Windsor advocate not surprised by report highlighting union disparities

A Windsor-based advocate said she wasn’t surprised to read a new report detailing disparities in union representation for Black and racialized workers.

Leslie McCurdy, chair of the Black Council of Windsor-Essex, points to her own neighborhood as evidence of systemic issues.

“I just saw a three-month project being done on my street, a construction project that had three different companies working on it, I didn't see a person of colour at all,” she said.

The report, released Tuesday by the Centre for Future Work, found that only a quarter of racialized workers are covered by union contracts, compared to one-third of non-racialized workers.

The gap is even wider for racialized women.

Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work, highlighted that the report underscores segregation in Canada’s labor market.

"Racialized workers have not benefited from unionization to the same degree as other workers, and they need unions as much, or more, than other workers," he said.

McCurdy noted that many Black workers are confined to temporary jobs, rather than unionized positions, suggesting this may be by design.

“When you talk about racialization, that means it has to be some form of racism occurring,” McCurdy said.

“And in a society, a culture that was actually built on racism and domination of other people, naming them as inferior for economic purposes, it's not surprising at all that this still exists,” she said.

Stanford added that the disparity stems from various factors and affects more than just individual workers.

“Think about your kids and a better chance for them to go to college or university to get a trade or a degree and end up in a better job themselves,” said Stanford.

Both Stanford and McCurdy agree that addressing these disparities requires action from employers and unions.

McCurdy added individuals can drive change.

“If you've noticed that your workplace doesn't seem to be very diverse, ask why not,” she said.

“I just hope people will be courageous enough to do that -- because it will be really, really nice when we can finally put all of this behind us.”