Book Review   

Union Learning: Canadian Labour Education in the Twentieth Century

Author:  Jeffery M. Taylor, Athabasca University

Publisher:  Thompson Educational Publishing Inc., Toronto, Canada

Date:  2001

This book offers a concise overview of Canadian labour education in the twentieth century, along with the author's interpretations, conclusions and a look forward into the new millennium. Bibliographical references and an index are included. To the extent that records exist on labour union education in Canada, the book appears to be well researched. The book begins with an introduction of the basic concepts of labour education and the historical background to 1918. Each consecutive chapter then addresses a particular time period and the status and progress of labour education during the period. The book concludes with a look at the international context and the state of labour education in the year 2000.

Pictures, clips and the first chapter of the book may be viewed on the Athabasca University website.

Suggestions for Further Inquiry:

Spencer, B. (1996). Labour education for 2001. A paper prepared for Adult Education Research Conference, Florida, May 1996. Athabasca University, Canada.

Taylor, J. (1996). The solidarity network: universities, computer-mediated communication and labour studies in Canada. In T. Harrison & T. Stephen (Eds.), Computer networking and scholarly communication in the twenty-first-century university (pp. 277-290). New York: SUNY.

Verner, C. & Dickenson, G. (1974). Union education in Canada. Vancouver: UBC/Labour Canada.

Reviewed January 2004 - Pam Scott

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