The document discusses the interactions between populism, austerity, and the labor movement, highlighting the challenges posed by uneven worker power and the decline of traditional manufacturing sectors. It examines strategic opportunities for labor organization in new sectors, including public services, security, and green jobs, while addressing the implications of societal narratives like anti-migration sentiment and climate change. The analysis emphasizes the need for a sustainable taxation regime and the role of the financial sector in shaping labor dynamics amidst these societal transformations.

1. Uneven Worker Power and the
Populism- Austerity -Labour Nexus
Steven Tufts
Associate Professor, Department of Geography
York University
Mark Thomas
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
York University
Paper presented at:
The Global Economic Crisis and Canada: Perception Versus Reality
Ryerson University
March 23, 2012

2. Conceptual framework
The populism-
austerity-labour
nexus

3. The populism-austerity-labour nexus
Crisis and Uneven Austerity Aspect of populism Implications for actually Strategic opportunities for
existing labour movement the labour movement
Decline of manufacturing Producerism Sympathy for manufacturing New sectors,
sector workers telecommunications, labour
intensive services as
Gendered services as intensive production (healthcare,
‘productive labour’ hospitality)
Public sector workers Scapegoating Backlash against 1% narrative, Re-establishment of
(anti-semitic, class-warfare) sustainable taxation regime
Rise of 1%, persistent financial
capital
Finance- State collusion Conspiricism Austerity measures to support (re) organizing public sector
bailouts/stimulus spending workers
Environment and apocalypse Apocalyptic narratives Climate change as means of Greening Work and Labour
disciplining labour versus
Triple E vision (employment,
equity, environment)
Right with populist leaders Cult of leadership Challenge to decentralized Left leadership, diffused power
(e.g., Ford) models of governance
Security state, loss of right to Authoritarianism Rise of back-to-work Security guards, mobilization
strike, and protest in public legislation, disciplining of around legislated unions
space dissent
Anti-migration sentiment, Nativism Contradiction between rise of Alliances with migrant
discipline of migrant labour migration and decline of status community groups
Local development, sourcing Local procurement strategies

4. Implications for labour
New Sectors for Organizing?
 Security workers
 Low-wage financial workers
 Green workplaces
 Populist re-organizing and the public-sector
New Working-Class Formations?
 OCCUPY and Labour
 Assemblies
 CLAC