Representing workers on health

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Representing workers on health and safety in
precarious employment Some Canadian
experiences Wayne Lewchuk, McMaster
University Marlea Clarke, McMaster
University Alice deWolff, McMaster
University October 2007

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The Shift to the Internal Responsibility System

• Most Canadian Jurisdictions Move to IRS in the
  1970s
• Right to Participate (Mandatory JHSC)
• Right to Know of Hazards
• Right to Refuse

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Trends in HS Regulation in Ontario Since 1970s

• Significant decline in Ministry inspections
• Move to bipartite organizations in training and
  exposure setting in late 1980s

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Tucker IR/RI 2003
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The Activists become Staff

• Activist frustrated with the limitation of IRS
• Activists absorbed into bipartite organizations
  and official union movement
• By the end of the 1990s movement had become more
  technical and less political

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Writing workers out in the 1990s

• Bipartite structures to set exposure standards
  and deliver training abandoned in 1995 with the
  election of conservative provincial government

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The Erosion of the Standard Employment
Relationship

• By 2003 only 62.9 of all employed had permanent
  full-time work.
• Vosko, 2006, p. 20
• Canadian workers more exposed to international
  competition.

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Internal Responsibility System and Precarious
Employment

• IRS works most effectively when workers have the
  confidence and knowledge to defend their
  interests
• How have changes in labour markets impacted
  their ability to act in their own interest?

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The Employment Strain Study

• Population based survey 2005/2006
• Interviews
• Analysis limited to non-fulltime students, over
  18 and living in Greater Toronto Area

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Precarious Employment and the IRS

• Do workers in precarious employment face
  different hazards at work?
• Are workers in precarious employment less
  informed about HS hazards?
• Are workers in precarious employment less able to
  exercise voice at work?
• Can we isolate the characteristics of employment
  relationships and how they impact health?

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The Sample

• Includes three different employment types
• Precarious employment Half or more of work hours
  arranged through a temporary employment agency or
  employed on a short-term contract (lt1 year)
  (n316)
• Own account self-employed (n121)
• Full-time permanent employees (n1107)

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Characteristics of the Sample

• About half those in precarious employment and
  full-time employment are women, slightly fewer in
  self-employment.
• Full-time employees are more likely to be
  between the ages of 25 50, but over half of
  precarious employees are in this age bracket.

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Working Conditions of Workers in Precarious
Employment

• Marginally more likely to report work too heavy,
  but as likely to report too fast.
• More likely to report being exposed to noise and
  uncomfortable temperatures.
• More likely to report working with toxic
  substances.

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p.014
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Precarious Employment and Disorganization

• Twice as likely to report working in unfamiliar
  locations on a weekly basis.
• Almost 60 report jobs last less than 6 months
  compared to under 10 for full-time employees.

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Training and Knowledge

• HS training at work
• Information about toxic substances

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p.003
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Rights and Representation at Work

• Can workers raise HS issues?
• Does employment insecurity limit their ability
  to raise issues?
• Are they supported by a union at work?

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Health Indicators

• Self-reported health
• Pain
• Stress
• Employment Strain

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p.015
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p.007
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Health and the Characteristics of Employment
Relationships (Odds-Ratios)
Healthf(age,sex,employment relationship other
variables)
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Diagram 1 The Employment Strain Model
Employment Relationship Uncertainty


Employment Strain
Employment Relationship Support
Employment Relationship Effort
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Employment Strain and the IRS (Odds-Ratios)
Healthf(age,sex,employment relationship other
variables)
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Summary

• Precarious employment associated
• with poor working conditions
• poor HS training
• Inability to exercise voice at work
• Poorer health in general

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Summary (2)

• Key factors associated with poorer health
• lack of HS training
• Inability to voice rights
• Disorganization only associated with pain
• Raising HS leading to change not significant
• Employment Strain a major issue for
  precarious employment

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