It’s not a secret that many trade unions in the world will endorse political parties or candidates. These endorsements have two goals: make waves in a political campaign and influence how members cast their votes.
While I understand why some trade unions back certain candidates, especially those with a pro-labour, pro-workers rights stance, Teamsters Canada has a different approach.
Why? This comes to a simple principle: democracy, which, in my view, is the freedom to choose. The beauty of our system is that any voting person has the right to put a checkmark next to the name they want.
Of course, we believe certain candidates offer better solutions than others! However, true democracy means that our members must come to informed conclusions by themselves. Above all that, democracy thrives on debates, open discussions, and free exchange of ideas. If I were to tell our members to please vote this way or that way, I feel I would be undermining that process, or at least impairing it.
What We Can Do
Even though we won’t support a specific candidate or party, our union will still play a role in the upcoming federal election. Instead of focusing on parties, we will focus on the issues. Our goal is to highlight the challenges faced by our members, and how the parties are proposing to address these them.
Good debate requires being well informed, especially at a time where political parties come up with very different solutions to our current problems.
I see our role in the upcoming elections more as a resource hub. We intend for Teamsters Canada to provide or produce different resources and learning material that will clearly outline each party’s platform, particularly when it comes to workers’ rights and labour policies.
If our members have access to an accurate breakdown of the options in front of them, they will learn, exchange and debate within their community, and at the end of the day, they will vote for what they feel is the best choice, and that is the essence of democracy.
This year, for the first time, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, in the US, has decided not to endorse a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. Instead, they chose to highlight issues faced by working people. This is the same approach that Teamsters Canada has had since its foundation in 1976.
Once again, at Teamsters Canada, we will always stand by the principles of democracy. Our role is to ensure that our members have the tools and information they need to make the best choice for themselves, their families, and their communities.
François Laporte
President of Teamsters Canada
Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Each month, François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, comments on the labour news cycle in a series of columns called Leading the Way. Join him as he discusses the issues facing Canadian workers from coast to coast.
