You are both right to a point. Unions make a lot of money on the backs of their workers. Rarely are unions ever truly needed anymore. In this case they are. I still don't think that too many non-union employees are going to donate money to a union. Most non unionists don't understand the steps that unions have taken in creating the labour laws that all of us now enjoy.

I do find it ironic that unions are asking for money. Why can't the unions focus their combined finances towards this fight?

Is it not glamourous enough for the rock stars in the driver's seat of the major unions?

Ron_26: So true! Take all 59 B.C. school districts for an example.
Total remittance in one year to the Canada Revenue Agency, that is all income tax deductions, CPP, both employer and employee portions, and UIC, both employer and employee portions, was $233,079,442. This was for total school board employees in the province.
Yet the amount that was paid to the Teachers Pension Fun was $337,804,545.
$104,725,123 more than the total to the Canada Revenue Agency.
Pension for teacher contributions is about 9% from a teachers salary paid by the teachers and about 12% from the employer which is the B.C. taxpayer
There are two unions that are paying Moe Sihota's salary at $72,000 per year. Maybe they should stop Moe's salary as the position is supposed to be by volunteer.

This is a negative side. The positive side is that because of unions, eveybody today benefits from its accomplishments. People employed never belonging to a union now enjoy employment benefits.
All people that work on a salary, a lot in management positions all have benefits today that are the result of union accomplishments over the years.

Both the positive and negative points.

A reader awhile back, said that he did a roofing job for Moe Sihota. He thought it was kind of funny because he was non union.

On this issues the unions are blowing smoke.Or maybe smoking the wrong tobacco.For one thing,a labour shortage,or even a perceived shortages is a strategy to get pay raises for their members.They start a bidding war by limiting the number of people ready,willing,and able to take these jobs.I am not,nor have I ever been a member if the NDP.But I did hear former Premier Mike Harcourt on radio last week.Even he talked about his travels around BC,and the serious shortage of people to fill the jobs that need to be done.
Now I ask you,if there was not something to these shortages,would a respected NDPer like Mike Harcourt not be standing with the unions,as opposed to pointing out that these shortages are real?? He went out of his way to visit these communities involved,and more specifically the mining communities.
Yes folks.There are unemployed in BC.But not many.Of those many do not want to work.Others won't go where the jobs are.Still others have no skills to offer.
Get real people.This whole argument is being manufactured by our public sector unions.Do some real research,and you will see that for yourself.This is all about electing the NDP this spring.The truth is the last thing our public sector unions are worried about.They want acccess to our wallets,and the NDP is how they get it.That was the case in the 70's.It was the case in the 90's.And it's just as true today.