needs to go into unions.

They can do both. Unions should be made less powerful and corrupt however because people strike over the smallest things now.

Mostly hurt, especially government/public unions. Allow a company to operate with unions AND non-union workers. There have been and are benefits to unions but they also prevent meritocracy from determining financial reward, promotion and productivity.

A more democratic society, with a stronger more responsive labour regulator would make unions obsolete. Unions are often wasteful and an impediment.

Help, BUT I do believe some better measures need to be put in place to aid the employer even a little bit when it comes to removing employees who are 'riding the gravy train' because their employer is literally hand tied and cannot get rid of them due to union contracts. There are good honest people willing to work who are not able to due to unproductive workers who 'play the game' and remain employed. These type of employees, become a cost to the product/service their company is providing. At the same time, I do not think power should be given to the employer catre blanche.

Help, but employees should have the ability to influence and or unite on key issues. However, labor unions should be prohibited from publicly or privately supporting one party.

It depends on the union, some are better at advocating for workers' rights and best interests; others are more focused on justifying and funding their own existence and do not offer value for the union fees they charge members

A mix of both, rather than just one or the other. Depends on the relationship with management, leadership, and other factors.

Help, every working person should be unionized as every working person needs a voice as well as protection from abuse and exploitation

Help. There should be some sectors that should not be allowed to strike and must negotiated while the individuals still work...eg teachers.

Hurt the economy, Help society. Corporations do not benefit from labour unions, but workers do. If the economy in its current form were to crumble because of labour unions, the world would be better off.

Help, as long as they don't go too far in doing things like riots and fights.

Mostly hurt but some unions are okay

Regardless, people have a right to freedom of association

It hurts the economy but helps for change

given that public most public unions in canada are against having to actually work 3 days a week under minimal accommodations, public unions are bad!

Unions, but public and private can easily be corrupt, I support some unions, but unions and companies should be banned from making any donations

Unions are mostly good. Sometimes they can hurt businesses.

It's about the workers' rights, not the economy

Indefinite

Help, but they should have their power limited to a certain extent

Hurt, but it is necessary for safety and regulation

In the middle. It all depends on many factors.

its really in between for me

Hurt, and ban their ability to make political decisions as they have become corrupt.

Help the economy, but do not allow them to make political donations, publically fund elections.

Help but should be reviewed by a rotating party of informed workers

A mix of both. Unions can do great things in making workplaces safer, and also potentially argue for higher wages which benefits the economy and lessens the burden on government, but they can also be used for hurtful purposes as well.

wtf is a labor union

A mix of both, but overall unions are a force for good in the world. Many of the labour rights we take for granted, such as the 8 hour workday, and weekends off (of course, depending on profession) were fought for by unions.

Help, but workers should be given real representation on boards as in Germany

I would say unions have a mix of both. It can make it incredibly hard for business to do some things, and lead to tensions between management/workers. But, while there are these flaws, unions can negotiate for great things, such as better pay, hours, benefits, and other things which help ease the burden on our governments/and help people become less dependent on the government.

Have a time and place but outsized political or economic power should be limited.

Depends on the labour union

Generally help to provide a collective voice and support workers so they are not taken advantage of, but occassionally go too far with demands individuals outside unions don't benefit from.

Help and Hurt, regulation and accountability are important

Don’t know enough about unions to understand the question.

Hurt! They encourage self-entitlement, lazy work ethic, strikes, and even theft from the company when workers leave early, get paid for it and are protected by their union

It depends entirely on the situation (what the workers are asking for, what they end up getting in return, the working conditions that causes the union etc.)

I find majority of unions useless and aren’t actually in the best interest of the workers. They still follow suit and instruction from higher ups, not requests from workers.

Both. They aren't all the same so generalizing them doesn't make sense.

Help, I support private unions but am against public unions

Change the negotiation process to a court/tribunal model where the union and employer prepare cases before the contract ends to be heard before a judge or representative

Hurt, but are more important than economy

They had a place once, now overbearing and out of control

Don’t know enough about labour unions

This is complicated and it depends on the union.

Increase oversight

A balance is key, unions should have to play by the same rules are private organizations.

We dont really need them anymore

Hurt but are needed for workers rights

Help economy is much more stable if workers can produce higher results due to better conditions

Unions benefit their members but hurt consumers generally, and especially workers who are denied job opportunities. Unions decrease the number of jobs available in the economy. The vast majority of manufacturing jobs lost over the past three decades have been among union members.

Hurt, I support Private Companies workers right to unionize, Public Sector Unions should be outlawed.

Hurt, extremist and criminal corruption in unions has become a major problem.

Neither they protect workers

I think Unions depend on where you live. Where I live Unions control a lot, but in places like Halifax they are probably better

both. They both have negative and positive outcomes

I feel it’s circumstantial

Yes, but there shouldn't be regulations on what an individual can do. They should be able to decide that.

Help, and they should have more representation in government

"Hurting" the economy is irrelevant here. labor unions are essential to ensure workplace dynamics aren't completely one-sided.

hurt but it’s a necessary evil

Its immaterial. They help the employees and their welfare.

Private unions help by providing the work force needed for large projects. Public unions generally have monopolies on their business and have too much negotiating power at the expense of the taxpayer. Public unions tend to support governments that are generous to them which seems like a conflict of interest to me.

The issue is not labour unions. There needs to be a balance of power between the employees and employers. The issue is the current way it is implemented. The strike/lockout system should be changed into a more court-like process

Doesn't really apply to me

Help, but ban their ability to make political donations and increase their powers.

Help, and companies that engage in union busting tactics (such as Amazon) should be punished.

Hurt. Once a powerful movement for postive change for the grreater good - now morphed into an opportunistic culture that only serves those within in

It has its advantages and disadvantages

Hurt, in Canada there is no more needed

Mixed feeings

Help. They need a better relationship with employers right now though.

A mix of both, but worth having than no one to stand up for workers and conditions.

On average, neither

Usually help but not always

Help, and mandate membership in labour unions for work.

theyre helpful to our survival slayyy

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Help the economy as they are the are the ones making productions and increase wages

A mix of both. They should be there if the workers want it, but it depends on how they're run that makes me skeptical of them. They can create a really good environment, but also a really antagonistic one, and so that's why I would say that I'm in the middle on this issue rather than just blindly picking a side.

I don’t have any idea about

Yes but it comes at a price

The organization gets the union it deserves

No, but are crucial for workers rights

They Hurt our economy, so we should give them good benefits from the start so that these kinds of things don't happen

Some help, and some help in theory, but a lot of unions have become corrupt. Though I support some private and public unions. Either way, ban their ability to make political donations

irrelevant whether they hurt or help, they're vital for workers

Help, but ban their ability to make political donations and mandate membership in labour unions to be eligible to work in Canada.

True economic workplace democracy

they don't do much of anything in BC

A strong voice for workplace issues should be a standard for workplace culture to ensure the needs, concerns, ideas, and contributions of the workplace are recognized and responded to, are inclusive and collaborative, and contribute to safety and well being of employees in addition to sustainable workplace goals.

Hurt, They never actually seem to help the employee like they should.

Ultimately hurt, due to decades of unrealistic demands which caused manufacturing and industry to move operations out of Canada.

Unions are a business of their own so tough to manage them. They a ruthless to the extreme

Poorly worded question. Need to define how exactly a labor union helps or hurts an economy, and in what capacity