Temporary Work

by Vosko, Leah F.

• ISBN13: 9780802083340
• ISBN10: 080208334X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-08-01
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr

Summary

The first in-depth analysis of temporary work in Canada, Leah F. Vosko's important new book examines a number of important trends, including the commodification of labour power; the decline of the full-time, full-year job as a norm; and the gendered character of prevailing employment relationships. Spanning the period from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century, Temporary Work traces the evolution of the temporary employment relationship in Canada and places it in an international context. It explores how, and to what extent, 'temporary work' is becoming a norm for a diverse group of workers in the labour market, taking gender as a central lens of analysis. Recent scholarship emphasizes that the nature of work is changing, citing the spread of non-standard forms of employment and the rise in women's participation in the labour force. Vosko confirms that important changes are indeed taking place in the labour market, but argues that these changes are best understood in historical, economic and political contexts. This book will be invaluable to academics in a variety of disciplines as well as to policy analysts and practitioners.

Author Biography

LEAH F. VOSKO is an assistant professor of labour studies and political science at McMaster University.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Abbreviations	xiii
Introduction	3	(11)
`Labour Is Not a Commodity': Shifting Employment Norms and the Modern Labour Market Intermediary	14	(31)
Putting Workers in Their Place: The Early History of Private Employment Agencies	45	(33)
`Halfway Houses' for `Housewives': The Birth of the Temporary Help Industry	78	(39)
From Stop-Gap Workers to Staffing Services: The Expansion of the Temporary Help Industry	117	(40)
Promising `Flexibility' and Delivering Precariousness: The Shape of the Contemporary Temporary Employment Relationship	157	(43)
`Flexible Workers,' Intractable Regulatory Regime: Regulating the Contemporary Temporary Employment Relationship	200	(30)
`No Jobs, Lots of Work': The Rise of the Temporary Employment Relationship and the Emergence of Workfare-Driven Social Policy	230	(21)
The Challenge of Limiting Labour Market Fragmentation	251	(28)
Appendix A: Qualitative Methodology	279	(2)
Appendix B: Interviews	281	(4)
Notes	285	(48)
References	333	(26)
Index	359