Prof Cynthia Estlund on “Trade Unions, Constitutional Rights, and Technological Change: A U.S. and Canada Comparison”

The Wagner Model is the predominant legislated labour regime in both the United States and Canada. While the two countries share many similarities in how industrial and labour relations are regulated, the differences between them are substantial.

This public discussion will explore these crucial differences, with a focus on how they impact the ability of trade unions to respond to and negotiate over technological changes. In particular, it will address how certain legal limitations on collective action in Canada may conflict with the recognition of collective rights as constitutional rights, and how these limitations affect the ability of trade unions to effectively address technological challenges.

The lead speaker for this event will be Professor Cynthia Estlund (NYU Law). Professors Valerio De Stefano and Sara Slinn (Osgoode) will join the discussion.

Cynthia Estlund is the Crystal Eastman Professor at NYU School of Law. Her writings on labour and employment include four books—Automation Anxiety: Why and How to Save Work (2021), A New Deal for China’s Workers? (2017); Regoverning the Workplace (2010); and Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy (2003)—and over eighty articles, chapters, and essays. She graduated from Lawrence University and Yale Law School.