Labouring Canada: Class, Gender, and Race in Canadian Working-Class History

by Brian D. Palmer (Editor), Joan Sangster (Editor), Sarah-Jane Mathieu (Contributor)

This text is a collection of classic and contemporary articles exploring the nature of work in Canadian history from the late eighteenth century to the current day. Class relations and labour form the core of the volume, but attention will also be paid to the state and its relations with workers both formal and informal. The volume is designed as a core text for classes in Canadian labour/working-class history, taught out of history and labour studies departments.

471 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic series of essays for anyone interested not just in the history of the labour movement in Canada, but related developments including the developments of welfare capitalism/Keynesian economics, the emergence of neoliberalism and Red Scare rhetoric, and analyzing how movements grow, how they win, how they lose and are crushed. Canadian unions have been gutted and taken over by the state, heavily bureaucratized and alienated from workers. Also examined are the roles of Indigenous peoples, women (especially women of colour), and migrant workers. Some analyses are stronger than others, but it certainly ends on a fantastic call to action in defense of temporary foreign workers. It's been over ten years since this book was published, but it is ever relevant, especially in the current era of rapidly developing wage gaps and rising poverty. As we look over the precipice at the next coming economic recession and inevitable crisis, will we allow the Liberals to continue to fleece the working class or will we build cross community coalitions and resist?