The labour movement is back, or is it?

In today’s Big Story Podcast, since the last COVID lockdowns ended in 2021, barely a month has passed without major job actions—union drives at huge companies, or massive strikes in the public or private sectors—making headlines. From Hollywood’s writers and actors, to Canada’s federal government workers, to Ontario’s education support staff and BC’s port workers, employees from all over are fighting for higher wages and working conditions.

Dr. Stephanie Ross is an associate professor in the School of Labour Studies at McMaster University. She says that the uptick in labour unrest may be fueled by a sense of injustice as large companies report historically high profits, while workers’ salaries fail to keep up with inflation.

“It reflects the unequal pain and unequal gain coming out of the pandemic, and I think that is definitely driving people’s militancy,” says Ross.

Could this be the beginning of a widespread workers movement in Canada? Or will employers regain the upper hand?

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