LABRST 1C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Neoliberalism

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Labour Studies
• Course: LABRST 1C03
• Professor: Stephanie Ross

Document Summary

Lecture 11 strategies of resistance: at the ballot box and in the streets. Politics how you exert power to get what you want. Elections are one battleground for engaging in that struggle. And putting your energy for that person to win. Goal: to influence the legislation agenda by electing labour friendly legislators. Pros: protentional to shape the legislative agenda. Cons: workers(cid:859) politi(cid:272)al (cid:448)ie(cid:449)s are di(cid:448)erse, some workers have been historically reluctant to have their unions engage in partisan politics. Legislators do(cid:374)(cid:859)t al(cid:449)ays follo(cid:449) through: business interests constrain even labour-friendly governments, even labour parties have been more neoliberal. Unions mobilize around demonstration, protests and union-community coalitions: rotating 1-2 day strikes sometimes, coalition creating allies with other non-union labour groups that share redistribution of policies that reduce inequality. Goal: to place pressure on power-holders from outside the electoral system. Pros: potential to reduce isolation and raise public profile and gather more supporters, potential to build partnerships and coalition.