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For many years, Canadian governments have tried to legislate higher earnings for low-wage workers. With origins at the municipal level, living wage laws are a relatively new policy that gained prominence in American cities starting in the mid-1990s. Currently more than 140 American municipalities have a living wage law. In 2011, the City of New Westminster in British Columbia became the first and only Canadian city to adopt a living wage ordinance. This report reviews the scholarly research on living wage laws from the United States and concludes that the US experience should make us cautious about adopting this policy more widely in Canada. -- Publisher's description

Starting with this issue we have decided to set aside space in the journal for a forum and for ongoing debate on issues of major social and scientific importance in industrial relations practice and theory. / C’est pour cette raison que nous souhaitons aménager, à l’intérieur de nos pages, un espace de débats et de forums portant sur des problématiques d’une grande pertinence sociale et scientifique, tant pour le monde de la pratique que pour celui de la théorie des relations industrielles. --From editor's introduction /de l'introduction de l'éditeur.

Despite the international emphasis on care in private homes, the demand for long-term residential care is rising given the growing number of older persons and those living with severe disabilities. Rising acuity levels of residents have resulted in calls for more training for care providers and concerns have been raised about the supply of workers, drawing attention to the working conditions, pay, benefits and status attached to work in long-term residential care. This industry is a link in the international care chain, with wealthy countries seeking workers from poorer countries. Yet, cross-national data sources provide limited information on the long-term residential care labour force, reflecting the value attached to the sector and the level of concern about the well-being of the labour force. Data that are available indicate that care is prioritized, divided and measured in different ways in different contexts and that there are varying degrees of precariousness experienced by workers. The evidence from the data also suggests that the public not-for-profit sector and unionization are critical shelters for the mostly women providers. Using a feminist political economy approach, this thesis outlines data available from statistical sources in Europe and North America with a case examination of four countries: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden. It critically maps the comparative data on the supply of labour in this industry of health and social care, as well as on their locations and relations. It illustrates the extent to which the framing of care in conventional terms, influenced by both neoliberal and medical notions of care, limits the statistical infrastructure in terms of its capacity to adequately measure workforces involved in long-term residential care and to provide a basis for addressing the continuing supply of labour in this sector.

The interconnections of natural resources, empire and labour run through the most central and conflict-ridden crises of our times: war, environmental degradation, impoverishment and plutocracy. Crucial to understand and to change the conditions that give rise to these crises is the critical study of resource development and, more broadly, the resources question, which is the subject of this volume. --Publisher's description.

Informed by the disciplines of disability studies and interpretive sociology, and using the social model of disability and the collective identity model, this dissertation pursues an investigation of underemployment. Underemployment, conceptualized as the underutilized skills and knowledge of the employed and unemployed, occurs at higher levels amongst disabled persons than among non-disabled people (Canada, 2009). Semi-structured interviews with 14 underemployed disabled people conducted, to investigate the experiences of disabled persons who worked in the fields of education, computer, healthcare, fitness, environment, travel, social work, government and non-government agencies. In addition, Canadian social policies were analyzed to address the research questions: 1) How do disabled workers understand and address experiences of underemployment? 2) How do organizations and social policies account for underemployment amongst disabled persons? 3) How can practices which acknowledge and enhance collective identity be used to address underemployment and advance the disability movement? 4) How can underemployment amongst disabled persons be addressed at the organizational level? The texts of these narratives and Canadian social policies were analyzed using a critical interpretative textual analysis approach. The analysis demonstrates the depths of the negative consequences of high levels of underemployment resulting from structural, environmental and attitudinal barriers. Such consequences include lack of opportunities for recognition, compensation, promotion, accommodations, and career fulfillment, as well as poor mental, physical, emotional and social health. This research study is unique as it reveals the struggles that disabled persons experienced in work contexts, their narratives of resistance, and their recommendations for socio-political change to build more inclusive work environments

Cet article étudie les choix des concepteurs de jeux vidéo en matière de représentation de leurs intérêts à la lumière de la théorie de la mobilisation de Kelly (1998), cela dans le but de mesurer leur disposition à l’action collective. Ces travailleurs illustrent bien le cas des travailleurs du savoir dans des productions organisées par projets. Si le modèle de Kelly permet en principe d’asseoir des projections concernant la syndicalisation d’un secteur, tel n’est pas le cas ici. Notre étude nous amène plutôt à mesurer l’ampleur de la transformation du marché de l’emploi depuis l’élaboration du modèle et la distance qui sépare les besoins des travailleurs du savoir, d’une part, et les options que leur propose l’action syndicale traditionnelle telle que présentée par le modèle de Kelly, d’autre part.Ce groupe de travailleurs remplit deux conditions propices à l’action collective : il a identifié des problèmes communs dans les conditions de travail de l’industrie et il en attribue généralement la responsabilité à l’employeur.Cependant, trois conditions essentielles l’empêchent de s’unir en une coalition. D’abord, il est partagé entre une définition de son intérêt en termes collectifs et individuels; ensuite , il est aussi partagé quant à la conviction que la situation insatisfaisante est illégitime. Enfin, et surtout, lorsque les travailleurs analysent les coûts et les bénéfices de l’action collective, le projet de syndicalisation via le régime général d’accréditation fondé sur l’entreprise-employeur leur pose plusieurs problèmes concrets. Les concepteurs de jeux pratiquent une forme d’action collective qui contourne les contraintes que pose notre régime juridique actuel de rapports collectifs de travail. Or, la théorie de la mobilisation de Kelly assimile action collective et action syndicale traditionnelle, ce qui mérite d’être reconsidéré.

In Canada, youth apprenticeships have been promoted as an educational alternative that leads to the development of valuable skills, allows for the opportunity to earn an income while learning and helps youth to gain a head start into lucrative, creative and in-demand careers. Yet, these programmes have remained rather marginal and continue to be perceived as being of lower-status compared to traditional post-secondary educational pathways, such as those leading to university or community college. In this paper, we draw on interview data with former youth apprentices in the province of Ontario to explore their reasons for entering apprenticeships in high school, their experiences in them and their own perceptions about the status and social recognition of apprenticeships. We suggest that policies regarding apprenticeship programmes in Canada need to expand their focus. While emphasis is currently placed on recruiting students by highlighting relatively utilitarian benefits, we argue that more focus needs to be placed on the training offered to apprentices including the commitment of employers to provide quality training on the job, the integration of classroom and on-the-job training and the opportunity for apprentices to move from partial to full participation in communities of practice.

Notes that while Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's efforts to fashion a new Canadian identity have caused a stir, the multiculturalism of the type espoused by the Liberal Party of Canada under Pierre Trudeau was becoming exhausted. Comments that Harper was rebuilding identity on the pillars of recognition of Indigenous and Quebec nations' contributions, revitalization of heritage and British roots, and valorization of Canadian autonomy and sovereignty, including military accomplishments. Concludes that time will tell whether this attempt to remake the past will have a future impact. An abridged version of the article was published in the Canada Day edition of the Globe and Mail in 2013.

This paper contends that in the "war" to protect the privacy of individ- uals' personal information online, the battle to limit the collection of such infor- mation has been lost. Existing personal information protection regimes, with their emphasis on notice and consent, have proven inadequate, especially in light of the advent of "big data analytics" and revelations of large-scale privacy violations by governments and corporations. The author argues, however, that the war can still be won on another front - that of limiting the use of per- sonal information. In developing this theme, the author explores the notion of "network privacy," which posits that information shared online within a given social circle is intended to stay within that social circle, and is not to be shared beyond its boundaries without permission. Currently there is no legal protection in Canada against the invasion of network privacy (though in several recent decisions, the courts have shown a more nuanced understanding of privacy in online information). One potential source of such protection might be the adoption of the "Oxford principles" formulated in 2013, which propose a new model for regulating the processing of information, one that is focused on the use of personal information rather than on its collection. In the author's view, though, those principles, as well as other proposals, would not provide sufficient protection. Instead, the author outlines an approach that is broadly similar to the prohibition against the use of information relating to protected grounds under Canadian human rights legislation. Under this approach, no action could be taken against an individual - including in the employment context - based on his or her online information, except where that information reveals criminal, illegal or unethical conduct, or causes significant harm to others.

Introduces papers arising from the PEPSO report, "It's More Than Poverty" (2013).

This paper examines the association between income and precarious employment, how this association is changing and how it is shaped by gender and race. It explores how precarious employment has spread to even middle income occupations and what this implies for our understanding of contemporary labour markets and employment relationship norms. The findings indicate a need to refine our views of who is in precarious employment and a need to re-evaluate the nature of the Standard Employment Relationship, which we would argue is not only becoming less prevalent, but also transitioning into something that is less secure.

Cet article examine le droit de la santé et de la sécurité du travail appliqué aux situations de violence physique au travail au Québec. Après une mise en contexte qui fait appel à la littérature des sciences sociales et sciences de la santé pour déterminer les enjeux importants au niveau de la prévention des conséquences pour la santé des personnes exposées à la violence physique au travail, l’article fait appel à la méthodologie juridique classique pour tracer le portrait du droit québécois d’indemnisation et de prévention. Cette analyse permet de déterminer si les régimes de santé et sécurité du Québec en matière d’indemnisation et de prévention incitent les employeurs à assurer une prévention primaire, secondaire et tertiaire. La première partie de l’article fait appel à la littérature portant sur les différentes formes que peut prendre la violence au travail afin de mettre en contexte la violence physique. Ensuite, on y documente les conséquences potentielles des agressions physiques au travail, en soulignant l’importance de la prévention primaire, secondaire et tertiaire. La seconde partie examine le droit québécois régissant l’indemnisation des victimes de violence physique au travail ainsi que la prévention des lésions professionnelles. Nous identifions les critères de reconnaissance des lésions professionnelles attribuables à la violence au travail, en nous attardant au fardeau de preuve et en constatant les défis spécifiques à la reconnaissance des lésions psychologiques par rapport aux lésions physiques. En deuxième lieu, nous examinons la Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail ainsi que les incitatifs de prévention prévus dans la Loi sur les accidents du travail et les maladies professionnelles. Ainsi, nous examinons la jurisprudence relative aux demandes d’externalisation des coûts reliés aux lésions professionnelles attribuables à la violence physique. Cette analyse nous permet de constater que l’interprétation par les tribunaux administratifs de certaines règles de droit encadrant le financement du régime d’indemnisation, ajoutées à l’interdiction des poursuites civiles, a pour effet de minimiser les incitations économiques à la prévention qui avaient été prévues par le législateur lors de l’adoption de la Loi. Nous concluons en soulignant l’importance d’assurer une incitation économique à la prévention primaire, secondaire et tertiaire, ce qui pourrait être atteint par une application plus raffinée des règles de droit relatives au financement du régime.

The article reviews and comments on the books, "A Renegade Union: Interracial Organizing and Labor Radicalism," by Lisa Phillips, "Commonsense Anticommunism: Labor and Civil Liberties between the World Wars," by Jennifer Luff, and "Labor Rising: The Past and Future of Working People in America," edited by Daniel Katz and Richard A. Greenwald.

It’s spring, 1963 in the “Nickel Capital of the World.” Nineteen-year-old Jake McCool is about to undergo a rite of passage—his first shift underground in a hard rock mine. But the Cold War is at its height, and Jake is also about to become a reluctant participant in a bitter interunion battle fueled by the global struggle between two ideologies in the wake of the Second World War. So is his girlfriend, Jo Ann Winters. Together the couple are swept up in a web of intrigue; at its center is a terrible secret that will haunt their relationship for the rest of their lives, as their hometown becomes not only one of the world’s greatest hard rock mining centers, but also the epicenter of the Cold War in North America. In this fast-paced novel set against the little-known historical backdrop of a true-life battle that included vicious beatings, riots, and worse, author Mick Lowe posits a provocative premise: that the U.S. government sponsored a ruthless covert operation to destabilize a strategic community in the heartland of its closest ally, Canada. --Publisher's description

Review of: La confiance au travail, coordonné by Laurent Karsenty.

This paper provides a historical, socioeconomic and political analysis of the compensation claims process for former General Electric workers in Peterborough. To provide context to the issue, the literature analyzes the evolution of the compensation process, the history of asbestos and occupational cancer in Canada and more specifically, Ontario, chemical causation considerations and the government and large industry’s participation in these issues. In order to examine the complexity of the compensation process in Peterborough, the key players involved in the process were interviewed and include representatives from CAW/Unifor, Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), OWA (Office of the Worker Advisor), Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition of Peterborough (O&EHC-P), as well as former workers and their families. The testimonials deliver insight on issues such as the range of asbestos and chemicals used in the plant, the lack of causation data to support workers’ claims, the use and abuse of science in the process, the socioeconomic relevancy of GE in Peterborough, the environmental devastation created by the manufacturing industry in the city and the tensions between the intended and applied responsibilities of the key players. The overall findings were that the workers feel invisible to the major players involved, ignored by the community and overwhelmed by the system. To provide a deeper understanding of these issues, there are three groups of case studies examined: the compensated, the uncompensated and the families. The recommendations include a need for a concerted effort by all key players to ensure the workers’ right to a fair and just compensation process, enhanced education within the community on occupational health and safety, legislation reform, increased causation data, community mobilization efforts and environmental studies examining the water, air and soil in Peterborough and surrounding areas.

Employs an index of "labour market flexibility" to assess labour relations' law in Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions.

The historiographies of Canadian labour and environmental activism have largely overlooked the existence of a distinctly working-class environmental consciousness in Canada between 1965 and 1985. This worker-oriented environmentalism was expressed in three separate but interrelated strategies. First, labour activists in the 1960s through to the 1980s undertook independent research into the environmental contaminants present in their own workplaces and subsequently released into the larger environment. Second, a number of Canadian unions consistently endeavoured to compel branches of the Canadian government to adopt and enforce strict environmental policies and regulations. Third, Canadian union members exercised the weapons at their disposal - collective bargaining, demonstrations, and strikes - to prevent harm to environmental and human health alike. Through an analysis of these realms of struggle, I outline an environmentalism born of a class analysis of health and disease under capitalism.

L’organisation scientifique du travail, appliquée initialement dans l’industrie, s’est progressivement déclinée dans les services. Dans ces espaces, le contrôle du travail s’étend à l’appréciation du comportement du salarié, en référence à des expressions d’émotions prescrites par le management. Les centres d’appels constituent une illustration privilégiée : les téléconseillers sont tenus de respecter des normes organisationnelles leur dictant l’expression d’émotions à manifester lors des échanges avec les clients. Toutefois, pendant les conversations, les téléconseillers n’arrivent pas toujours à cacher leurs vraies émotions et émettent alors un comportement non conforme aux attentes du management.Cet échec du contrôle des émotions du téléconseiller constitue un fort enjeu pour les entreprises concernées parce qu’il risque de réduire la satisfaction des clients, voire d’entraîner des pertes de clientèle. En se fondant sur le cadre théorique du travail émotionnel, la présente étude a pour finalité de cerner les principales causes des comportements adéquats ou déviants des téléconseillers lors des conversations téléphoniques.Cette contribution recèle une triple originalité. Elle constitue la première étude à appréhender les antécédents de l’expression d’émotions dans le contexte spécifique des centres d’appels. Elle privilégie une méthodologie d’observation in situ des émotions recueillies à travers une grille de codage évaluant le degré de déviance à l’émotion prescrite lors de 347 conversations. Elle introduit dans le raisonnement l’influence de la structure sociale pour enrichir l’analyse de l’impact négatif de certaines variables sur l’expression d’émotions des téléconseillers.Cet article montre que ce sont principalement les situations d’interaction (charge de travail, heure de l’appel) ainsi que les règles établies par l’encadrement (durée de l’appel, absence de retrait à la suite d’un appel difficile, faible latitude dans la réponse) qui favorisent les comportements dysfonctionnels. Toutefois, les téléconseillers percevant une forte tolérance de l’employeur à la déviance des règles prescrites, ils renforcent leur expression d’émotions de représailles.

Resocialising Europe in a Time of Crisis, edited by Nicola Countouris and Mark Freedland, is reviewed.