What do you think?
Rate this book
Unfree Labour?: Struggles of Migrant and Immigrant Workers in Canada
Is unfree labour only an historical phenomenon, or does this concept accurately capture the conditions and experiences of many migrant and immigrant workers in Canada today? This unique collection foregrounds contemporary organizing strategies and models for labour and migration justice, alongside an in-depth examination of racialized neoliberal
172 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
51 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 1, 2020
Really great book that paints a picture of migrant and immigrant workers in Canada. I do have two minor hold-ups: 1. Because it's 2020 I assume that there have been legislative changes since this book was published. 2. There was no voice (at least from what I gathered) directly from workers. This would have added to the points further.
But overall, I'm a better person for reading this and the last chapter summarizing everything was my favourite - very well written.
But overall, I'm a better person for reading this and the last chapter summarizing everything was my favourite - very well written.
June 14, 2018
An exceptional addition to the literature on migration and Canadian labour issues. With sixteen contributors from academic and activist backgrounds, the volume offers a multiplicity of perspectives, case studies, and theoretical frameworks while maintaining a cohesive narrative of how migration and Canadian labour market policies are linked to create precarious --and even unfree-- labour conditions. Primarily using examples from agriculture (mainly in BC and Ontario), domestic care (particularly the Live-In Caregiver Program), and the service industry (focus on Tim Hortons), the authors address the historic roots and contemporary manifestations of racialization and discrimination within Canada’s labour policies, especially in regards to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
As the title suggests, the book focuses on both immigrant and migrant workers’ experiences in Canada, but it does this primarily through the lens of the TFWP. By focusing on the labour policies that shape the flows of temporary labour migrants to Canada, not only do the authors put forth an argument that the TFWP entrenches exploitation, but they also highlight the resultant deterioration of labour standards for Canadians – particularly in vulnerable (permeant) immigrant communities. This deterioration of labour standards is inexorably linked to the exploitative structures of the TFWP. The authors argue that by responding to Canadian labour markets’ demands for an increasingly flexible and cheap workforce, this program reduces non-Canadians into “labour units” that can be bought and returned to fill voids in the Canadian labour market.
This reduction of TFWs is fundamental to the book’s overarching discussion of unfree labour. The authors use this term to highlight the compulsions or restrictions that control or affect migrants which could generally be divided into two categories. Firstly, they highlight the limitations for livelihood choices in their home countries and acknowledge Canada’s position in a globalized neoliberal system that helps further stress these limitations.
The second main category of control that the books covers is the issue of citizenship, migratory status, and repatriation. Because of the temporary nature of their work permissions in Canada, and the fact that almost all TFWs are tied to their employer through their work permits, they are especially vulnerable to workplace discrimination, lower or unpaid wages, unsafe or unreasonable working conditions. Though they are technically entitled to the same employment rights as Canadians they are disenfranchised from filing complaints or organizing collectively because of the constant threat of repatriation or losing the possibility of applying for citizenship.
The two-part categorization of the precarity of TFWs labour experiences allows a consistent framework for the authors to discuss the conceptualization of unfree labour. It includes theoretical analyses of neoliberalism, capitalism, globalization, labour market policies and development while not neglecting the agency of TFWs themselves. The editors compiled critical academic scholarship and activist knowledge production to highlight the agency of migrants while also situating them structurally in circumstances of limited choice for employment (and correspondingly, for work conditions). Much focus is also given to collective and individual resistance to systemic oppression within labour policies, as well as practical discussions and advice from labour activists on how to organize for this issue. The contributors place a consistent emphasis on resistance and labour organizing throughout the book, and a strength that stood out was the potential of alliance building and learning across experiences of migration and precarious work.
As the title suggests, the book focuses on both immigrant and migrant workers’ experiences in Canada, but it does this primarily through the lens of the TFWP. By focusing on the labour policies that shape the flows of temporary labour migrants to Canada, not only do the authors put forth an argument that the TFWP entrenches exploitation, but they also highlight the resultant deterioration of labour standards for Canadians – particularly in vulnerable (permeant) immigrant communities. This deterioration of labour standards is inexorably linked to the exploitative structures of the TFWP. The authors argue that by responding to Canadian labour markets’ demands for an increasingly flexible and cheap workforce, this program reduces non-Canadians into “labour units” that can be bought and returned to fill voids in the Canadian labour market.
This reduction of TFWs is fundamental to the book’s overarching discussion of unfree labour. The authors use this term to highlight the compulsions or restrictions that control or affect migrants which could generally be divided into two categories. Firstly, they highlight the limitations for livelihood choices in their home countries and acknowledge Canada’s position in a globalized neoliberal system that helps further stress these limitations.
The second main category of control that the books covers is the issue of citizenship, migratory status, and repatriation. Because of the temporary nature of their work permissions in Canada, and the fact that almost all TFWs are tied to their employer through their work permits, they are especially vulnerable to workplace discrimination, lower or unpaid wages, unsafe or unreasonable working conditions. Though they are technically entitled to the same employment rights as Canadians they are disenfranchised from filing complaints or organizing collectively because of the constant threat of repatriation or losing the possibility of applying for citizenship.
The two-part categorization of the precarity of TFWs labour experiences allows a consistent framework for the authors to discuss the conceptualization of unfree labour. It includes theoretical analyses of neoliberalism, capitalism, globalization, labour market policies and development while not neglecting the agency of TFWs themselves. The editors compiled critical academic scholarship and activist knowledge production to highlight the agency of migrants while also situating them structurally in circumstances of limited choice for employment (and correspondingly, for work conditions). Much focus is also given to collective and individual resistance to systemic oppression within labour policies, as well as practical discussions and advice from labour activists on how to organize for this issue. The contributors place a consistent emphasis on resistance and labour organizing throughout the book, and a strength that stood out was the potential of alliance building and learning across experiences of migration and precarious work.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews