The Canadian auto workers, the New Democratic Party, and the casino industry

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-129
Author(s):  
Alissa Mazar
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Auto Workers ◽  
Casino Industry ◽  
New Democratic Party

scholarly journals The Struggle to Decommodify the Service Sector: The Canadian Auto Workers and the Casino Industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-116
Author(s):  
Alissa Mazar
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Service Work ◽  
Atlantic City ◽  
Automotive Manufacturing ◽  
Auto Workers ◽  
Casino Industry ◽  
Lost Opportunity

Research objective: Through relatively higher unionization rates within the casino industry, casino employment provides a counterexample to the connection between low-skill service work and low wages. The existing literature, however, suggests that casino workers embrace a commodified vision of their labour. It is of interest to understand whether and how unions are successful in decommodifying both ideologically and materially, wage entitlements in this expanding industry as this is a main mechanism through which unions challenge income inequality. This article examines the Canadian Auto Workers’ (CAW) attempt to decommodify wages in the casino industry.Methodology: These findings are based on a case study of Casino Windsor, located in Windsor, Ontario—the automotive capital of Canada and the first city to host a resort casino outside of Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Ninety-one interviews were conducted with Windsor stakeholders (20), and automotive (43) and casino (28) workers. The local newspaper from 1994-2014 is also examined and descriptive statistics are utilized.Results: Casino workers initially did adopt a decommodified vision of wage entitlements; yet, due to political—the New Democratic Party of Ontario—and institutional—low sectoral union density—forces, casino workers during 2014-2015 interviews embrace aservice mindwhere wages are determined by a market-oriented human capital model.Conclusions: CAW union representatives and the casino membership now view the CAW’s attempt to bring anindustrial mindsetinto the casino as a mistake, naturalizing the link between decommodified wages in automotive manufacturing and the market-oriented wage entitlements of the service sector. This case study marks a critical lost opportunity by the CAW to decommodify wage entitlements in the casino industry and the broader service sector.

Canadian election could produce fragile government

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Canadian History ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Voting System ◽  
The Right ◽  
New Democratic Party

Significance The three main parties -- the leftist New Democratic Party (NDP), the centrist Liberals, and the right-wing Conservatives -- are nearly tied in national voter intention polls. While the effects of Canada's first-past-the-post voting system appear to give the Conservatives and the NDP better chances at winning a plurality of seats in parliament, all three parties have a chance at victory, an unprecedented situation in Canadian history. Impacts The death of refugee Alan Kurdi has resulted in all three parties promising to expand Canada's acceptance of refugees from Iraq and Syria. The longer campaign could result in a doubling of the election's cost to the taxpayer. Both the NDP and the Liberals have promised that this will be the final election using the first-past-the-post system.

Progressive split poses 2019 risk for Canada’s Trudeau

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Liberal Party ◽  
Federal Election ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Minority Government ◽  
Early Indication ◽  
New Democratic Party

Subject Canada's federal political outlook. Significance Canada’s three main parties have all selected the leaders with which they will contest the 2019 federal election. New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party now have two years in which to define themselves for the electorate and make a case for their parties to assume or resume control of government. Impacts Fallout from fundraiser links to the Paradise Papers tax avoidance controversy could undercut Trudeau’s Liberals. Trudeau’s strong Quebec ties will help him hold off the NDP, but Ontario losses could leave a Liberal minority government. Ontario’s 2018 provincial election will offer an early indication of the strength of Trudeau’s federal opponents.

Solidarity Forever? The NDP, Organized Labour, and the Changing Face of Party Finance in Canada

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 657-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold J. Jansen ◽  
Lisa Young
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
National Party ◽  
Nous Concluons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Better Than ◽  
New Democratic Party

Abstract.We consider the impact of changing Canadian national party finance laws that banned trade union donations on the relationship between the New Democratic party (NDP) and organized labour. Although the changed laws have required a restructuring of the relationship between the two actors, we find evidence of a continued commitment to co-operation. We conclude that accounts that stress the ideological affinity between the NDP and labour explain the preservation of the relationship better than political economy or rational exchange models.Résumé.Nous considérons les changements apportés aux lois canadiennes sur le financement des partis politiques, lois qui ont banni les donations des syndicats, dans la perspective de leur incidence sur la relation entre le Nouveau Parti démocratique (NPD) et les syndicats. Malgré le fait que les nouvelles lois ont nécessité une restructuration de la relation entre les deux acteurs, nous avons découvert la présence d'un engagement continu envers la coopération. Nous concluons que les interprétations qui mettent l'accent sur l'affinité idéologique entre le NPD et les syndicats expliquent mieux le maintien de cette relation que l'économie politique ou les modèles d'échange rationnel.

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