Race to the bottom

Letter to the Editor published in the Daily Gleaner (Fredericton), 4 June 2011

Re: Story published May 30 called, “Time to reform public-sector pensions, city told”

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is wrong to attack the pension benefits of city workers.

While pension reform may sound harmless, it threatens workers whether they have pensions or not, as well as businesses that rely on consumer dollars in this community.

It’s popular these days to attack the wages and benefits of unionized workers, who have won a better deal through decades of bargaining collectively through their democratic unions.

But all workers are entitled to a decent living standard. Our goal should be to improve the working and living conditions for all workers, particularly those in the non-unionized service sector.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce wants to end the “defined-benefit” pension plan of city workers because it serves as an example to workers in other sectors. It shows that it’s possible to achieve financial security in old age through the collective bargaining process.

Rather than co-operate with workers across Fredericton and the province to achieve financial security (through improvements to the Canada Pension Plan as well as industry-specific pensions), the chamber is trying to push down the aspiration of all workers.

Businesses and workers need to send a clear message to the leadership of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce: the long-term health of this community requires fair incomes and financial security for all, rather than a mean-spirited race to the bottom.