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While other OECD countries have youth unemployment rates (well) above the labour market average, Switzerland has youth unemployment of just three percent (the EU average is 23 percent). Part of the reason appears to be the apprenticeship program, which graduates roughly 70 percent of Swiss youth (aged 15 to 24).

Germany’s ‘dual’ apprenticeship system is comprised of an education component and a practical or training component. The system is in place for nearly 350 recognized occupations and lasts anywhere from two to three-and-a-half years.

“More than ever before, Canadians play many different roles in their lives. They are workers, parents, spouses, friends, caregivers of elderly relatives and volunteers in their communities. They must also make room in their lives for taking care of their own physical and mental well-being. Not surprisingly, achieving balance among all these competing priorities can be difficult.” Canadian Mental Health Association

Any conversation about good jobs must include a conversation about the health and welfare of workers. Workplace safety has always been a strong determinant of decent work. Simply put, a good job is a safe job.

The concept of ‘climate justice’ first came to being in the civil rights movement in the U.S. in the 1960s, which was then coined in 1989 and subsequently supported by grassroots organizations and climate activists.

The Temporary Foreign Workers Program has been a hot topic of conversation within Canada, which has recently resulted in the federal government implementing changes to the program in order to provide Canadians the first chance at available jobs.

The term precarity was adopted by social scientists to define states of employment that lack the security or benefits of more traditional employment relationships. Many labour market researchers point to precarious employment becoming the new normal in Canada’s workforce.

The health of Canada’s labour force since the 2008 recession has been hotly debated in the media and in public discourse. The Canadian federal government over the past six years has consistently reported on an improving economy that has seen employment return to pre-recession highs due to the various employment programs and measures they instituted to strengthen the economy.

With a number of high profile work stoppages and government interventions since the 2008 recession, the debate around the value of unions and the collective bargaining process has grown increasingly polarizing. Anti-union sentiment has materialized into “right-to-work” politics; unsuccessful Charter challenges in the Supreme Court for “freedom-to-not-associate” (with unions); and proposed legislation for stricter financial reporting measures on unions (e.g. Bill C-377) and to make the union certification process more difficult (e.g.

In Canada, there has been a long-term trend of declining unionization rates, from 38% in 1981 to 30% in 2012. The biggest drop can be seen in the private sector, from 30% in the 1970s to 16.4% in 2012 as well as in men, from roughly 42% in 1981 to 28% in 2012.

On the other hand, the unionization rate for women has held steady from 1981 – 2012 at around 31% and similarly so for the public sector at around 70%. Unionization among young workers (aged 15-24) has also increased in recent years.

There is a wealth of information to be found on the Government of Canada’s websites about collective bargaining in Canada, from upcoming collective bargaining dates, work stoppages, wage settlements, ratified settlements and more.

Currently, the major issues being negotiated include wages, job security, health programs/benefits, and pension plans, where unions are being asked by employers to make more concessions and as a result, we have seen wages increasing at their lowest rate since 1998.

What is a Guaranteed Annual Income

Debate over whether Canada should institute a Guaranteed Annual Income (GAI) has a long history. As Professors Margot Young and James Mulvale explain, “the term “guaranteed income”… is used to signal reform proposals that advocate some variant of an income benefit scheme in which the state provides a minimum level of basic income on a continuing basis to every adult, irrespective of personal circumstances or need, with no or very few conditions attached.”

What is a Living Wage?

The term “living wage” is used to describe earnings (whether hourly, weekly or annual rates) that are on par – or exceed – the basic standard of living. Living wages are designed to lift workers, and their families, out of poverty and will vary depending on the geographic location, among other factors.

Historical Development of Minimum Wage Laws

Minimum wage laws have been around for centuries. Its basic stipulation: raise wages of workers so they can live within acceptable standards of living. What’s deemed “acceptable” varies greatly across (and within) societies. Some of the earliest examples of minimum wage laws tied salaries to the cost of food – a core consideration for any good job.

Many young worker and student advocates have raised concern in recent years regarding the misclassification of workers (mostly young student workers) as ‘interns’. This practice has enabled some employers to hire workers and provide them training or ‘real-life’ work experience, in lieu of wages.

Check out: The Case for a Stronger Fair Wage Policy in Ontario by Josh Mandryk (2014)

Check out: The Economic Impact of Living Wages and Salaries by Economic Policy Institute (2006)

Check out: New Westminster’s Living Wage Policy (2011)