Building a Better World, 3rd Edition: An Introduction to the Labour Movement in Canada, 3rd Edition

by Stephanie Ross, Larry Savage (Editor), Errol Black (Editor)

This third edition of Building a Better World offers a comprehensive introductory overview of Canada’s labour movement. The book includes an analysis of why workers form unions; assesses their organization and democratic potential; examines issues related to collective bargaining, grievances and strike activity; charts the historical development of labour unions; and describes the gains unions have achieved for their members and all working people.

Genres: Nonfiction

230 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[Warren Wulff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview of unions in Canada and how they relate to the larger labour movement and other community groups. As someone who participates in my union it helps contextualize how it operates and the various legal and historical factors and shape and sometimes constrain certain actions. It must be said that this is NOT a dry book. Engaging, actually. Plus, it is appropriately critical of union foibles past and present and how they could be addressed with a new generation of young union leaders. A must read for a brief but uplifting survey of unions in Canada. Highly recommended.

[Ceris Backstrom]

V good! Fav textbook I’ve ever read? I was gripped

[Trevor Lehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The idea of the union – that people who do the work should have a voice in how the work is to be done and what they are to be paid for that work – is an intrinsically democratic idea” (Building a Better World, p. 189)

Despite having worked in unionized positions for over seven years and my current position being a career counsellor, I am ashamed to say that I had very little knowledge of unions going into this book. What I did know was anecdotal stories of problems and very little in the way of how they function, their role in Canada for workers as well as society.

Reading Building a Better World changed that.

Providing a concise but accessibly written overview of the roles of unions in Canada past and present, I was surprised just how many of the perks and dignities of modern working life are due to union organizing and pressure. In no particular order, here are a few of the social changes that unions directly or indirectly brought about:
• Worker’s compensation
• Equal pay between genders
• Ending child labour
• 40-hour work weeks
• LGBT rights in the workplace

Though the book is unequivocally pro-union in its orientation, it recognizes nuances and even outright conflict between unions and how they see their role in society. Some take a more pragmatic role, prioritizing in improve the economic circumstances of the workers while others focus on community building, educating, and promoting civic engagement amongst their members. Some go as far as to be revolutionary, providing education and skills to workers in order to challenge the laws and economic systems that keep their quality of life and dignity in a precarious position.

The book is an easy recommendation for anyone interested in learning more about how unions function or their purpose in larger society. If you belong to a union, the sections of the book on how unions work demystify many of the terms and make updates from the union much more accessible.

As the book alludes to, the thoughts and feelings of workers (and unions) are often rendered invisible by a culture dominated by elites, thankfully there are books like these that fill in the gaps and lift us up together.

[Alyza · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in a comprehensive history of labour/unions in Canada, a beginner's 101 on how unions are formed and work, and in depth analysis of the challenges unions face, this is a very accessible book for you! As another reviewer said, this is NOT a dry book at all, and makes many efforts to draw connections across multiple topics and the reader's own life.

[Toby Mustill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text reads like a textbook. Not that that in itself makes it bad, it’s just a little drier than it could be. It also perhaps lacks the activist lense you come to expect from books like these.

With that being said, the book is packed full of information about unions in Canada, the history, the structure and why they work. For anyone interested in unions, it makes for a good read!