As part of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Unmaking Global Capitalism:
Reimagining and Rebuilding Working-Class Power!
York University
Toronto, Ontario
May 29-31, 2023
Download Program (PDF)
The conference organizing committee invites submissions for participation in the 9th annual conference of the Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies (CAWLS). The committee welcomes proposals for single papers, thematic streams, multiple-paper panels, roundtables, and workshops. The participation of researchers in union and community settings is encouraged.
Both confrontation and cooperation have always been key to advancing and protecting working-class interests. The 2023 CAWLS conference is an opportunity to engage conversations and share ideas about the interplay between conflict and cooperation in bridging divisions in our workplaces, communities, economy, and society more generally. Questions relevant to these conversations include: How do we confront the legacies and ongoing presence of colonialism and racism in and outside workplaces? How do we organize vis-a-vis wider social and political discontent? How do we to challenge authoritarian/anti-democratic politics? How do social-democratic and socialist politics fit in workers’ struggles today? What role can international labour solidarity play in challenging global capitalism? What openings do technological change and the climate crisis create for rebuilding working-class power?
Participants are not required to limit themselves to the above list of questions. We welcome proposals on all topics that highlight the importance of bridging divisions that focus on the past, present, and future of work and labour studies. Our goal is to create a conference program reflective of the broadest range of methodological, theoretical, and disciplinary themes and approaches, such as:
- Worker Surveillance, Digital Colonialism, and Platform Capitalism
- Migration and Workers’ Justice
- Unequal, Informal, and Unpaid Work
- Imperialism, Colonialism, and Labour Internationalism
- Labour, Social Movements, and Alternative Models of Workers’ Justice Organizing
- Inequality, Populism, and (De)Democratization
- Anti-Capitalist Anti-Racism: Intersectional and Decolonial Approaches
- Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Just Transitions
- After COVID-19: Worker-Centred Alternatives
Conference Association Fees
| Permanent or full-time faculty or researchers | Union and community members | Students, K-12 educators, un(der)employed, and retirees | |
| CAWLS members | $75 | $0 | $0 |
| Non-members | $250 | $60 | $60 |
| Banquet | $50 | $50 | $50 |
Notes
- Additional Congress registration fees will also apply.
- Accepted presenters must registered by April 30, 2023 or risk being removed from the program.
Panels: To facilitate new conversations, participants may organize panels, roundtables, and workshops. Please contact Carlo Fanelli ([email protected]) and/or Steven Tufts ([email protected]) by December 23, 2022 with a proposal. Please note that even if a panel proposal is accepted, each paper will be evaluated individually by the program committee.
Submission requirements: A 250-word abstract for each paper with the name and affiliation of the author(s) must be submitted via our submission portal.
All abstracts are due by January 31, 2023. Presenting authors will be contacted in early March regarding the acceptance of their paper.
For more information go to https://cawls.ca/.