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A Case Study of Precariousness, Labour Standards, and Union Responses in Ontario’S Unionized Supermarket Sector

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A Case Study of Precariousness, Labour Standards, and Union Responses in Ontario’S Unionized Supermarket Sector TRADE UNION DECLINE AND RENEWAL: A CASE STUDY OF PRECARIOUSNESS, LABOUR STANDARDS, AND UNION RESPONSES IN ONTARIO’S UNIONIZED SUPERMARKET SECTOR SARAH M. ROGERS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN SOCIOLOGY YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO APRIL 2021 © SARAH ROGERS, 2021 Abstract There is now a vast scholarship that explores union decline and renewal in various economic sectors and workplaces. To date, however, there is little understanding of how union decline has impacted unionized retail environments in Canada. Using a feminist political economy framework, this dissertation explores dynamics of union decline and renewal through a case study of labour standards in Ontario’s unionized supermarket sector. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 28 union representatives and an analysis of collective agreements, this study examines the decline and trajectory of labour standards in unionized supermarkets, explores the unions’ perspectives and responses to changing standards, assesses how changing labour standards reflects the problem of union decline, and assesses how the case of Ontario’s unionized supermarkets informs union renewal research and strategy. Findings suggest that the decline and trajectory of labour standards in Ontario’s unionized supermarkets reflects a shift towards increasing precariousness in this sector. While there have been some “wins” for supermarket workers, unions have been largely unable to secure substantial improvements through collective bargaining. The precariousness associated with supermarket work is both contractually negotiated, as evidenced by provisions in collective agreements that ensure low wages and minimal and infrequent wage increases, demanding availability requirements, and limitations to the number of hours of work, as well as experiential, as indicated in workplace dynamics such as competition between workers, high turnover, and reduced health and safety measures. During the period under study, several factors have contributed to the increase in precariousness in this sector. While unions have implemented a variety of strategies in an effort to mitigate precariousness in unionized supermarkets, the persistence of deeply ingrained ii business union cultures and practices make improving labour standards through collective bargaining difficult. Continued precariousness in unionized supermarkets and the persistence of business unionism point to the need for an interrogation of the cultures and practices within unions that may contribute to the ongoing precariousness in unionized supermarkets and the challenges facing unions in this sector. The complex nature of union decline in this sector also suggests that multiple forms of union action are required to improve labour standards in unionized supermarkets and the strength of unions more broadly. iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the many friends, coworkers, and labour activists I met during my 18 years as a supermarket worker, whose experiences inspired this study. iv Acknowledgements There are several people who deserve acknowledgement for helping to make this dissertation possible. I am deeply grateful to my supervisory committee for their guidance and support over the course of this project. My supervisor Dr. Norene Pupo-Barkan’s mentorship and commitment to my work has been outstanding. Her guidance at every stage of this dissertation was instrumental in its advancement and completion. My committee members Dr. Mark Thomas and Dr. Pat Armstrong provided invaluable recommendations and feedback that further strengthened this dissertation. Thanks to all of you for your insights, encouragement and patience. I am honoured to have completed this project alongside your leadership. I am also thankful to my examining committee members, Dr. Tom Juravich, Dr. Carlo Fanelli, and Dr. Steven Tufts for their enthusiastic engagement and for offering important insights on the dissertation that will advance my future work. As a student in the Graduate Program in Sociology at York University I had the privilege of working with a number of outstanding professors, administrators and friends. I am especially grateful to Dr. Lorna Erwin, Audrey Tokiwa and my friends at the Qualitative Research and Resource Centre, who provided invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout my time as a graduate student. I am also indebted to the participants in this study for sharing their experiences and insights. The passion and concern for the issues facing workers and their unions has been contagious and inspiring. My hope is that participants see their voices reflected in this document, and find value in my conclusions and recommendations. I appreciate all those who assisted with participant recruitment, who regretfully must remain anonymous to protect confidentiality. v I would also like to acknowledge a number of family members and friends for the various ways in which their support contributed to this dissertation. I thank those who cared for my children throughout my doctoral studies: Laura Proudfoot, Lisa Rogers, Saide Santamaria Melo, John Brickell, and the Staff at YMCA Childcare Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. Your care of my children allowed me to manage my (competing) roles as a student, paid worker, and parent. Thank you to Dr. Chris Sanders, Dr. Trish MacMillan, Dr. Vanessa Foot, Isabel Sousa and Dan deSouza for reading drafts of this dissertation and for providing such intriguing and detailed feedback that gave me confidence in the importance of my work. Thanks also to Dr. Kirby Evans, Kathy Proudfoot, Eva Watson, Karen Shea-Pindera and Sandy Whyte for the support they have provided me over the years. I am fortunate to belong to a large and loving family that has supported me in numerous ways. My grandparents Doreen and Jack Leeming deserve mention for their generous financial contribution to my studies, as do my brothers and sisters for the inspiration found in our shared joys and losses. I am especially grateful to my father John Rogers, who as a teacher, writer, and primary caregiver to many, has influenced my learning in many ways. I am indebted to his efforts to teach me the importance of critical thought and the value of literature to everyday life. While our academic interests have taken us on different paths, I hope he sees his efforts reflected in my work. More than any academic support he provided, I am grateful for his perseverance, strength and humility. I must also acknowledge my children - Emma and Haleigh – who inspire and challenge my thinking in ways no scholar has. As a sociologist, it is one of my greatest hopes that my daughters will grow to take notice of the world around them, their place in it, and think critically about the social world. As their mother, it is one of the greatest challenges facing me to guide vi them to this task. In my efforts to do so, I will apply what I have learned from all those acknowledged here. Without exception, my most heartfelt gratitude is to my partner Shane Byer, who was first to encourage me to pursue doctoral studies and who has, since that time, been unconditionally dedicated to my success. I am deeply thankful to Shane for his patience, support, and love. vii Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ xiii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Research Questions and Objectives ............................................................................................ 1 Inspiration for this Study and Case Study Rationale ................................................................... 5 Research Contributions ............................................................................................................... 8 Overview of the Dissertation ..................................................................................................... 10 Chapter One – Theoretical Orientation ......................................................................................... 15 Chapter Introduction ................................................................................................................. 15 Feminist Political Economy: Integrating Feminism and Political Economy ............................ 17 A Feminist Political Economy Analysis of Declining Labour Standards and Union Renewal: Key Analytical Lenses .............................................................................................................. 28 Social Reproduction .............................................................................................................. 28 Intersectionality ....................................................................................................................
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