The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) represents 72,000 academic staff at universities and colleges across the country. CAUT strives for fair working conditions, compensation and benefits to foster quality teaching and innovative research while advancing equity and human rights within our profession. Many of the institutions where…

In the future, seven trends--already firmly established--will become dominant in the world of work. Those trends are as follows: (1) middle management positions will continue to be cut; (2) project teams will be assembled for a single purpose; (3) more women will have executive leadership roles; (4) organizations will continue to increase their…

Throughout the world, the forms of employment in industrialized countries are in a state of flux. Employment relationships that were previously considered "regular" (permanent, full-time) are becoming less significant. In place of these relationships, other employment options (such as fixed contracts, part-time employment, and contingent…

A study was conducted to describe the present status of self-managed work groups in Ohio manufacturing companies. Data for the study were gathered through lengthy interviews and site visits with 45 manufacturing companies in the state, 24 employing 2,000-14,000 workers and 21 employing 300 to 1,900 workers. The results of the study are presented…

Long-term care workers (those who are paid to provide custodial care for long-term patients in nursing homes or at home) must care for a growing number of increasingly disabled or dependent persons. They are working for agencies and institutions under growing pressure to increase productivity. They face new training and competency requirements,…

A study examined why employers use temporary agency and contract company workers and implications of these practices for wages, benefits, and working conditions of workers in low-skilled labor markets. Case studies in manufacturing (automotive supply), services (hospitals), and public sector (primary and secondary schools) industries defined the…

A study explored the quality of life of Latinos living in Dane County, Wisconsin. Data collection included door-to-door surveys, in-depth interviews, and analysis of government reports. Findings indicated Latinos often work in bad jobs, characterized by poverty-level wages, rare and inconsistent overtime pay, erratic and inflexible schedules, few…

Workers in flexible staffing arrangementsincluding temporary agency, direct-hire temporary, on-call, and contract workersare much less likely than regular, direct-hire employees to be covered by laws mandating or regulating workplace benefits. They are also much less likely to receive pension, health insurance, and other benefits on the job.…

The study described in this report sought to determine why industrial plants become no longer economically viable and how to prevent this from happening prematurely. Conducted in Cleveland (Ohio) for the Cleveland Tomorrow Committee, the research was done by the McKinsey and Company staff, who interviewed chief executives, conducted case studies,…

In an attempt to discover management attitudes toward productivity, including management's views about worker attitudes and their motivation, managerial practices and organization, and possible changes to effect improvements in productivity, the United States Chamber of Commerce surveyed a sample of 1,870 top business executives across the country…

Elements of the "American dream" are adequate housing, education for one's children, and a secure retirement. Economic growth has long been seen as a way to realize the dream. Recent data indicate that achieving the dream and succeeding in the labor market have become more difficult due to sluggish productivity growth, increased competition from…

The prospective place of the aging worker in the employment environment of the 21st century is examined. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) the real world of work and retirement; (2) the changing employment environment; (3) the restructuring of business in the United States; (4) globalization and the economy; (5) downsizing…

This book addresses the need for change in the ways businesses are conducted in order to respond to increased global competition and describes the forms change has taken in many businesses. The first part of the book introduces the need for change and describes some change strategies that businesses have adopted. Part II considers the alternative…

The current conditions of home workers in the garment industry in Toronto, Canada, were examined through in-depth telephone interviews with 30 Chinese-speaking immigrant women who were employed as home workers in 1999. The paper dicusses the formal training and informal learning experiences of immigrant woman who are garment workers. A comparison…