Racism in Canadian Workplaces and the Role of Labour Unions in Advancing Equity and Anti-Racism

Racial discrimination remains a crucial issue in the Canadian labour market and in Canadian workplaces, and labour unions are a crucial actor in the fight for racial and economic justice. However, the continued discrimination experienced by racialized workers in Canada––which has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic––presents a crucial and ongoing challenge for labour unions. As a joint partnership between the Global Labour Research Centre and Unifor (one of Canada’s largest unions), this project examines how racism manifests in today’s service-sector workplaces, and identifies how labour unions can effectively advance anti-racism in support of Black, Indigenous, and racialized workers. Through a systematic review of academic, professional, and grey literature, this project will generate key themes, common challenges, and best practices from past and present labour union experiences with cultivating anti-racism in the workplace and in the wider community.

Faculty Supervisor:

Luann Good Gingrich

Student:

Partner:

Unifor Social Justice Fund

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

York University

Program: