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[E]xamines the institution of work from the perspective of alienated labour, a perspective that many conventional approaches to the subject have ignored or misrepresented. Completely updated to reflect current trends in the labour force and research in the field of labour studies, The Tyranny of Work begins with a thorough discussion of work as a social problem and the sources of alienation. The book then examines the development of industrial capitalism in Canada, the white-collar and blue-collar worlds, and, finally, solutions to the problem of alienated labour. All statistics and data have been updated to reflect the most current research. Information from the 2001 Census has been integrated throughout the text. The Tyranny of Work examines the institution of work from the perspective of alienated labour, a perspective that many conventional approaches to the subject have ignored or misrepresented. --Publisher's description

The book Unfair advantage: Workers' Freedom of Association in the United States under International Human Rights Standards, by Lance Compa, is reviewed.

This thesis explores the nature and challenges of democracy within unions through an historical examination of the emergence and early years of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Formed by a merger of two pre-existing unions in 1963, CUPE casts new light on the Marxist, Michelsian and Institutionalist theoretical approaches to union democracy. The thesis calls into question the narrow and ahistorical link made between centralization, oligarchy and effectiveness on the one hand, and decentralization, democracy and ineffectiveness on the other. Instead, the case of CUPE shows that unions are subject to contradictory pressures and that neither centralization nor decentralization is inherently more democratic. Union democracy is part of an historical process of class formation, in which both union purposes and the boundaries of the democratic community (which can make legitimate claims on members' solidarity and self-discipline) are struggled over. As such, it is possible that decentralizing forces can place narrow and sectionalist priorities over the interests of the broader community. Moreover, the thesis argues that the use of merger as a method of forging greater class unity is itself problematic. The merger which created CUPE involved a protracted struggle over which model of union would prevail. The compromise which was reached entrenched a self-reinforcing cycle of autonomy-seeking by union locals which, over the long term, prevented the development of an effective national union capable of carrying out the democratic will of the membership as a whole. As such, through an historical excavation of the roots of contemporary crises in CUPE, the thesis points to the important way in which the outcomes of past decisions come to structure future political possibilities for unions and other social justice organizations.

Many social theorists (Goldthorpe, Lipset, Giddens, Hout, Brooks and Manza) have portrayed members of the Western industrial working-class as accommodative and resistant to a class-based social revolution. They suggest that an affluent proletariat has seen its oppositional class-consciousness subverted and transformed by the 'cash nexus' into various forms of social integration. With reference to Mann's (1973) measures of class-consciousness typologies and Livingstone and Mangan's (1996) study of Hamilton steelworkers, I explore expressions of working-class consciousness among organized workers at one of Canada's largest industrial union locals, the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 222 at General Motors, in Oshawa, Canada. I accomplish this via an examination of the existence and degree of working-class imagery, class identity, and oppositional working-class consciousness among this group of workers on the basis of measured responses to a survey questionnaire (N=102), in-depth interviews, and participant observation. My thesis asserts that Oshawa autoworkers' material advantage is insufficient to transform their proletarian consciousness. I have found that among Oshawa autoworkers there is a shared view of Canadian society as class-based, a clear working-class self-identification and measurable forms of oppositional working-class consciousness.

The article reviews the book, "No Collar: The Humane Workplace and Its Hidden Costs, by Andrew Ross.

The article reviews the book, "Mapping the Margins: The Family and Social Discipline in Canada, 1700-1975," edited by Nancy Christie and Michael Gauvreau,

The article offers information on the interrelationship between ethnicity, gender and class in Canadian communism in the period 1922-1930. Ethnicity is stated to have been a contested and complex relationship in the Canadian Communist Party, whereas the Ukrainian section of the party is stated to have been numerically strong. The interrelationship between ethnicity, gender and class is examined by analyzing the content of the Canadian Ukrainian newspaper "Robitnytsia." Emphasis is given on the debate concerning women's equality and the role of women in social movement published in the newspaper.

The book Flexible Work Arrangements: Conceptualizations and International Experience, by Isik Urla Zeytinoglu, is reviewed.

The article reviews the book, "Die "Schutzbedürftigte Frau": Zur Konstruktion von Geschlecht durch Mutterschaftsversicherung, Nachtarbeitsverbot und Sonderschutzgesetzgebung," edited by Regina Wecker, Brigitte Studer, and Gaby Sutter.

The article reviews the book, "History of Social Work in Europe 1900-1960: Female Pioneers and their Influence on the Development of International Social Organizations," edited by Sabine Hering and Berteke Waaldijk.

One of the current paradoxes for trade unions is that organizing is an essentially local or national affair whilst the most pressing challenge for unions, which is globalization, can only be faced in a global context. This paper analyzes to what extent the Global Union Research Network (GURN) has the potential to be regarded as an incremental innovation for research within the international labour movement. The paper argues that the GURN can become an incremental innovation and there are three stages to this argument. Firstly the GURN in conceptualized within the international trade union movement. Secondly the term 'innovation' is defined and the GURN is presented as a potential, albeit incremental, innovation. The final stage examines GURN sustainability and the barriers to its institutionalization.

The book Sexual Harrassment Investigations: How to Limit Your Liability and More: A Practical Guide, by Arjun P. Aggarwal and Madhu M. Gupta, is reviewed.

The article reviews the book, "Contingent Employment in Europe and the United States," edited by Ola Bergström and Donald Storrie.

The article reviews the book, "The Nonprofit Sector in Interesting Times: Case Studies in a Changing Sector," edited by Kathy L. Brock and Keith G. Banting.

En s’appuyant sur la théorie de l’échange social, cet article rend compte de l’effet médiateur des différentes formes de justice organisationnelle (distributive, procédurale, interactionnelle) dans la relation entre les pratiques en gestion des ressources humaines (GRH) inspirées du modèle de Lawler (1986) et l’engagement affectif. Les 134 répondants sont des directeurs aux services financiers d’une institution bancaire située au Québec. Des analyses de régression, effectuées selon les procédures de Kenny, Kashy et Bolger (1998), ont confirmé l’hypothèse de recherche. Ainsi, les résultats font ressortir que la perception de chacune des formes de justice organisationnelle représente une variable médiatrice essentielle pour que la mise en place des pratiques en GRH contribue efficacement au développement et à la consolidation de l’engagement des employés envers leur organisation.

The use of striker replacements is one of the most controversial and emotional issues facing those involved with the industrial relations system. However, a paucity of research has been done on the actual use of replacement workers and how that affects industrial relations outcomes, such as strike activity. Initial research suggests that the use of replacements is associated with longer strikes, supporting the con tention that the use of replacements should be prohibited. Using four case studies, we explore some of the dynamics of strikes that utilize replacements versus those that do not. The results suggest that, in ad dition to economic factors, social and psychological variables may be intricately linked to the relationship between the use of replacements and strike activity.

The article reviews and comments on "State of the World 2004. Special Focus: The Consumer Society" by the Worldwatch Institute, edited by Linda Starke, "The High Price of Materialism" by Tim Kasser, and "The Consumer Trap: Big Business Marketing in American Life" by Michael Dawson.

The article reviews the book, "Managing Employment Change," by Huw Beynon, Damian Grimshaw, Jill Rubery and Kevin Ward.

The article reviews the book, "Hidden Knowledge: Organized Labour in the Information Age," by D.W. Livingstone and Peter H. Sawchuck.

The article reviews the book, "Workplace Learning: A Critical Introduction," by John Bratton et al.