Book Launch: Continental Crucible

Toronto — 20 April 2013.

Big Business, Workers and Unions in the Transformation of North America

The crucible of North American neoliberal transformation is heating up, but its outcome is far from clear. Continental Crucible examines the clash between the corporate offensive and the forces of resistance from both a pan-continental and a class struggle perspective. This book also illustrates the ways in which the capitalist classes in Canada, Mexico and the United States used free trade agreements to consolidate their agendas and organize themselves continentally.

The failure of traditional labour responses to stop the continental offensive being waged by big business has led workers and unions to explore new strategies of struggle and organization, pointing to the beginnings of a continental labour movement across North America. The battle for the future of North America has begun.

Moderated by Teresa Healy, and presentations by:

• Richard Roman, Associate Professor Emeritus, Sociology, University of Toronto, and Fellow, Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean, York University. Richard responds to comments and questions about “Continental Crucible” in second part of the video above.
• Leo Panitch, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Political Economy and Distinguished Research Professor of Political Science, York University.
• Katherine Sciacchitano is a former labour lawyer and organizer and presently a professor at the National Labor College, Washington, D.C.
• Chris Schenk, teaches in the Department of Industrial Relations, University of Toronto and is former Research Director of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
• Sam Gindin, Packer Chair in Social Sciences, York University and former chief economist and Assistant to the President of the Canadian Auto Workers.
• Music by Healy and Juravich.

Continental Crucible by Edur Velasco Arregui and Richard Roman, published by Fernwood.