WHAT DO UNIONS DO? LBST/SOCI 2246
FINAL ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
Your essay will be 10 to 12 full double spaced pages not including your Title and Reference
pages.
Essays must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point font and submitted in .pdf format.
You need to include a reference list of at least 4 academic sources for your paper. Books and
journals are a preferred source of information.
A proper reference list and citations of sources in the text is worth 20% of your essay.
Use APA style guides. A Writing Assistance Program is available through Student Services.
SUGGESTED TOPICS
1. Was the Winnipeg General Strike a success or a failure for workers?
a. Thesis: The Winnipeg General Strike was a failure for workers and resulted in
declines in union density and activism.
2. Did anti-communism politics have an effect on the Canadian trade union movement?
a. Thesis: During the Cold War the efforts made to purge Communists from
unions weakened the union movement.
3. Trade unions have historically been male dominated organizations but the women’s
movement has been changing trade union attitudes and policies.
a. Thesis: Feminism has changed trade union attitudes and policies.
4. What is the influence of the trade union movement on the NDP?
a. Thesis: The trade union movement’s influence on the NDP has been declining
since the formation of the party.
5. Has the trade union movement been effective in delivering its member’s votes to the
NDP during election?
a. Thesis: Unions have not been able to influence how their members vote.
6. Are trade unions too powerful?
a. Thesis: Unions have been declining since the turn of the century.
7. What are the advantages or disadvantages of business unionism as opposed to social
unionism?
a. Thesis: Social unionism delivers the most effective representation for union
members.
8. Union density has been relatively stable in Canada as opposed to the United States.
Why?
a. Thesis: Union density has remained relatively stable in Canada because
governments’ labour relations policy and legislation has been favourable
towards unions.
9. Why have unions not been able to organize in some sectors of the economy?
a. Thesis: Unions have been unsuccessful in organizing in the retail sector
because of employer resistance.
10. How has free trade affected unions?
a. Thesis: Free trade has had a negative effect on unions.
11. What effect do unions have on health and safety?
a. Thesis: Unionized workplaces are safer than non-union workplaces.
12. Do unions benefit employers?
a. Thesis: There are significant benefits for unionized employers.
13. Which renewal strategy should be the highest priority for the labour movement and
why?
a. Thesis: By developing and pursuing strategic goals unions can succeed in
making gains despite tough economic times and employer resistance.
14. Do the media in Canada have a bias against unions?
a. Thesis: The media has not been fair and balanced in its reporting on unions.
ESSAY GUIDELINES
ORGANIZE YOUR PAPER
 Ensure that your introduction, body, and conclusion are clear, and clearly linked
together
 Demonstrate; don’t simply assert your points. Evidence is required for most claims.
 Analyze, don’t just describe. Try to put together all the pieces.
 Don’t just repeat what somebody else has said – use it to support your own argument
and answer your question.
 Provide “signposts” guide the reader through the argument (“This relates to my thesis
because…,” “Next I will discuss a in order to show b.”)
 Paragraphs should focus on one point, which is clearly linked to the central argument
 Use a logical order of ideas and no excessive repetition
 Make sure meanings are clear and there is no need to “read between the lines”
 Use the APA citation method consistently and make sure it leads clearly to the page
and source of every word or idea taken from someone else.
 The only exceptions are matters of “common knowledge,” which require no citation.
WRITE CLEARLY
 Never use a long word where a short one will do.
 If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
 Never use the passive where you can use the active.
 Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an
everyday English equivalent.
SAFEGUARD YOUR WORK
 Defend yourself against computer failures by regularly saving your file to an external
disk.
 You must keep a copy of all work you submit. If essays are lost you must replace
them immediately.
RESEARCH CAREFULLY
 Ensure your paper is informed by relevant sources from the reading list, lectures and
class discussions.
 Use citations to demonstrate journal articles or books were consulted.
 Consider recent, related news.
AVOID PLAGIARISM
 Use of someone else’s words or ideas without proper citations is plagiarism.
 Plagiarism can ruin your career at University, and your prospects outside it.
 If you are in desperate circumstances the night before a deadline, ask for an
extension; don’t plagiarize (e-mail works day or night). The only legitimate reasons
for a late paper are medical or other uncontrollable situations
 Purchased essays are easily spotted and particularly offensive.