Faculty conduct cutting-edge research on domestic and international labour issues. We take interdisciplinary approaches to our research, drawing on theories and methodologies from across the Social Sciences, including Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Geography, Health and Aging, and Social Work. We are also leaders in community-engaged scholarship, collaborating with unions, community organizations and policy-makers on research that will help make work better for everyone.
Featured Research
Union Politics in the 21st Century
Union Politics in the 21st Century is a five-year SSHRC-funded research project led by Dr. Stephanie Ross that seeks to understand how unions are engaging politically and what political strategies are the most successful in securing worker-friendly policies.
LGBTQ+ livelihoods: uneven geographies of work and inclusion
LGBTQ+ livelihoods: uneven geographies of work and inclusion is a partnership with the University of Windsor, the United Steelworkers, Unifor, Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre and the Windsor Workers Education Centre, led by Dr. Suzanne Mills.
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Ontario Workers, Workplaces and Families
Results from the 2020 survey of Ontarians on the impact that COVID-19 on their income security, employment, workplace experiences, housing and food security, and political views.
Labour OHCOW Academic Research Collaboration (LOARC)
LOARC was formed in 2010 when a group of worker health and safety activists got together with staff from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) and university researchers to examine the effectiveness of workers’ rights to protect themselves from hazards at work.
A study of how Ontario’s 2018 basic income pilot affected individuals and families in Hamilton and Brantford. Co-authored by Mohammad Ferdosi (McMaster University), Tom McDowell (Ryerson University) Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University), and Stephanie Ross (McMaster University).
Mapping the Void: Two-Spirit and LGBTIQ+ Experiences in Hamilton
A Research Partnership Among: McMaster University, The AIDS Network and Hamilton community researchers who identify as Two-Spirit and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer.
Language barriers and workers’ compensation access in Ontario and Quebec, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. It reports on a comparative study of Quebec and Ontario workers’ compensation systems that examined how policies and practices facilitate or hinder access for injured workers who experience language barriers.
Extreme employment precarity and health impacts among South Asians in Toronto, funded by an Ontario Multicultural Community Capacity grant. It describes experiences of extreme employment precarity and impacts on health and well-being among South Asians in Toronto based on stories shared in the context of focus groups and an information workshop developed by the team of researchers and advocates.
A Guide to Identifying and Addressing Challenges Related to Language Barriers in Return to Work
Authors: Premji, Begum, MacEachen, Medley
Funded by the WSIB the guide provides advice for stakeholders involved in the return to work process on how to identify and address challenges that arise in contexts of language barriers.
Work, Inclusion and 2SLGBTQ+ people in Sudbury and Windsor
Authors: Mills, Owens, Guta, Lewis, Oswin
This report presents the findings of a two-year study of the experiences of a large and diverse sample of 2SLGBTQ+ workers in the mid-sized cities of Sudbury and Windsor to address these gaps. In partnership with the United Steelworkers Canada, Unifor and the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre.
A study of how Ontario’s 2018 basic income pilot affected individuals and families in Hamilton and Brantford. Co-authored by Mohammad Ferdosi (McMaster University), Tom McDowell (Ryerson University) Wayne Lewchuk (McMaster University), and Stephanie Ross (McMaster University).
Mapping the Void: Two-Spirit and LGBTIQ+ Experiences in Hamilton
A Research Partnership Among: McMaster University, The AIDS Network and Hamilton community researchers who identify as Two-Spirit and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer.
Language barriers and workers’ compensation access in Ontario and Quebec, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. It reports on a comparative study of Quebec and Ontario workers’ compensation systems that examined how policies and practices facilitate or hinder access for injured workers who experience language barriers.
Extreme employment precarity and health impacts among South Asians in Toronto, funded by an Ontario Multicultural Community Capacity grant. It describes experiences of extreme employment precarity and impacts on health and well-being among South Asians in Toronto based on stories shared in the context of focus groups and an information workshop developed by the team of researchers and advocates.
A Guide to Identifying and Addressing Challenges Related to Language Barriers in Return to Work
Authors: Premji, Begum, MacEachen, Medley
Funded by the WSIB the guide provides advice for stakeholders involved in the return to work process on how to identify and address challenges that arise in contexts of language barriers.
Work, Inclusion and 2SLGBTQ+ people in Sudbury and Windsor
Authors: Mills, Owens, Guta, Lewis, Oswin
This report presents the findings of a two-year study of the experiences of a large and diverse sample of 2SLGBTQ+ workers in the mid-sized cities of Sudbury and Windsor to address these gaps. In partnership with the United Steelworkers Canada, Unifor and the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre.