Great issue! I think two additional factors are the reluctance of existing Canadian organized labour to prioritize digital tools and workplaces, and the lack of coverage in Canadian media. In the case of the former, this is changing, but I spent time in the 90s and 00s unsuccessfully trying to get more interest in this area from incumbent Canadian unions. In the case of the latter, in my adult lifetime, there has not only been minimal coverage of unions or labour issues, there has been consistent and outright hostility towards unions and labour issues in Canadian mainstream media.
When I worked in media, the union at our shop was IBEW - the Int'l Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - headquartered in Philadelphia. I have to wonder if, like for so many other things, Canada becomes a branch plant for the American tech unions at some point. Re: Gig workers - any follow up on the Foodsters/Foodora story? Is that precedent setting for gig workers? - https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/gig-workers-win-right-unionize
Great issue! I think two additional factors are the reluctance of existing Canadian organized labour to prioritize digital tools and workplaces, and the lack of coverage in Canadian media. In the case of the former, this is changing, but I spent time in the 90s and 00s unsuccessfully trying to get more interest in this area from incumbent Canadian unions. In the case of the latter, in my adult lifetime, there has not only been minimal coverage of unions or labour issues, there has been consistent and outright hostility towards unions and labour issues in Canadian mainstream media.
When I worked in media, the union at our shop was IBEW - the Int'l Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - headquartered in Philadelphia. I have to wonder if, like for so many other things, Canada becomes a branch plant for the American tech unions at some point. Re: Gig workers - any follow up on the Foodsters/Foodora story? Is that precedent setting for gig workers? - https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/gig-workers-win-right-unionize