Perry Work Report for the Week of January 28, 2008
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Maternity Benefits for Adoptive Mothers Denied: The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the application for leave to appeal in the case of Patti Tomasson v. Attorney General of Canada.Tomasson, who is the adoptive mother of two children, was appealing the Federal Court of Appeal ruling in August 2007 that found Tomasson did not qualify for maternity benefits because she did not undergo the "physiological and psychological experience" of pregnancy and childbirth.
Links: Patti Tomasson v. Attorney General of Canada: reproduction and its discontents , by Rebecca Ross, The Court, January 24, 2008; Supreme Court of Canada Information on Cases: Docket 32298;Supreme Court denies adoptive mother maternity leave Birth parents continue to receive 15 weeks more leave from work than adoptive parents, National Union of Public and General Employees,January 27, 2008.
Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: In a recent issue of the Canadian Bar Association's publication Addendum there is an excellent article on workplace bullying by Michael P. Fitzgibbon of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
Links: Workplace bullying and harassment, By Michael P. Fitzgibbon, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto.
Industrial Relations Outlook 2008: The Conference Board of Canada has released its annual publication that forecasts the industrial relations climate for the coming year. According to the report labour management relations will be more collaborative and settlements more generous because of the strong economy and a shortage of workers – manufacturing being the exception. The report also examines the issues of labour shortages, contingent workers, and labour flexibility.
Link: Industrial Relations Outlook: Opening the Lines of Communication, by Christopher Hallamore, Conference Board of Canada, January 2008 (36 pages, PDF): available for downloading by the University of Toronto community by signing into e-library.
Corporate Takeover in Canada: A recent Conference Board of Canada report looks at the issue of “hollowing out” to see what impact corporate takeovers are having in Canada. The authors examine corporate changes in the top 200 largest Canadian companies from 1990 to 2007.
Link: Hollowing Out”—Myth and Reality: Corporate Takeovers in an Age of Transformation , by Michael Bloom and Michael Grant, Conference Board of Canada, January 2008 (31 pages, PDF): available for downloading by the University of Toronto community by signing into e-library.
CICB Employment Quality Index: According to a CIBC World Markets report 400,000 new jobs were created in Canada in 2007. During the same period the employment quality index rose 2.8 per cent. This index measures the value of jobs created according to level of compensation and job stability. Alberta and Saskatchewan were the leaders with strong, high paying job gains in the oil and gas, and mining industries.
Links: Canadian Employment Quality Index: An Island of Stability, by Benjamin Tal, CIBC World Markets, January 28, 2008 (5 pages, PDF); “Quality-job creation: Another area where Canada outshines U.S.,” by Roma Luciw, Globe and Mail, January 29, 2008.
100 Most Sustainable Corporations: The Canadian magazine Corporate Knights has released its 2008 list of most sustainable international companies. This year only three Canadian companies made the list -- Royal Bank of Canada, TransCanada Corp., and Nexen Inc. The rating is based on a corporations' environmental record, corporate governance and human resources practices as well as community relations.
Links: Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations , 2008 list by Country; “Fewer Canadian firms on global 100 list”, by Richard Blackwell, Globe and Mail, January 23, 2008.
11th Annual Global CEO Survey: PricewaterhouseCoopers has released its annual survey of how CEOs perceive the current business environment. According to the report both Canadian CEOs and CEOs globally were most concerned about a lack of key labour skills, over-regulation, and downturns in major economies.
Links: Download the 11th Annual Global CEO Survey (86 pages, PDF); Key concern is availability and access to talent, Press Release, January 24, 2008.
Immigrants' Economic Integration: A recent study from Statistics Canada compares where immigrants settle in Canada and how it affects their incomes. Immigrants in large urban centres are found to be at an economic disadvantage when compared to immigrants who settle in less urban areas.
Link: “Immigrants in the Hinterlands,” by André Bernard, Perspectives on Labour and Income, January 2008, (10 pages, PDF).
Union Membership in the U.S. for 2007: Union density figures for the United States for 2007 were released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union members made up 12.1 per cent of wage and salary earners: union membership for private sector workers was 7.5 per cent and for public sector workers, 35.9 per cent. The report describes union membership by occupation, industry, ethnic group, gender and region.
Link: Union Members in 2007, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 25, 2008 (12 pages, PDF ).
Globalization and Labour Market Policies in the EU: The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has released a report on globalization and labour market policies in the European Union. The report argues against imposing protectionist measures and wage subsidies. Rather, it recommends labour market policies such as retraining, career counseling, and mobility grants. The report looks at examples of member states that have taken such approaches.
Link: Restructuring and Employment in the EU: The Impact of Globalisation: ERM Report 2007,European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2007 (117 pages, PDF).
Women in Positions of Power: A new report from the European Union looks at the representation of women and men in decision making positions in politics, the economy, and public administration throughout Europe.
Link: Women and men in decision-making 2007: Analysis of the situation and trends , European Commission, January 25, 2008 (43 pages, PDF); Executive Summary .
Global Employment Trends 2008: The International Labour Organization has released its most recent report projecting international employment trends. According to the report, economic turbulence caused by credit market turmoil and rising oil prices could spur an increase in global unemployment by an estimated 5 million persons in 2008.
Link: Global Employment Trends 2007, International Labour Organization, January 23, 2008, (60 pages, PDF ); Press Release .