Thinking of going on strike? Here’s how to budget for your union’s next job action

Air Canada flight attendants strike outside Montreal–Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Photo by Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press

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Air Canada workers did it. So did Canada Post staff and Canadian National Railway Co. labourers, too.

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Over the last few years, scores of Canadians have walked off the job in hopes of landing higher pay and better working conditions.

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While striking often gives more leverage at the bargaining table, it also comes with a sacrifice: an interruption in pay that can stretch on for days or weeks and in the worst cases, months or years.

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Experts say navigating any interruption in wages takes plenty of planning that should begin long before your union heads for the picket line.

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“When we’re a year out from bargaining, it’s time to put a little bit of savings away just in case,” said Marty Warren, national director of the United Steelworkers union.

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While no one can predict whether a strike will happen or how long one will last, the more you can sock away, the better position you’ll be in to weather the situation.

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To help build up your savings, Warren has advised union members in the past to work some overtime, if it’s available, and rethink that new car, cottage, boat or home.

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“Now, obviously, if you have one car and it goes, you’re going to have to replace it, but some of those bigger purchases, you should hold off, just so you’re in a position to vote with your heart (if your company asks if you are willing to strike),” he said.

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“Then, your vote isn’t influenced because you just purchased that brand new truck six months ago and you got a car payment to make.”

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If you’re saving for any of those goals but they’re not imminent, workers can reallocate money toward helping them through a strike, said Mark Kalinowski, a partnership and education specialist with the Credit Counseling Society.

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“People often don’t see one savings goal as being transferable to another savings goal,” he said. “Well, right now is not your vacation. Right now is the time that we have to make sure the mortgage gets paid, so be open to changing what your immediate goal is and we’ll save up for a vacation later.”

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He feels the best way to build up a fund you can dip into during a strike is to set aside some money each time you get paid, ideally in a Tax-Free Savings Account.

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If you don’t think you are able to do that, consider “pushing the fluff out of your life,” even if it’s just for long enough to build up a strike fund, he said.

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“Everyone loves a cup of coffee, but if you’re not going to work, can you make it at home? It saves you $3 a day,” he said.

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In the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalinowski and his wife calculated how much money they could live on, if they just covered the basics like food, utilities and costs for housing and children. He said they were shocked by how little they needed to get by and encourage others to do the same exercise if they are worried about a strike.

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While Kalinowski found a lot of things he could cut from his spending, he acknowledges some people have recurring payments from mortgages, loans, credit cards and student debt.