Labour Studies
Program Coordinator: Jesse Hajer (Acting)
Program Office: 218 Isbister
Telephone: 204 474 8356
E-mail: labour_studies@umanitoba.ca
Website: umanitoba.ca/labour_studies
Program Information
This interdisciplinary program examines the social, economic and political realities of work. We critically examine the way work is organized, rights and power in the workplace and the political economy of labour. We explore issues including workplace health and safety, the law of work, the past, present and future of the labour movement and how the global economy affects our daily lives. Using theoretical and practical approaches, we examine the forces that shape working people’s lives and our responses to them.
For entry, continuation and graduation requirements for the General Degree, Advanced Degree and Honours Degree, see: Basic Faculty Regulations for the B.A. General, Advanced and Honours Degree Programs.
Major Program
For entry to the Major, the prerequisite is a grade of “C” or better in one of LABR 1260 or LABR 1290.
A minimum "C" average in all courses that comprise the Major is required to graduate including the higher grade of repeated courses and excluding failed courses.
Advanced Major Co-operative Education Option
Students interested in alternating employment terms and academic terms as part of the Advanced Major program in Labour Studies may apply to enter the Co-operative Education option upon completion of their second year in the program (min. 48 credit hours complete). The course and grade requirements for entry to this option are the same as those required for entry to the regular four-year Advanced Degree program. Students should refer to the general faculty regulations for Cooperative Options.
Minor (Concentration) Program
For entry to the Minor, the prerequisite is a grade of “C” or better in one of LABR 1260 or LABR 1290.
Micro-Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety
The Labour Studies program offers a Micro Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety. Students who successfully complete: LABR 3050 Issues in Occupational Health and Safety and Worker’s Compensation; and LABR 3060 Workplace Health and Safety; and LABR 3070 Labour Relations and Occupational Health and Safety Law will qualify for this credential.
Faculty of Arts students may use courses completed in the Micro Diploma toward the completion of their Bachelor of Arts Degree and alternatively, courses that are used for degree completion can also be used to satisfy the Micro Diploma. This program is also open to students in good standing from other University of Manitoba Faculties and Schools whose academic requirements and regulations for their programs allow for entry to this program. Students from other Faculties or Schools interested in the Workplace Safety and Health Micro Diploma should confirm with their home unit how these courses may be used toward their degree program. Students with potentially sufficient preparation through workplace experience or other relevant preparation for admission to the courses, but lacking the formal prerequisite course, may contact theLabour Studies Coordinator to seek written permission to register in LABR 3050, LABR 3060 and LABR 3070.
Students with potentially sufficient preparation through workplace experience or other relevant preparation for admission to the courses, but lacking the formal prerequisite courses, may contact the Labour Studies Coordinator to seek written permission to register in LABR 3050, LABR 3060 and LABR 3070.
Micro Diploma Admission Requirements:
Students with fewer than 24 credit hours of Post-Secondary course work completed seeking admission to the Micro Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety:
- must be proficient in English (visit http://umanitoba.ca/student/admissions/international/english/index.html);
AND, EITHER:
- must have graduated from high school with at least 5 full credits at the Grade 12 level in courses designated S, G, or U and must have achieved a minimum average of 70% over the following, with no less than 60% in each of:
- English 40S
- Mathematics 40S
- Two academic 40S courses;
OR,
- must meet the Mature Applicant Category Criteria that follows:
- 21 years of age or older by September 30 for classes starting in September, January 31 for classes starting in January, May 1 for classes starting in May, and July 1 for classes starting in July
- Must not meet the regular academic requirements of the applicable program, must have limited experience at college or university (fewer than 24 credit hours), and must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.
Students with 24 or more credit hours of Post-Secondary course work completed seeking admission to the Micro Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety:
- must have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework at a recognized college or university with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 (C) or better;
OR
- must be admitted on the Dean's recommendation. [Students who have completed the minimum 24 credit hours of coursework, and do not meet the minimum 2.0 CGPA, may be considered on an individual basis for admission on the Recommendation of the Dean. A minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) on the best 24 credit hours of coursework that would be acceptable for credit (transferable) in the Bachelor of Arts General degree Program is required to receive consideration for admission on the Dean’s recommendation].
Students currently enrolled in a degree program at the University of Manitoba who seek admission to the Micro Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety must be in good academic standing within their current program of study.
All Programs
Courses used towards a Labour Studies Major or Minor (Concentration) may not be used towards a Major/Minor (Concentration) or Honours in the second field.
Programs
| Degree/Diploma | Years to Completion | Total Credit Hours | Has Co-op Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree/Diploma Labour Studies, B.A. General | Years to Completion 3 | Total Credit Hours 90 | Has Co-op Option no |
| Degree/Diploma Labour Studies, B.A. Single Advanced Major | Years to Completion 4 | Total Credit Hours 120 | Has Co-op Option Yes |
| Degree/Diploma Labour Studies Minor (Concentration) | Total Credit Hours 18 | Has Co-op Option no |
Micro Credentials:
Courses
Labour Studies
An introduction to the study of working lives in the contemporary world and the global transformation that has made working for wages central to human existence. Students may not hold credit for both LABR 1260 and the former LABR 1270.
Equiv To: LABR 1270
Attributes: Social Science, Recommended Intro Courses, Written English Requirement
An introduction to the development of the contemporary working-class movement in Canada and to workplace issues today.
Attributes: Social Science, Recommended Intro Courses, Written English Requirement
This course examines the dynamics of work organization, the production and reproduction of labour power, labour markets and class conflict in capitalist societies, with attention to contemporary Canada. Students may not hold credit for LABR 2100 and any of: the former LABR 2420 or the former ECON 2420.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Mutually Exclusive: ECON 2420, LABR 2420
Attributes: Social Science
This course will vary from term to term depending on the needs of students and the interests of the instructor. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.
Attributes: Social Science
This course explores the history of working people's struggles, victories and defeats in Canada, with attention to gender, "race" and ethnicity. Topics include the origins and evolution of labour unions and workplace rights and the role of politics and social movements. Also offered as HIST 2200. May not be held with HIST 2200.
Equiv To: HIST 2200
Attributes: Social Science, Recommended Intro Courses, Written English Requirement
This course examines the social, economic and political contexts of work and the relations, rules and structures that shape the interactions between workers, employers and the state. Topics include workers' and management rights, the rights, obligations and functions of unions, the legal contexts of labour/management relations, and initiatives for increasing equity. Students may not hold credit for both LABR 2300 and the former LABR 3300.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Equiv To: LABR 3300
Attributes: Social Science, Written English Requirement
An introduction to legislation and interpretation, legal procedures, and quasi-judicial boards as they concern the organization of trade unions, collective bargaining, settlement of disputes, labour standards, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and human rights.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 (the former LABR 1270) and LABR 1290] or [HRIR 3450 and 6 credit hours of other HRIR courses] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
A course to explain labour's involvement in the negotiation process including the mechanics and the theoretical issues of bargaining. The course focuses on contemporary issues.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
This course will explore historical, legal and political issues surrounding health and safety in Canadian workplaces with an emphasis on Manitoba. It will critically examine both the Workers' Compensation and the Workplace Health and Safety systems as they currently exist and review the role of workers, employers, unions and government in these processes. It will investigate various challenges and emerging issues in health and safety including but not limited to industrial disease, gender concerns, precarious employment and globalization.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 3060] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
An introduction to occupational health, industrial hygiene and industrial safety emphasizing the impact of chemical hazards on the body, the measure and control of hazards and the causes and prevention of industrial accidents.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 (the former LABR 1270) and LABR 1290] or [HRIR 3450 and 6 credit hours of other HRIR courses] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
The economic costs of workplace injuries and sickness; the history of occupational health and safety laws and their implementation; the history and functions of workers' compensation; collective bargaining on health and safety.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 (the former LABR 1270) and LABR 1290] or [HRIR 3450 and 6 credit hours of other HRIR courses] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
This course examines the theory and practice of collaborative community and labour organizing, with particular emphasis on Latin America, to identify the strengths and limitations of this approach for reviving unions, protecting workers' rights and advancing social justice.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
An examination of the impact of global capitalism on the lives of workers (both paid and unpaid) in the Global South and North in the early 21st century. Using concepts of class, gender and "race," the course addresses key challenges facing working people, the crisis of workers' movements, and new movements emerging in response to this crisis.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: written consent of instructor.
Attributes: Social Science
This course will vary from year to year depending on the needs of students and the interests of the instructor. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [six credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
This course will vary from year to year depending on the needs of students and the interests of the instructor. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [six credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
An examination of the legal rights and obligations of workers and employers, and the enforcement mechanisms for the non-unionized workplace, over the course of the employment relationship from hiring through to termination or retirement. Special emphasis will be placed on statutory and common law, personal employment contracts, wrongful and constructive dismissal, human rights legislation and jurisprudence.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 (the former LABR 1270) and LABR 1290] or [HRIR 3450 and 6 credit hours of other HRIR courses] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
The nature and role of pensions in the life cycle of workers and the issue of pension funds control on distribution. The role of non-wage benefits in the labour compensation package.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or [HRIR 3450 and six credit hours of other HRIR courses] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
An examination of historical and contemporary examples of self-managed workplaces and the theory of a participatory economy based on workers' self-management.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [six credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
What have recent changes in work and society meant for people who work for wages or who live with those who do? How did these changes happen? What do they mean for youth today? How do the growing demands of our jobs affect our lives with family and friends? How have employers' actions affected unions, and how have unions responded? This course will explore these questions and others that arise from them.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
This course traces the emergence and evolution of Canada’s left from the late nineteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on its two main streams, communism and social democracy. Topics include the relationship between popular, party, labour, and ethnic lefts; left parties and mainstream politics; the left in the evolution of human rights and in other public policies; the treatment within various lefts of gender, race, sexuality and ethnicity; popular movements; legal constraints and state repression. Also offered as HIST 3214. Not to be held with HIST 3214.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [six credit hours of History or written consent of department head] or [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies or written consent of Labour Studies coordinator].
Equiv To: HIST 3214
Attributes: Social Science
This course explores the past and present of sweated work in various industries in the Global North and South. We explore circumstances that support sweatshops, including off-shoring and the new international division of labour, migrant, child and female labour forces; global supply chains and the role of retailers and contractors. We also compare and evaluate strategies to eliminate sweatshops, including NGO activities, government regulations, consumer boycotts and the international labour, student and social justice movements. Also offered as HIST 3212. Students may not hold credit for both LABR 3220 and HIST 3212.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator] or [six credit hours of History or written consent of the department head].
Equiv To: HIST 3212
Attributes: Social Science
This course is an introduction to the basic human rights protections in Canadian workplaces that have developed as a result of collective bargaining, human rights legislation, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and decisions of courts and tribunals. The course will also examine the concept of human rights on a broader, international and national level. Students may not hold credit for both LABR 3230 and LABR 3110 when titled "Human Rights at Work."
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
This course introduces students to concepts and structures pertaining to workers' advocacy and administrative law, including areas such as human rights, occupational health and safety, Workers' Compensation, and the duty of fair representation. Students may not hold credit for LABR 3240 and any of LABR 3110 or LABR 3120 when titled "Becoming an Advocate."
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
An examination of work as a central aspect of human social life; its changing nature and content in response to technological, political, and social change; how work is organized and understood by employers and workers; its consequences for individuals, social institutions, and society. Students may not hold credit for LABR 3370 and any of: SOC 3370, SOC 3371, and LABR 3110 when taught as "Sociology of Work".
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 or LABR 1290] or [SOC 1200 or the former SOC 1201] or [both SOC 1211 and SOC 1221].
Mutually Exclusive: LABR 3110
Attributes: Social Science
This course explores three central questions: What are racism and colonialism? How do racism and colonialism shape work in Canada? What strategies exist for combating racism at work, and which are most effective? Students may not hold credit for both LABR 3400 and LABR 3110 when titled "Racism and Work."
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [three credit hours of 1000 level Labour Studies] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
A study of comparative employer-employee relationships in Canada and other selected countries as affected by market forces, social traditions, and government action. Students may not hold credit for both LABR 3510 and the former ECON 3510.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [LABR 1260 (the former LABR 1270) and LABR 1290] or [six credit hours of 1000 level Economics].
Equiv To: ECON 3510
Attributes: Social Science
A survey of working class history with emphasis upon the varieties of labour movements and trade unions. The course will refer to the social and political experience of working people in Great Britain, Europe and the United States and will devote one term to Canadian topics. May not be held with the former HIST 3700.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [six credit hours of Labour Studies or History] or written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Equiv To: HIST 3700
Attributes: Social Science
This course will vary from year to year depending on the needs of students and the interests of the instructor. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator.
Attributes: Social Science
A seminar to be taken concurrently with LABR 4520 in which each student will relate theory and practice. This course is also offered as ECON 4610 and GPE 4510. Students may not hold credit for LABR 4510 and either ECON 4610 or GPE 4510. Intended for students in the Labour Studies Advanced Major.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator. Corequisite: LABR 4520.
Attributes: Social Science, Written English Requirement
An educationally directed field experience in which the student will undertake specific tasks and assignments in some aspects of labour relations. Field placement options include a labour union, professional association, employer, provincial department of labour, public archives. This course is also offered as ECON 4620 and GPE 4520. Students may not hold credit for LABR 4520 and either ECON 4620 or GPE 4520. Intended for students in the Labour Studies Advanced Major.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: written consent of the Labour Studies coordinator. Corequisite: LABR 4510.
Attributes: Social Science