This talk is part of the ALLways Learning Series, which invites ALL members and members of our local community to join us for a free, casual lecture each Friday during the academic year (formerly Lunchtime Learning Series).

Abstract: Nova Scotia has long lagged other provinces in terms of guaranteeing minimum labour standards and protections for workers. Nova Scotia also has among the lowest rates of unionization in Canada. Both minimum work protections and low rates of unionization contribute to precarious employment for workers; however, there has never been a systematic study examining the relationships between quality of work, rates of precarious work, and union organizing in the province. We have developed a collaborative project with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives—Nova Scotia which focuses on the state of “decent work” in Nova Scotia. Our study explores the state of working conditions in Nova Scotia with a particular focus on decent work and the rise of precarious employment. Using statistical data from a provincial survey of workers in Nova Scotia and supplemented by interviews with stakeholders from organized labour, our project explores some of the key challenges facing workers in Nova Scotia, especially the increasing number of workers experiencing precarious employment.

Biographies:

Dr. Rachel Brickner is a Professor in the Department of Politics at Acadia University and is a Research Associate of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia. Rachel’s research focuses on conditions of labour, workers’ rights, and workers’ activism—especially among women, educators, and care workers—in Canada and the United States.

Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Casey is an Associate Professor at Acadia University in the Department of Sociology and is a Research Associate of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia. Becky’s research uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods and she examines long-term outcomes following work injuries, the experiences of people aging with a disability, older workers and pathways to retirement, precarious employment, and labour standards legislation.