• About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
Monday, May 19, 2025
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home *Opinion*

Non-profit employees shouldn’t shy away from unionization

by Jason Edwards
December 13, 2012
Reading Time: 2min read
halifax-20121206-00047-1

halifax-20121206-00047-1Last week employees of the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research group (NSPIRG), a non-profit research and advocacy organization, voted to unionize.  Their decision follows that of many other non-profit groups across Canada who have joined various unions.

NSPIRG is a small organization, located in the Dalhousie Student Union Building.  Its employees engage in various research and administrative tasks, achieving the mission: linking research with action  for social and environmental justice, within an anti-oppression framework.

They are joining the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2, who have helped workers from non-profit groups across the country get organized.  Charity, advocacy and professional organizations’ staff, like those of The Salvation Army and Ontario Nurses Association, have unionized for various reasons.

Many of these people enjoy working in the non-profit sector as it allows them to work toward goals that they are passionate about.  They also understand that liking their jobs does not preclude their right to bargain collectively.

Andrew Jantzen, of NSPIRG, explains: “We all enjoy and appreciate our work at NSPIRG.  By joining a union, we now have the resources to ensure that our jobs are secure.  This means we can work toward the organization’s goals more effectively.”  In this instance, employees sought unionization to ensconce their positions at jobs they loved.

The union also recognizes that the non-profit is working toward admirable goals.  SEIU Local 2’s Nova Scotia Branch President, Loretta Melanson, said she is “looking forward to contributing to amicable labour-relations at the PIRG.  It’s work benefits our members, students and the entire community.”

NSPIRG Board of Directors members have recognized that having unionized workers will contribute to a harmonious employment relationship.  “When we were told that staff wanted to form a union, we were immediately supportive,” says Board Member, John Hutton, “By having organized employees, we can rely on a stable, fair relationship.”

These examples put to the rest the mistaken opinion that non-profit workers cannot exercise their right to unionize.  While the goals of a non-profit are often impressive, this does not guarantee a positive work environment or fair treatment.  In fact, the altruistic nature of such work can often serve to undermine workers’ rights.  The notion that “you don’t do it for the money” is a powerful rhetorical weapon that is often wielded against selfless working people.

This problem can be compounded by the casual relationship staff and volunteer boards of directors often have.  When a volunteer board takes on the task of employer, it can be overwhelmed by the vast ocean of employment legislation it must now navigate.  Having a union ensures that employees’ rights are not inadvertently disregarded by employers who have limited human-resources experience.

When an individual seeks employment in a field where she/he can feel fulfilled in a way that is more than financial, that decision should be venerated.  Non-profit organizations who benefit from the work of altruistic employees should, in turn, recognize those workers’ efforts through fair treatment and decent remuneration.  As civil-society groups gain greater esteem in the Atlantic Canadian polity, it is important that their employees continue to actualize their right to unionize.

TweetSend

Related Posts

Activists gather to oppose billionaire, corporate power: ‘You’re not alone in feeling this way’ [video]
New Brunswick

Activists gather to oppose billionaire, corporate power: ‘You’re not alone in feeling this way’ [video]

May 17, 2025

Fears about runaway climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, and the future of democratic institutions were top-of-mind for several dozen activists...

Lorneville residents speak out against industrial park expansion at marathon public hearing [video]
Environment

Lorneville residents speak out against industrial park expansion at marathon public hearing [video]

May 16, 2025

A public hearing over controversial plans to expand an industrial park near Saint John spanned five hours, as city councillors...

A beacon of light: Hidden 2sLGBTQ+ histories in Saint John’s The Lighthouse
Culture

A beacon of light: Hidden 2sLGBTQ+ histories in Saint John’s The Lighthouse

May 16, 2025

Atlantic Canadian port cities have some of the most colourful and vibrant queer spaces and stories. Saint John, New Brunswick...

Nakba Day: We will never forget the ongoing catastrophe in Palestine
Palestine

Nakba Day: We will never forget the ongoing catastrophe in Palestine

May 15, 2025

Editor's note: Nakba is an Arabic word meaning catastrophe. Every year on May 15, Nakba Day commemorates the violent displacement...

Load More

Recommended

Nakba Day: We will never forget the ongoing catastrophe in Palestine

Nakba Day: We will never forget the ongoing catastrophe in Palestine

4 days ago
Lorneville residents speak out against industrial park expansion at marathon public hearing [video]

Lorneville residents speak out against industrial park expansion at marathon public hearing [video]

3 days ago
Redefining the political consensus: Limiting migration is going to make our problems worse

Redefining the political consensus: Limiting migration is going to make our problems worse

4 days ago
Pourquoi rendre la maladie mystérieuse ?

Pourquoi rendre la maladie mystérieuse ?

6 days ago
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

X
Did you like this article? Support the NB Media Co-op! Vous avez aimé cet article ? Soutenez la Coop Média NB !
Join/Donate