As a student I’m not supposed to care about unions. But I do. I’ve learned unions are an essential part of democracy.

I’ve learned through my experience at Concordia University how important collective action can be in the face of arbitrary action by the most powerful members of our society.

Without the support of my student union, and the collective actions of a generation of student activists before me, I would probably have been expelled from Concordia, a convenient scapegoat for the bungling and ineptness of the university administration over the Netanyahu affair. Instead, I am waiting for “my day in court” to overturn a suspension I am confident will be found unfair and unjustified.

I have the right to some semblance of the rule of law — clearly outlined procedures, including a way to appeal — that previous generations of students agitated for and won.

In this, the situation of students mirrors those of working people across Canada and the world. Unions improve our lives.

So, how do we explain a policy paper released by the Canadian Labour Congress, and discussed at a recent conference in Ottawa, that reveals unions are organizing only half of the 150,000-200,000 new members a year needed to maintain current unionization rates? Since 1984, when it hit a high of 41.8 per cent, the unionization rate has steadily dropped to its current level of 32.2 per cent.

Interestingly, this fall in unionization rates in both Canada and the United States (much worse there) corresponds with a fall in voter turnout during elections. I believe the two are linked.

For example, Sweden normally has a voter participation rate of over 80 per cent and some 75 per cent of workers are unionized. The United States has a 13 per cent unionization rate and only half the population bothers to vote.

An important function of unions is to ensure some workplace democracy. Through collective bargaining, unions offer workers a way to fight for a fair share of the fruits of their labour. Unions provide workers with some space and protection from arbitrary employer action.

In fact, collective worker action is the most effective device at adding some democracy to the modern un-democratic corporation. Corporations, especially non-unionized ones, are highly authoritarian structures where workers have little democratic control. The business community is open about this. In the Financial Times, England’s most influential business paper, John Hunt writes, “work organizations remain the most undemocratic of modern institutions.” Columnist Michael Skapinker writes: “corporate life is inherently undemocratic.” Instead of workers having democratic control over their workplaces, a centralized top-down authoritarian structure prevails. Workers have little to no say; they are simply told what to do.

In place of democracy, corporate power is based on the principle that one dollar equals one vote. Shareholders have voting rights depending upon how many shares they own. We are told the point of our economy is to create shareholder wealth. Aside from the power of unions, workers’ concerns are more or less left out of the equation.

Markets rule all. The only real power you have is the power of the dollar, the right to spend. The right to shop is more important than the right to vote. The personal (as defined by marketers) has superseded the political.

My generation has not only grown up with this ideology pumped over airwaves, but has experienced a deep disdain for democracy up close and personal, at work. Where do most of us find work? Corporate burger joints, conglomerate superstores &#0151 places where we are all “associates” or “assistant managers,” but don’t you dare try to join a union after you discover the real relationship of power or they’ll close up shop.

Democracy is dangerous, democracy causes problems, democracy isn’t fun — those are the messages learned at work and reinforced by much of “popular” culture. So we don’t vote and we don’t join unions.

Yet.

What will it take to turn this around? Personal experience such as mine to learn how important a union can be. Talking about the importance of democracy. Presenting an alternative vision to the “one market under God” that has swamped us from the south. Reaching out with words and deeds that make sense.

What does it take to become an active citizen, a good union member, a participant instead of just a consumer?

The answer has been the same for generations: enlightened self-interest.

Yves Engler

Dubbed “Canada’s version of Noam Chomsky” (Georgia Straight), “one of the most important voices on the Canadian Left” (Briarpatch), “in the mould of I. F. Stone” (Globe and Mail), “part...