摘要：Unions are a key force for a more equal and democratic society. Clearly, union influence within and outside of the workplace is partly a function of union density, or the proportion of workers who belong to unions. In Canada, union density today is much higher than in the United States, and has held up better than in many other advanced industrial countries. Nonetheless, density has slipped to just one in three workers and fewer than one in five private sector workers. In October 2003, the Canadian Labour Congress held an important mid-term conference on union organizing, bringing together researchers, union leaders, and activists to debate trends and strategies. The paper by CLC senior economist Andrew Jackson summarizes background research for the conference, and flags some of the main issues which emerged in discussion. It is followed by summaries of contributions to the conference made by Pradeep Kumar, Gregor Murray, and Charlotte Yates, and reflections on the conference by Ontario Federation of Labour Research Director Chris Schenk. Studies in Political Economy 124
