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Segmented labour, united unions? How unions in Canada cope with increased diversity

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  • Charlotte A. B. Yates

    (Professor of Labour Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton and co-researcher in the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT) project on ‘Rethinking Institutions for Work and Employment in a Global Era’)

Abstract

As the labour force in Western industrial democracies becomes more diverse, union strategies for organising and representing these workers need to change. With a particular emphasis on union strategies for recruiting new members, this article demonstrates how slow unions have been to adapt to the changing labour market and labour force. Drawing on data from Canada, the article examines the challenges faced by unions in representing women and immigrants, especially those from racial minorities who constitute a growing proportion of recent immigrants to Canada. It then explores the additional challenges posed by changes to the labour market, most notably the rise in private service sector employment and the shift towards non-unionised manufacturing facilities. The article concludes by examining the ways in which unions need to transform their strategies to reflect the greater diversity found amongst workers and their workplaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Charlotte A. B. Yates, 2005. "Segmented labour, united unions? How unions in Canada cope with increased diversity," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 11(4), pages 617-628, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:11:y:2005:i:4:p:617-628
    DOI: 10.1177/102425890501100410
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anil Verma & Thomas A. Kochan, 2004. "Unions in the 21st Century: Prospects for Renewal," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Anil Verma & Thomas A. Kochan (ed.), Unions in the 21st Century, chapter 1, pages 1-16, Palgrave Macmillan.
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