June 7, 2010
- Summer Labour Shorts
- Virtual Offices and the Freelancers Union – “New rules for the new workforce”
- Canada's Top Employers for Young People and Canada’s Top 40 under 40
- Pride Month
- Extended Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of American Federal Employees
- Racialized Women Drive Increase in Women Lawyers
- Fostering Diversity in the American Legal Profession
- Inclusive Workplaces
- Ontario’s Ongoing Racialization Gap
- Canada’s Absenteeism rates increasing
- Green Executives
- Steel Manufacturing in Canada
- Jobs in the Oil & Gas industries
- Foreign nationals working temporarily in Canada
- Book of the Week
Summer Labour Shorts
Farmworkers Right to Unionize
Lancaster House, June 2, 2010: Farmworkers gain right to unionize in Quebec
Hotel Workers Could Strike during the G20
Globe and Mail, June 4, 2010: Hotel workers poised to strike during G20: French delegation slated to stay at Novotel, one of 35 city hotels whose workers have voted to authorize a strike if contract talks fail by Kate Allen
Vale Strike
Toronto Star, June 6, 2010: Inside Sudbury's bitter Vale strike
China's factory workers finding, and flexing, their muscle
Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2010: China's factory workers finding, and flexing, their muscle: As the number of working-age laborers dwindles, dissatisfaction with low pay and brutal hours has grown. Big companies are beginning to offer pay increases to stem the anger.
Doorey’s Workplace News, June 1, 2010: -Pad Maker Requires Employees to Sign “No Suicide” Agreement!
Virtual Offices and the Freelancers Union – “New rules for the new workforce”
A recent article in the June 7, 2010 issue of the Globe and Mail’s Your Business magazine titled “The End of The Office,” considers the officeless office. “As a number of entrepreneurs are proving, the last thing a budding tech empire needs is a castle to call home. With millions in revenue, dozens of employees and clients beating down their door, this new breed of start-ups is avoiding real estate. Writer Clive Thompson explains how virtual offices are changing the future of work.” [article not currently available online BUT you can read a similar article from the Boston Globe, January 2010. So what do workers in an officeless office need? – Why of course the Freelancers Union!
Boston Globe, January 2010: The end of the office... and the future of work: We love to hate the workplace, but we’ll miss it when it’s gone
Freelancers Union is a nonprofit organization that represents the needs of America’s independent workforce though advocacy, information, and service.
“Independent workers make up 30% of the nation’s workforce. We are freelancers, consultants, independent contractors, temps, part-timers, contingent employees, and the self-employed. Despite our contribution to America’s economy, we’re often left out of the social safety net. Most freelancers can’t access affordable insurance, are taxed more than traditional employees, and have limited access to protections such as unemployment insurance, retirement plans, and unpaid wage claims. That’s why Freelancers Union is writing new rules for the new workforce.”
Canada's Top Employers for Young People and Canada’s Top 40 under 40
“Organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, this special category recognizes the companies that offer the nation's best benefits for younger workers. Each employer is evaluated according to the programs they use to attract and retain young talent. Key benefits include tuition assistance and the availability of co-op or work-study programs, mentorship and training programs and career management programs.” [cited from the article below]
Globe and Mail, June 2, 2010: Luring young talent sets stage for the future: Vancouver City Savings, which emphasizes informality and a transparent work culture, is one of the 50 top employers for young Canadians, by Nick Rockel
Globe and Mail, June 1, 2010: Full list of Top 50 Employers for Young People: Organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, this special category recognizes the companies that offer the nation's best benefits for younger workers
Canada’s Top 100 Employers: Canada's Top Employers for Young People: - if you link to the winning companies on the list you will find the average age of employees, how many weeks vacation they get after 1 year of employment, and the list of best benefits for young people that the company offers.
Canada’s Top 40 under 40
Globe and Mail, June 7, 2010: Top 40 Under 40 awards celebrate Canadian leaders: Founded 15 years ago to recognize a new generation of young leaders, the Top 40 Under 40 awards have blossomed into a veritable Who's Who of Canadian achievement
Globe and Mail, June 7, 2010: Meet the top 40
Pride Month
June is Pride Month and the The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is again pleased to celebrate the occasion in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTTQ) people everywhere.
June 4, 2010: NUPGE pleased to celebrate Pride Month in Canada
Extended Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of American Federal Employees
On June 2nd, US President Barack Obama signed a memorandum that requires executive agencies to take immediate action to extend benefits to American same-sex domestic partners of federal employees ranging from family assistance services, hardship transfers to relocation expenses. A spokesperson for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Employees (GLOBE) said that the new guideline is vital for the government’s ability to retain and attract qualified individuals. However, most same-sex partners are still ineligible for health and pension benefits, according to the administration’s reading of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
In Canada, the federal parliament passed Bill C-23 in 2000 which entitled same-sex survivors to survivors’ benefits under the Canada Pension Plan if their partner died after 1998. The bill was followed by a ruling from the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2004 that allowed gays and lesbians in Ontario to be entitled to survivors' benefits under the Canada Pension Plan dating back to 1985.
White House, Presidential Memorandum (June 2, 2010)
Advocate.com June 2, 2010 (News Release)
CBC, Same-sex Rights, Canada Timeline
CAW, Canadian Pride Legal History
Racialized Women Drive Increase in Women Lawyers
According to a report issued by the Law Society of Upper Canada, nearly 60% of the youngest lawyers in Ontario are women, spurring a growth of racialized women entering the profession. In 2006, 11.5% of all Ontario lawyers were members of a visible minority; an increase from 9.2% in 2001.
Despite this, the report finds that women and racialized persons still encounter barriers within the profession. In particular, visible minority lawyers are less likely to be partners in law firms and earn significantly less than their White male counterparts. In 2005, median earnings for women aged 35-39 were 15% below the median for men in the same age group.
Law Society of Upper Canada, June 4, 2010 (News Release)
Report: Racialization and Gender of Lawyers in Ontario (51 pages, PDF)
Fostering Diversity in the American Legal Profession
The American Bar Association has issued a report titled, Diversity in the Legal Profession: the next steps, which provides specific recommendations to increase diversity in different legal sectors such as law firms, bar associations, the judiciary and government. The number of lawyers with disabilities and diverse sexual orientation increase annually yet their respective representation remains less than 1%.
A diverse legal profession is more just, productive and intelligent because diversity, both cognitive and cultural, often leads to better questions, analyses, solutions, and processes. To substantiate the claim, the report articulates four rationales (democracy, business, leadership, demographic) for creating greater diversity within the legal profession.
Report , April 2010 (68 pages, PDF)
Inclusive Workplaces
Despite best efforts to manage change, many companies fall short of their goals to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. To address this problem Catalyst’s new report titled, Strategy Matters: Evaluating Company Approaches to Creating Inclusive Workplaces offers practical insights for managing change more effectively.
Catalyst, May 2010: Matters: Evaluating Company Approaches for Creating Inclusive Workplaces, by Jeanine Prime, Marisa Agin, Heather Foust-Cummings (35 pages, PDF)
Ontario’s Ongoing Racialization Gap
A new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives , Ontario’s Growing Gap: The Role of Race and Genderreveals that Ontarians from racialized backgrounds are far more likely to live in poverty, face barriers to finding a job, and receive less pay for work. The findings indicate that:
Racialized workers face higher unemployment in Ontario: In 2005 the unemployment rate was 8.7 per cent for racialized workers compared to 5.8 per cent for the rest of Ontarians.
They got paid less: Racialized women earned 53.4 cents for every dollar non-racialized men got; 83.7 cents for every dollar non-racialized women got.
Gap exists despite education: First-generation racialized Ontarians aged 25-44 who have a university education still get paid less than non-racialized immigrants. For instance, racialized women make only 47 cents for every dollar male, non-racialized immigrants make.
Poverty gap: Racialized families are three times more likely to live in poverty.
“There is an overwhelming need for the government to step in with policies to help break down racial and gender barriers in Ontario’s labour market”, says author Sheila Block.
Report, June 2010(14 pages, PDF)
Canada’s Absenteeism rates increasing
A report from the Conference Board of Canada titled, Beyond Benefits II: Disability Plans and Absence Management in Canadian Workplaces documents casual absence/sick leave provisions and practices, as well as short- and long-term disability program coverage in Canadian workplaces. It also looks at successful organizational strategies to manage absenteeism.
Conference Board of Canada, June 2010: Beyond Benefits II: Disability Plans and Absence Management in Canadian Workplaces (36 pages, PDF) members of the University of Toronto community can sign up for a Conference Board of Canada e-library account (using their University of Toronto email address) and access this publication for free.
Green Executives
Earlier this year, Ernst & Young commissioned an independent research organization to survey 300 global executives across 16 countries and 18 industries to get a status update on corporate responses to climate change issues in 2010. Below you can access the website or click on the individual PDFs available from the website.
Earnst & Young, May 2010: Action amid Uncertainty: the business response to climate change (28 pages, PDF)
Earnst & Young, May 2010: The business response to climate change: Choosing the right path (20 pages, PDF)
Ernst & Young explores the different climate change policies of 20 countries plus the European Union and offers insights into country-specific political, economic, regulatory and tax environments.
Earnst & Young, May 2010: The business response to climate change: Paths chosen by top economies (90 pages, PDF)
Steel Manufacturing in Canada
Steelmaking is an increasingly knowledge-intensive industry, requiring a highly skilled workforce and creating the foundation for a productive modern economy, according to a comprehensive study co-sponsored by the United Steelworkers, the Canadian Steel Producers Association and the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress. The study, by industry expert Dr. Peter Warrian of the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto, analyzes the history, evolution and future prospects of Canadian steel.
The Importance of Steel Manufacturing to Canada – a research study, by Peter Warrian, PhD. Senior Research Fellow, Munk Centre, University of Toronto, May 2010 (128 pages, PDF)
Jobs in the Oil & Gas industries
According to a recent labour market analysis paper by the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, over 100,000 new jobs will become available in the industry over the next five years. The Petroleum Human Resources Council website is an excellent source for those interested in a career in the industry –take a look at the occupational profile under the job family “specialty business” (see link below)
Globe and Mail, June 7, 2010: Retirements to force Canadian oil and gas firms to hire 100,000 new workers
Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, March 2010: Petroleum Labour Market Information: supply demand analysis 2009 – 2020.
November 2009: Occupation Profile: Stakeholder Relations Professionals under the Job Family: Specialty Business (21 pages, PDF)
Foreign nationals working temporarily in Canada
This study examines the growing number of non-permanent residents who work temporarily in Canada. They are compared with permanent residents in terms of demographic characteristics, location, occupations and earnings. Census data show that while the numbers destined to skilled work has been increasing, most non-permanent residents are found in relatively unskilled occupations. Reflecting the occupations in which they work, foreign nationals working temporarily in Canada tend to be paid less than are comparable Canadian born and established immigrant workers.
Statistics Canada, Canadian Social Trends no. 90, June 8, 2010: Foreign nationals working temporarily in Canada, by Derrick Thomas (17 pages, PDF)
Book of the Week
Public Policy for Women: the State, Income Security, and Labour Market Issues, edited by Marjorie Griffin Cohen and Jane Pulkingham. Toronto : University of Toronto Press, 2009. 417 p. ISBN 9780802095008 (pbk.)
Containing essays from leading feminist academics, and social activists, Public Policy for Women addresses important public policy issues that fail to address women's needs. The volume's contributors pay particular attention to the relationship between the welfare state and vulnerable populations of women, while making substantial contributions to current public policy debates in Canada.
Focusing on discussions of controversial issues such as single working mothers, prostitution, mandatory retirement, guaranteed income, and work for welfare, these essays also consider the political and economic constraints that have been brought about by neo-liberal policy changes. Full of relevant policy critiques and original recommendations for improvement, Public Policy for Women readdresses often neglected subjects and concerns and makes informative appeals for public policy to address women's needs.
About the editors:
Marjorie Griffin Cohen is a Professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and the Department of Political Science at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Jane Pulkingham is a Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University.
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