May 11, 2009
- International Labour Standards, Rights, and Beyond
- Eliminating Canada’s Nursing Shortage
- CLC statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Decriminalization of Homosexuality in Canada
- CLC finds that Canadian Workers were Forced into Self Employment
- Investing in Green Energy Creates Jobs
- Temporary Foreign Workers and Non-Status Workers in Canada
- Retirement Postponed
- Older Workers and New Careers
- Sloan Work and Family Research Network Blog
- Growing a Knowledge Based Economy in BC
- Small Business Lending Program Helps Rural Communities
- Worldwide Guide to Trade Unions and Works Councils
- Book of the Week
International Labour Standards, Rights, and Beyond
On August 14-15, 2009, Professor Gould of Stanford Law School will host “International Labour Standards, Rights, and Beyond”, a conference at Stanford Law School.
The conference will focus on the development of international labour standards and rights, beginning with a keynote address by Judge Rosemary Barkett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The topics speakers will address include country-specific labour programs linking trade and labour rights, and the role of the World Trade Organization and the International Labour Organization. Other featured speakers include Honourable Donald Johnston, former Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Professor Harry Arthurs of Osgoode Hall Law School, Professor Robert Flanagan of Stanford Graduate School of Business, Dan Henkle, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility at Gap, Inc., Jiang Junlu of King & Wood, LLP, and Professor Risa Lieberwitz of Cornell University, among others.
The conference will provide useful insights for lawyers, companies and trade unions on the various legal and policy issues regarding the outsourcing of work to low wage countries.
International Labour Standards, Rights, and Beyond, August 14-15, 2009 Conference Registration
Eliminating Canada’s Nursing Shortage
The Canadian Nurses Association has released a report titled Tested Solutions for Eliminating Canada's Registered Nurse Shortage that describes six policy scenarios that could eliminate Canada's registered nursing shortage. Suggested initiatives include hiring support staff to take on non-nursing tasks, employing a team-based collaborative approach to care, using technology to increase productivity, retention of nurses currently in the profession, increasing student nursing enrollment and decreasing the dropout rate and finally to decrease international in-migration of nurses by 50 per cent.
Canadian Nurses Association News Releases, May 11, 2009
Click here to purchase your print version of Tested Solutions for Eliminating Canada’s Registered Nurse Shortage
Click here to view the highlights version of Tested Solutions for Eliminating Canada’s Registered Nurse Shortage.
Nursing shortage section of the CNA website: The Nursing Shortage-The Nursing Workforce
Globe and Mail, May 11, 2009: Canada could be short 60,000 nurses in 15 years: study
ONA website: National Nursing Week, May 11-17, 2009
CLC statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Decriminalization of Homosexuality in Canada
On May 17th, the Canadian Labour movement stands in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities and affirms our ongoing commitment to fight against homophobia and transphobia. 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada. Until 1969, it was a crime to be gay or lesbian in this country…
Canadian Labour Congress, May 11, 2009: Against homophobia and Transphobia
CLC Finds that Canadian Workers were Forced into Self Employment
According to an analysis by the senior economist at the Canadian Labour Congress “many Canadian workers were forced to turn to self-employment in April 2009 as a means of surviving the economic crisis -- overall, the level of employment increased by 35,900 during the month. There were actually 1,100 jobs lost, but 37,000 workers turned to self-employment due to an absence of job creation, our weak Employment Insurance program, and declining pension protection and revenue.”
Canadian Labour Congress, May 8, 2009: Georgetti says that workers forced into self-employment
Labour Force Survey April 2009, released May 8, 2009 (6 pages, PDF)
Globe and Mail, May 8, 2009: 'Glimmers of hope' as some find work, others work for themselves by Heather Scoffield and Virginia Galt
Investing in Green Energy Creates Jobs
United Steelworkers, as part of Blue Green Canada, have released an independent study that demonstrates that by investing in green energy and the electrical grid Ontario can create 90,000 new well-paying green jobs. The study is titled, Building the Green Economy: Employment Effects of Green Energy Investments for Ontario by Robert Pollin Professor of Economics and Co-Director, Political Economy Research Institute University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Heidi Garrett-Peltier.
Report, May 9, 2009 (32 pages, PDF)
Temporary Foreign Workers and Non-Status Workers in Canada
The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration has conducted a study on temporary foreign workers and non-status workers in Canada. Part I of the report focuses on Canada’s immigration programs for temporary foreign workers. It addresses the current situation and vision for the future, opportunities for transitioning from temporary to permanent resident status, and various aspects of the temporary foreign worker programs themselves, including administration, worker protection, and worker experience. Part II of the report focuses on non-status workers, a term adopted by the Committee in the course of the study. It addresses means of stemming the growth of the population of non-status workers.
Globe and Mail, April 30, 2009: Temporary foreign workers in crisis: Should they stay, or go? by Dominique Gross, a professor in the Graduate Public Policy Program at Simon Fraser University.
Retirement Postponed
A study titled Retirement at the Tipping Point: The Year That Changed Everything by Age Wave and Harris Interactive surveyed thousands of Americans to find out how the economic crisis has altered Americans' retirement hopes and plans. The results found that: nearly 60% of Americans lost money in the stock market and estimate that it will take an average of seven years for their investments to recover; the single biggest worry among those 55 plus is uncovered medical expenses; and there will be a significant increase in the retirement age as respondents postpone retirement by 4.2 years.
Study, May 4, 2009 (20 pages, PDF)
Older Workers and New Careers
The AARP Public Policy Institute has released a paper titled, Older Workers on the Move: Recareering in Later Life Research Report. “The research concludes that later-life career change seems to be an important part of the retirement process. Many changers later in life appear to be pushed into new lines of work involuntarily following job layoffs or business closings. Others place a high premium on leaving 9-5 work and moving into more flexible positions, even at less pay. Some older workers may change careers in hopes of finding more meaningful jobs that give added purpose to their lives.”
Research Report, April 2009 (70 pages, PDF)
Sloan Work and Family Research Network Blog
The Sloan Work and Family Research Network Blog offers commentary from multi-disciplinary user groups of academics, workplace practitioners and state policy makers on work and family issues. The blog is very current and provides links to a wealth of information, websites, current studies and papers on the many issues concerning work and family. Highly recommended!
Sloan Work and Family Research Network Blog
Growing a Knowledge Based Economy in BC
The Premier’s Technology Council of British Columbia has released its 12th report promoting continued development of the three pillars of a knowledge-based society. The three pillars are infrastructure for a knowledge-based society, government services in a knowledge-based society and growing a knowledge-based economy and the report notes significant progress on all three pillars.
Premier’s Technology Council 12th Report April 2009 (103 pages, PDF)
Small Business Lending Program Helps Rural Communities
A study by the Conference Board of Canada commissioned by the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations looks at the economic impact of the Community Futures Lending Program on Ontario’s economy. The study found that the small business lending program has had a positive impact on our rural communities. There are 61 Community Futures Development Corporations across rural and Northern Ontario that offer free business counseling, loans for start-up and expansion of small business, strategic planning on local projects, and community economic development.
Worldwide Guide to Trade Unions and Works Councils
This book highlights what multinational employers need to know in managing their relationships with works councils, trade unions, employee collective representatives, and the labour regulatory regime for 33 jurisdictions around the world. Authored by our leading labour and employee relations attorneys based in the featured countries, the book also covers topics such as collective bargaining, unfair labour practices and trade union employee protections rights.
Full Text available, 2009 edition (336 pages, PDF)
Book of the Week
Designing Workplace Mentoring Programs: an Evidence-Based Approach, by Tammy D. Allen, Lisa M. Finkelstein and Mark L. Poteet. Chichester, U.K. : Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. 182 p. ISBN 978-1-4051-7989-8 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4051-7990-4 (paperback)
This book presents an evidence-based best practice approach to the design, development, and operation of formal mentoring programs within organizations. It includes practical tools and resources that organizations can use such as training exercises, sample employee development plans, and mentoring contracts. Case studies from organizations with successful mentoring programs illustrate various principles (e.g., how the mentoring program is aligned with other organizational systems) and suggest best practice contemporary strategies.
About the Authors:
Tammy Allen Ph.D. is professor of psychology at the University of South Florida. Lisa M. Finkelstein Ph.D. is an associate professor of psychology at Northern Illinois University. Mark L. Poteet Ph.D. is President of Organizational Research & Solutions, Inc., a management consulting practice based in Tampa, Florida.
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Editor: Vicki Skelton
Designer: Nick Strupat
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