Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Table 1 Union membership and coverage by selected characteristics

  2009 2010
Total employees Union density Total employees Union density
Members Coverage1 Members Coverage1
'000s % '000s %
Both sexes 14,087 29.5 31.6 14,258 29.6 31.6
Men 6,963 28.2 30.4 7,049 28.2 30.4
Women 7,123 30.8 32.9 7,209 30.9 32.8
Sector2
Public 3,423 71.3 75.1 3,509 71.2 74.8
Private 10,664 16.1 17.7 10,749 16.0 17.5
Age
15 to 24 2,321 14.7 16.5 2,281 14.9 16.5
25 to 54 9,800 31.9 34.1 9,920 32.0 34.1
25 to 44 6,415 29.4 31.6 6,475 30.0 32.2
45 to 54 3,385 36.6 38.8 3,445 35.8 37.8
55 and over 1,966 35.2 37.3 2,057 34.4 36.3
Education
Less than Grade 9 289 24.4 26.4 277 24.0 25.3
Some high school 1,344 20.1 21.6 1,295 20.4 22.0
High school graduation 2,788 25.3 26.9 2,858 25.7 27.0
Some postsecondary 1,229 21.6 23.3 1,205 22.6 24.6
Postsecondary certificate or diploma 5,003 33.2 35.6 5,032 33.3 35.4
University degree 3,434 34.5 37.1 3,591 33.6 36.3
Province
Atlantic 954 30.5 32.0 954 30.3 31.7
Newfoundland and Labrador 189 37.5 39.3 193 37.9 39.7
Prince Edward Island 58 30.1 32.6 58 30.7 33.0
Nova Scotia 388 29.5 30.8 388 28.4 29.6
New Brunswick 319 27.7 29.1 314 27.8 29.2
Quebec 3,257 36.5 40.0 3,327 36.1 39.3
Ontario 5,480 26.4 28.1 5,553 26.5 27.9
Prairies 2,585 27.3 29.2 2,587 27.1 29.6
Manitoba 520 35.4 37.4 524 35.9 38.1
Saskatchewan 422 34.3 36.3 422 33.8 35.9
Alberta 1,643 22.9 24.8 1,641 22.6 25.2
British Columbia 1,811 29.1 30.6 1,838 30.4 31.8
Work status
Full-time 11,398 31.0 33.2 11,530 31.1 33.2
Part-time 2,689 23.3 25.1 2,728 23.5 25.0
Industry
Goods-producing 2,970 26.5 28.5 2,962 26.5 28.6
Agriculture 114 5.3 6.3 100 2.7 3.2
Natural resources 271 20.9 22.3 277 20.3 23.1
Utilities 147 62.2 67.0 146 61.6 65.5
Construction 744 30.0 31.8 801 30.3 32.0
Manufacturing 1,694 24.2 26.2 1,638 24.0 26.2
Service-producing 11,117 30.3 32.5 11,296 30.4 32.4
Trade 2,319 13.1 14.7 2,378 13.1 14.4
Transportation and warehousing 690 40.0 41.7 645 41.3 42.8
Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing 902 8.2 9.6 909 8.2 9.2
Professional, scientific and technical 786 4.3 5.2 821 4.2 5.3
Business, building and other support 490 14.6 16.2 495 14.3 16.2
Education 1,163 68.0 71.9 1,207 67.0 70.9
Health care and social assistance 1,704 54.0 56.4 1,778 52.9 55.3
Information, culture and recreation 626 26.6 28.6 625 26.9 28.3
Accommodation and food 972 7.0 7.8 978 7.0 7.8
Other 546 8.8 10.1 524 9.8 11.0
Public administration 920 67.2 72.8 935 68.5 73.4
Occupation
Management 1,019 8.9 11.2 1,019 8.3 10.9
Business, finance and administrative 2,787 24.6 26.7 2,751 24.7 26.5
Professional 420 18.0 19.5 407 16.1 17.9
Financial and administrative 733 24.2 26.5 734 25.3 27.4
Clerical 1,634 26.5 28.7 1,610 26.6 28.3
Natural and applied sciences 1,036 22.8 24.9 1,098 22.8 24.9
Health 912 61.7 64.2 951 60.2 62.4
Professional 105 40.2 46.1 107 38.2 44.7
Nursing 273 81.5 83.1 278 78.5 80.5
Technical 216 57.5 60.0 223 59.8 61.0
Support staff 319 54.8 56.7 342 52.5 54.2
Social science, education, government 1,387 55.1 58.2 1,437 55.4 58.7
Legal, social and religious workers 683 35.9 38.4 714 37.1 40.0
Teachers and professors 704 73.7 77.4 724 73.5 77.2
Secondary and elementary 485 85.5 88.2 492 85.9 88.0
Other 219 47.5 53.7 232 47.1 54.3
Art, culture, recreation and sport 322 28.3 30.9 341 28.9 30.8
Sales and service 3,658 20.5 22.3 3,716 21.0 22.5
Wholesale 383 4.9 6.1 386 5.5 6.8
Retail 1,025 11.7 12.9 1,080 13.2 14.3
Food and beverage 531 9.9 10.8 527 10.1 10.8
Protective services 250 54.0 61.4 251 57.6 62.4
Child care and home support 195 49.6 51.2 200 45.4 48.4
Travel and accommodation 1,274 25.7 27.3 1,272 25.6 27.0
Trades, transport and equipment operators 1,968 35.6 37.6 1,968 35.4 37.4
Contractors and supervisors 140 27.2 29.6 138 29.0 30.9
Construction trades 271 38.1 39.7 283 35.7 37.2
Other trades 768 38.1 40.3 760 37.7 40.0
Transportation equipment operators 490 34.7 36.0 484 37.0 38.7
Helpers and labourers 300 32.1 34.8 303 29.5 32.2
Unique to primary industry 253 14.3 15.9 241 14.6 15.9
Unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities 745 32.1 34.3 736 31.3 33.2
Machine operators and assemblers 603 31.7 33.7 590 30.7 32.6
Labourers 143 34.0 36.9 146 33.6 35.3
Workplace size
Under 20 employees 4,697 13.4 14.9 4,806 13.4 14.7
20 to 99 employees 4,732 30.2 32.4 4,707 29.8 32.0
100 to 500 employees 2,883 40.4 43.1 2,949 41.1 43.5
Over 500 employees 1,775 52.7 55.4 1,797 53.7 56.5
Job tenure
1 to 12 months 3,053 16.4 18.6 2,855 16.0 18.0
Over 1 year to 5 years 4,753 23.4 25.3 4,936 24.3 26.1
Over 5 years to 9 years 2,051 32.2 34.4 2,012 31.6 33.6
Over 9 years to 14 years 1,464 34.9 36.8 1,657 36.5 38.2
Over 14 years 2,766 49.6 52.1 2,798 47.4 49.9
Job status
Permanent 12,449 29.8 31.8 12,434 30.0 31.9
Non-permanent 1,638 27.7 30.4 1,824 27.3 29.7
1. Union members and persons who are not union members but covered by collective agreements (for example, some religious group members).
2. Public sector employees are those working for government departments or agencies; Crown corporations; or publicly funded schools, hospitals or other institutions. Private sector employees are all other wage and salary earners.
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, January-to-June averages.