LABR 1F90 Lecture Notes - Party System, Canadian Labour Congress
6 Mar 2014
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Document Summary
Historically unions have been at the fore front playing a key role in the struggles for political and social progress inlacing expansion of political rights, the creation of the welfare state. The unions have played an important role in gaining these benefits. There is a parliamentary route through elections, and lobbying. There is the extra-parliamentary - the working class or the labour movement that pushed government policy in a certain direction. Goal: to influence the legislative agenda by changing legislators or their minds. Whatever unions can win at the bargaining table, they can loose at the ballot box. Complicated by the fact that most unions are in the public sector and the government is the boss. Anti-discrimination laws, wiping out child labour, raising minimum wage. Business interests constrain even labour-friendly governments - even in cases where unions are able to elect candidates or parties that have the same goals - they still have to face the broader political and economic.
