Paths to Union Renewal: Canadian Experiences

334 Pages·2005·1.856 MB·English

by  Pradeep Kumar (editor), Christopher Schenk (editor)

Paths to
Union Renewal
c anadian e xperiences
edited by Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk
broadview press Garamond Press
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 33 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3300 PPMM
Copyright © 2006 Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk
All rights reserved. The use of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without prior written consent of the
publisher — or in the case of photocopying, a licence from Access Copyright
(Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency) One Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto,
Ontario M5E 1E5 — is an infringement of the copyright law.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Paths to union renewal : Canadian experiences / edited by Pradeep Kumar
and Christopher Schenk.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55193-058-7
1. Labor unions—Canada. 2. Organizational change—Canada. 3. Labor
movement—Canada. I. Kumar, Pradeep, 1940– II. Schenk, Christopher
Robert, 1942–
HD6524.P38 2005 331.88’0971 C2005-906247-9
Broadview Press, Ltd. is an independent, international publishing house, incorpo-
rated in 1985. Broadview believes in shared ownership, both with its employees
and with the general public; since the year 2000 Broadview shares have traded
publicly on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol BDP.
We welcome any comments and suggestions regarding any aspect of our
publications — please feel free to contact us at the addresses below, or at
[email protected] / www.broadviewpress.com
North America UK, Ireland, and Australia and
PO Box 1243, Continental Europe New Zealand
Peterborough, Ontario, NBN Plymbridge UNIREPS
Canada K9J 7H5 Estover Road University of
Tel: [phone] Plymouth PL6 7PY New South Wales
Fax: [phone] United Kingdom Sydney, NSW, 2052
customerservice Tel: [phone] Tel: + 61 2 96640999
@broadviewpress.com Fax: [phone] Fax: + 61 2 96645420
Customer Service: [email protected]
PO Box 1015 [email protected]
3576 California Road, [email protected]
Orchard Park, New York
USA 14127
Cover design and typeset by Zack Taylor, www.zacktaylor.com
Broadview Press Ltd. gratefully acknowledges the fi nancial support of the Govern-
ment of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for
our publishing activities.
Printed in Canada by Union Labour
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 44 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3311 PPMM
This book is dedicated to the thousands of trade union activists across Canada who
have worked tirelessly to defend their members and build their unions, often in the
face of adversity. We hope this text helps make the link between your daily efforts
and the better world that could be.
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 55 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3311 PPMM
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 66 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3322 PPMM
Contents

List of Figures and Tables 9
Contributors 11
Acknowledgements 13
Introduction 15
Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk
Part I: Union Renewal and the State of Unions in Canada 27
Chapter 1: Union Renewal and Organizational Change:
A Review of the Literature 29
Pradeep Kumar and Christopher Schenk
Chapter 2 Rowing Against the Tide: The Struggle to
Raise Union Density in a Hostile Environment 61
Andrew Jackson
Chapter 3 Innovation in Canadian Unions:
Patterns, Causes and Consequences 79
Pradeep Kumar and Gregor Murray
Chapter 4 Women are Key to Union Renewal:
Lessons from the Canadian Labour Movement 103
Charlotte Yates
Chapter 5 Globalization and Union Renewal:
Perspectives from the Quebec Labour Movement 113
Christian Lévesque and Gregor Murray
Part II: Case Studies on Union Renewal 127
Chapter 6 The BCGEU: The Road to Renewal 129
Gary Steeves
Chapter 7 Union Renewal and CUPE 145
Jane Stinson and Morna Ballantyne
7
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 77 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3322 PPMM
8 Paths to Union Renewal
Chapter 8 Union Resistance and Union Renewal in the CAW 161
David Robertson and Bill Murninghan
Chapter 9 Rank-and-File Involvement in Policy-Making at the CEP 185
Keith R. Newman
Chapter 10 Mobilizing Young People: A Case Study of
UFCW Canada Youth Programs and Initiatives 191
Anna Liu and Christopher O’Halloran
Chapter 11 Renewal from Different Directions:
The Case of UNITE-HERE Local 75 201
Steven Tufts
Chapter 12 Building Capacity for Global Action: Steelworkers’
Humanity Fund 221
Judith Marshall and Jorge Garcia-Orgales
Part III: Unions and Community: Campaigns and Organizing 235
Chapter 13 Community Unionism and Labour Movement Renewal:
Organizing for Fair Employment 237
Cynthia J. Cranford, Mary Gellatly, Deena Ladd, and Leah F. Vosko
Chapter 14 The Workers’ Organizing and Resource Centre in Winnipeg 251
Geoff Bickerton and Catherine Stearns
Chapter 15 A Community Coalition in Defense of Public Medicare 261
Natalie Mehra
Chapter 16 Organizing Call Centres: The Steelworkers’ Experience 277
Julie Guard, Jorge Garcia-Orgales, Mercedes Steedman, and D’Arcy Martin
Part IV: Leadership Development and Education 293
Chapter 17 Increasing Inter-Union Co-operation and Co-ordination:
The BC Federation of Labour Organizing Institute 295
John Weir
Chapter 18 Union Education, Union Leadership and Union Renewal:
The Role of PEL 307
Johanna Weststar
Index 323
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 88 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3322 PPMM
List of Figures and Tables

Introduction
Table 1: Membership of Major Canadian Unions, 1985-2004 21
Chapter 2
Table 1: Union Members as % of Wage and Salary Earners 62
Table 2: Union Membership in Canada (as reported by trade unions) 62
Table 3: The Union Wage Advantage in 2003 63
Table 4: Trends in Unionization Rate 67
Table 5: Employment by Broad Occupation 70
Table 6: Changes in Union Density, 1997 to 2003 72
Table 7: Where Can We Find New Members? A Profi le of Non-Union
Employees – Private Sector Only – in 2003 77
Chapter 3
Table 1: Areas of Change 89
Table 2: Use of New Technologies and Communications Techniques 90
Table 3: Implementation of Activist Servicing Strategies 91
Table 4: Changes in Inclusiveness Strategies 93
Table 5: Distribution by Sector of New Certifi cation and/or Bargaining Units
Organized by Canadian Unions in the Past Three Years 94
Table 6: Innovations in Organizing 96
Chapter 4
Table 1: Organizing Outcome (Win/Loss) by Gender Majority Bargaining
Unit 106
Table 2: Organizing in Public vs. Private Sector by Male and Female
Majority 107
Chapter 5
Figure 1: Local Union Power Resources 120
Chapter 7
Table 1: CUPE Membership, 1963-2004 146
Chapter 8
Figure 1: Composition of CAW Membership, 1987 and 2005 162
Figure 2: Strategic Determinants of Union Strength 164
9
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 99 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3322 PPMM
10 Paths to Union Renewal
Chapter 11
Figure 1: Downtown Toronto Hotels by Size and Bargaining Agent 204
Figure 2: Room Attendant Hourly Wage Rates, Selected Toronto Hotels, 1994-
2005 210
Table 1: Selected Toronto CMA Labour Force Characteristics, all Occupations, all
Industries and Hotels, Motels and Tourist Courts Industry (Standard Industrial
Classifi cation 911), 2001 202
Table 2: Selected Greater Toronto Area Labour Force Characteristics, all
Occupations, all Industries, and all Selected Occupations in Hotels, Motels and
Tourist Courts Industry (Standard Industrial Classifi cation 911), 1996 203
Table 3: Major Provisions of Neutrality Agreement for a New Hotel 214
Chapter 12
Figure 1: Total Membership over the Years 224
Figure 2: Membership by Sectors—2005 226
Chapter 18
Table 1: Activity Levels Before and After PEL 311
Table 2: The Impact of PEL on Feelings of Solidarity toward Various
Groups 313
Figure 1: Percentage of PEL Participants more likely to Question the Decisions
made by Various Sources 312
Figure 2: The Impact of PEL on Awareness Regarding Diversity in the
CAW 314
Figure 3: PEL Coverage by Bargaining Unit Size 315
Figure 4: PEL Coverage by Sector 316
Figure 5: PEL Coverage by Region 316
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 1100 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3322 PPMM
Contributors

Morna Ballantyne works as Managing Director of Union Development for
the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Ottawa.
Geoff Bickerton is the Research Director of the Canadian Union of Postal
Employees (CUPW) in Ottawa.
Cynthia J. Cranford teaches in the Department of Sociology, University of
Toronto, in Toronto, Ontario.
Jorge Garcia-Orgales works in th Research Department of the United Steel-
workers (USW) union in Toronto, Ontario.
Mary Gellatly is a community legal worker in the Workers’ Rights Division at
Parkdale Community Legal Services in Toronto, Ontario.
Julie Guard teaches Labour Studies and coordinates the Labour and Workplace
Studies Program at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Andrew Jackson is the National Director of Social and Economic Policy at the
Canadian Labour Congress in Ottawa.
Pradeep Kumar teaches labour relations and is the Director of the MIR pro-
gram in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.
Deena Ladd is the Coordinator of the Toronto Organizing For Fair Employ-
ment (TOFFE), now called the Workers’ Action Centre, in Toronto, Ontario.
Christian Lévesque teaches in the École des Haute Études Commerciales
(HEC) in Montreal, Quebec and is the Co-Director of the Interuniversity Re-
search Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT).
Anna Liu is a graduate of the United Food and Commercial Worker’s youth
internship program. She currently works as an organizer for UFCW Canada, based
in Toronto, Ontario.
Judith Marshall works for the Humanity Fund of the United Steelworkers in
Toronto, Ontario.
D’Arcy Martin is the coordinator of the Centre for the Study of Education
and Work, OISE/University of Toronto.
Natalie Mehra is the Provincial Coordinator of the Ontario Health Coalition
(OHC).
Bill Murninghan works in the Research Department of the Canadian Auto
Workers (CAW) union in Toronto, Ontario.
Gregor Murray teaches in the School of Industrial Relations and is the Direc-
tor of the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT)
at the Universite de Montreal in Montreal, Quebec.
Keith R. Newman is the Research Director of the Communications, Energy
and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), in Ottawa.
11
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 1111 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3333 PPMM
12 Paths to Union Renewal
Christopher O’Halloran is a graduate of the United Food and Commercial
Worker’s youth internship program. He currently works as the National Youth Co-
ordinator for UFCW Canada, in Toronto, Ontario.
David Robertson is the Director of the Work Organization and Training
Department of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union based in Toronto, Ontario.
Christopher Schenk is the Research Director of the Ontario Federation of
Labour (OFL) based in Toronto, Ontario.
Catherine Stearns is the co-ordinator of the Winnipeg-based Workers’ Or-
ganizing Resource Centre (WORC) and an activist with the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers (CUPW).
Mercedes Steedman coordinates and teaches in the Labour and Trade Union
Studies program at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario.
Gary Steeves is the former Director of Organizing and Field Studies of the
British Columbia Government and Services Employees Union (BCGEU) in Van-
couver, B.C.
Jane Stinson is an Education Offi cer with the Canadian Union of Public Em-
ployees (CUPE) in Ottawa.
Steven Tufts teaches in the Department of Geography at Trent University in
Peterborough, Ontario.
Leah F. Vosko is Canada Research Chair in Feminist Political Economy and
teaches in the Political Science, Sociology, and Women’s Studies departments at
York University, Toronto, Ontario.
John Weir is Director of the Organizing Institute at the British Columbia Fed-
eration of Labour in Vancouver, B.C.
Johanna Weststar is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Industrial Relations
at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario.
Charlotte Yates teaches in and is the Director of the Labour Studies Program
at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
UUnniioonnRReenneewwaall__2200005511001177..iinndddd 1122 1100//1177//0055 77::3311::3333 PPMM