About Restructuring Work and Labour in the New Economy Project

Our research is divided into four domains, each tackling a broad question about work and labour in the new economy. Of central importance are questions such as: what is the new economy, and how have changes in the labour market and the structure of work affected Canadian workers' lives?

The Four Domains are as follows 1. Profiling The New Economy 2. New Organizing, Bargaining and Alliances 3. Education and Training 4. Reshaping Social Programs The RWL-INE Research Alliance also considers the Canadian state's response to the transformation of labour and employment in the "new" global economy. The RWL-INE Research Alliance studies the effect of the new economy on labour unions, the formation of new labour alliances, and methods of organizing workers. In the area of education and training, our research focuses on the needs of displaced workers and how these needs are being met.

The project examines the effect on family structures and family life of the shift in social policies, and the impact of deregulation and privatization of services. While examining the proliferation of insecure and temporary work in the new economy, RWL-INE researchers examine methods for creating quality work through public policy and employee participation. They employ Statistics Canada labour force, income, and workplace survey data to determine the extent of occupational and industrial change over the past two decades. Their analysis of specific sectors, such as manufacturing, producer services, hospitality, finance and banking, is resulting in a profile of the structure of the new economy in Canada and its international position.

See the article in Just Labour
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE INITIATIVE ON THE NEW ECONOMY: RESTRUCTURING WORK AND LABOUR IN THE NEW ECONOMY (RWL-INE)
Norene Pupo
http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/volume4/Pupointro.pdf

A $900,000 funding grant for the project has been provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) under its "Initiative on the New Economy", (INE) a program funded by the Government of Canada, based on the belief that Canada's competitive position in the new economy depends on strong government policy grounded in solid research and empirical evidence.