Stephanie Ross is an associate professor in the School of Labour Studies at McMaster University.
The Canadian Auto Workers and its successor union, Unifor, shifted their political strategy dramatically in response to changing political-economic conditions. We need a clear-eyed assessment of this change in orientation and what it’s accomplished.
The UAW’s “stand-up” strike strategy, which targets portions of the Big Three simultaneously, was a gamble. But the approach has worked so far, allowing the union to gradually escalate pressure on companies while empowering rank-and-file workers.