Dillon Hall building surrounded by trees in fall

Research in the Field of Labour Studies

W.S.I.B. Project

Research Objectives: To understand the influence of gender, ethnicity and racialization on worker injury and hazard reporting.

Methods: A survey of 1300 Ontario workers was conducted along with 120 intensive interviews.

Preliminary Results: The initial analysis of the survey data revealed relatively few significant differences in reporting behaviours or explanations. While the interviews are still in process, there are indications that ethnicity and race can affect reporting patterns in significant ways. However, the evidence also suggests that many of the same dynamics and rationales are operative among both minority and non-minority workers.

Worker Responses to Workplace Hazards and Injuries-Preliminary Report (pdf)

Workplace Injuries and ESA Violations among Young Workers: A Preliminary Report (pdf)

Labour OHCOW Academic Research Coalition (LOARC)

The goal of LOARC is to improve working conditions and health for workers through fostering research collaboration across unions, occupational health and safety professionals and university researchers.

Union health and safety activists, health and safety professionals and university-based researchers have come together with a common concern that research agendas in occupational health and safety are too removed from the experience of workers and their abilities to alter the conditions in which they work.

The objectives of the coalition are to:

Provide unique opportunities to collaboration between workers, their unions, occupational health and safety professionals and academic researchers
Effect changes at work that will promote worker health, safety and wellbeing.
Use our skills more effectively and develop relationships
Improve effectiveness of prevention practices by engaging workers through their unions in priorities, decisions and implementation.