While some parts of Canadian labor law are the envy of the American left, Marianne Garneau argues that overall Canada’s system draws unions into a tighter embrace with employers
Canvassing is not organizing
Ray Valentine argues that the skills built in canvassing for an electoral candidate do not translate to organizing workplaces or tenants
Making Asses of Ourselves
Jean-Carl Elliott reflects on the electoral approach to worker power, using the Fight for $15 and One Fair Wage campaigns as examples
A cheatsheet for comparing organizing models
Marianne Garneau compares different organizing models (unions, worker centers, advocacy campaigns, etc.) across a number of metrics
Neutrality agreements: A political primer
Marianne Garneau looks at the evolution and significance of “neutrality agreements” between unions and employers, which establish the ground rules for an organizing campaign, independent of the NLRB and its processes
How can workers defy anti-strike legislation?
A postal worker in Canada describes how they are building capacity to defy back-to-work legislation, by “taking back the workfloor”
Are worker centers unions?
A DOL investigation of a worker center seeks to reclassify it as a union. Eric Dirnbach and Marianne Garneau look at the differences between these kinds of organizations, and the potential impact of this change.
Progressives in the streets, union-busters in the sheets
Marianne Garneau looks at several current campaigns at social justice nonprofits, showing how these organizations are progressive until it comes to their own workers.
An organizing dilemma
A restaurant worker reflects on using direct action versus legal strategies for fighting the employer, drawing on his experience organizing at a vegan restaurant in Montreal.