LABRST 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Canadian Labour Congress, Trade Union

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Labour Studies
• Course: LABRST 1A03
• Professor: David Goutor

Document Summary

Conservative aspects: want to conserve status and income, preserve traditions of the past, small and often extremely powerful, only the skilled workman, skilled workers are older white men. Radical aspects: they directly challenge the power of the bosses, want to be in control. Classic examples: shoemakers: very strong tradition, knights of st. crispin. They get wiped out after the ir: kealey article. Finds that there are some unions that are successful: key variable = control of trade. Some work their skill is still needed. Producer ideology: sense of being an independent producer. Canadians decide early that they want to join larger unions. Larger meaning international like being a part of usa union. Want american unions because they have better resources. Unions have strike funds that they pay workers when they go on strike: trade workers move around a lot so it was important to be a part of the union network.