- 1. Resisting Precarity in the21st CenturyPEPSO Meeting, April
24, 2013A COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ALLIANCE, LED BY:By: Peter
Brogan, Jenny Carson, Philip Kelly, Cammie Peirce, SupriyaLatchman,
Conely de Leon, Karen Charnow Lior, Myer Siemiatycki
2. PEPSO CASE STUDY 2:Collective Responses to Precarity2 The
potential of unions to improve the conditions of workers in
precariousemployment Effectiveness of social movement/living wage
campaigns in supporting precariousworkers Role and capacity of
alternate forms of work relations to raise working and
livingstandards 3. Toronto Cleaners Push Back:Collective Responses
from Unions, Workers and the Labour-CommunityJenny Carson, Supriya
Latchman & Myer Siemiatycki,Ryerson UniversityJust because we
pick up dirt,doesnt mean we should betreated like dirtNezrene
Edwards3 4. Pushing back against:Fords Gravy Train Rob Ford
ElectedMayor, November2010 Ford announces planto cut 110
policecleaners jobs, June2011 KPMG Reportreleased, July 20114 5.
City Cleaners: The Punching BagsThe most vulnerable targets City of
Toronto employs 1,100 cleaners 110 cleaners work in Police stations
Wages are nearly 50% lower in the private sector and no benefits
Private cleaning sector: bidding and subcontracting characterized
asa Dog eat dog sector5 6. Justice and Dignity for
CleanersCampaign, September 2011:A Progressive labour-community
response6Main Goals:1. Stop the outsourcingof cleaning jobs2. Start
a dialogue aboutwhat type of employerthe City of Torontoshould be3.
Promote democracyand transparency ofdecision making atCity Hall4.
Make labour/unionissues moral issues 7. Collective Responses on
different frontsNov.2010Rob Ford Electedas Mayor for City
ofTorontoJuly 2011KPMG Report issuesCore ServicesReviewJan.
2012City CouncilBudgetCommitteepropose cuts tocity
servicesSept.2011Justice for Dignityand CleanersCampaign
launchedJuly 2010-Sept.2011Labour communitypush back in
PublicServices for AllCampaignJune 2011Toronto PoliceService
CleanersContracted outSept.2011-April2012Justice for Dignityand
CleanersCampaign lobbyCity Council viadeputations andRally for
RespectApril 12, 2012City council votes29:21 to prevent
CityManagement fromawarding contractsfor cleaning servicewithout
Councilapproval. 8. A Qualified Success:Outcomes and Analysis April
11, 2012- City council votes 29:12 to reclaimfinal decision over
further contracting out ofcleaning services Slows momentum and
potentially stops furthercontracting out of cleaners Brought
transparency and accountability tocontracting out decisions
Challenge of sustaining fight back coalitions Success in re-framing
the debate through a broadcommunity-labour coalition8 9. Hotel
Workers Rising:Collective Responses through local worker-led
enterprisesKaren Charnow Lior & Peter BroganToronto Workforce
Innovation Group9 10. Hotel Workers Training Centre:A Hospitality
Unionism and LabourMarket Adjustment Approach10Hawthorne Food and
Drink:A High Road Approach60 Richmond Street East, Toronto ON 11.
Speaking with your fork:Restaurant Opportunities Centre
(ROC)11Source: ROC United, New York City 12. Taking the High Road:
Three-fold12Providing aliving wageMaintaininga
HealthyworkplaceDevelopingtraining andinternalpromotionpolicies to
createcareer laddersand stabilize avery precariousworkforce 13. The
High Road Approach:Achievements and ObstaclesWhere we Are
Demonstrating that thesestrategies do positively impactthe lives of
workers Understanding the challengesand pitfalls of a high
roadtraining strategy Bringing the key actors labourand management
together tosupport industry-based trainingand developmentWhere we
hope to go Worker-owned, up-scale restaurantsthat are competitive,
market-valueand sustainable Collective agreements that
ensureworkers have a living wage, benefits,health insurance, job
security andaccess to training Campaigns that make conditions inthe
industry visible and bringworkers together1313 14. Live-In
Caregivers:Collective Responses to Precarity through Cultural
ProductionConely de Leon and Philip KellyYork University14 15. The
Live-In Caregiver Program &Precarious
Employment15Live-inrequirementrenderscontractualconditionslargelyunenforcedIntegration
intoopen labourforce in low paidand insecureemploymentImpact on
Qualityof Work, Life &Community WellbeingPredominantlywomen
fromthe PhilippinesIncreasinglevels
ofeducationIncreasingnumbers,peaking in2007/2010Labour
forceEstablished,1993Requires 24months of live-in employmentOpen
WorkPermit, thenPermanentResidencyLCP 16. The Role of Cultural
Production asCollective Response The creation of collaborative
endeavours Awareness of common experiences/concerns Increasing
consciousness of structural contexts Facilitating individual agency
Fostering wider awareness The art of persuasion Varied forms of
artistic creation andcollaboration16 17. Live-in
Caregivers:Collective Cultural Responses from Filipino Nannies
& CommunityKwentong Bayan: Labourof Love-Comic Book17Kwentong
Buhay Pinay Story TellingThe Nanny Project 18. THANK YOUMyer
Siemiatycki, [email protected] Carson,
[email protected] Charnow Lior,
[email protected] Kelly,
[email protected]@mcmaster.ca18