Hub Podcasts Should conservatives support unions?
Sep 8, 2025
Bryce McRae, a senior consultant at Summa Strategies and former managed stakeholder for Pierre Poilievre, discusses the evolving conservative stance on unions. He suggests that conservatives should embrace unions for their role in national development and worker rights. McRae highlights a notable shift in younger Canadians' support for unions and examines the historical context of conservatives' relationships with organized labor. Additionally, he touches on the importance of free speech in Canadian universities, advocating for greater ideological diversity.
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Unions As Nation-Builders
- Bryce McRae argues that private-sector unionized workers will be central to Canada's nation-building projects.
- Public trust in unions gives them political leverage beyond wage bargaining.
Conservative Union Outreach 2022–2025
- McRae recounts conservatives' unprecedented labor outreach between 2022–2025 with factory and union visits.
- That outreach aimed to forge a blue-collar coalition by appealing to pay, fairness, and respect for work.
Unions Reduce Bureaucratic Oversight
- Strong worker organizations can reduce the need for heavy government micromanagement.
- McRae frames unions as countervailing power that can resist exploitation without constant regulation.