Ken Georgetti: Union Advantage Is Undeniable

Steelworkers praised one of their own Wednesday – former Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti, for leading the way in changing the public conversation about the vital role of unions in building a fair, prosperous and democratic society.

Georgetti, the CLC’s longest-serving president (1999 to May of this year), began his career as a USW activist in a British Columbia smelter in the 1970s. His many achievements include the CLC’s successful national campaign, Together Fairness Works, that is building public awareness of the undeniably positive impact of unions.

Invited to address the USW convention Wednesday, Georgetti praised the USW for launching its own version of the Fairness Works campaign in Steelworkers’ communities across the country.

The campaign includes research based on official government data showing union members on average earn $10,000 annually more than non-union workers.

The research proves “the union advantage” has enormous benefits for communities and the national economy, Georgetti said.

“Polling in Canada shows that 30 percent of non-union, unorganized workers would join a union tomorrow if they had the chance,” he said.

“We need that union advantage for everyone.”

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