Recruitment for the National Assembly on Workplace Democracy begins in July

Labour market deregulation has come at the cost of workers’ influence and wellbeing. Layoffs, stagnant wages, and work intensification are no longer business survival mechanisms but profit maximization strategies where greater profits are seen by business shareholders, and fewer workplace protections and incentives are seen by workers. Despite government efforts to mitigate the decline of quality jobs and job security, worker voice – the means by which employees have a say, formally or informally, collectively or individually, to influence organizational decision-making over issues that affect them – has significantly deteriorated.

​Public policy that better protects worker voice would help counter existing power imbalances between workers and employers, and, in just a few short weeks, the organizers of the National Assembly On Workplace Democracy will begin recruiting everyday Canadians to develop recommendations for Employment and Social Development Canada. The tentative timeline for the Assembly’s activities include:

• JULY 2024: A civic lottery conducted via mail to recruit a representative group of 36 Canadians from 15,000 randomly selected households across the country.
• AUGUST: The completion of a pre-survey by potential Citizens' Assembly members regarding their experience of voice in the workplace.
• SEPTEMBER:  The selection and finalization of the Citizens' Assembly membership.
• OCTOBER: A series of meetings from the 27th to 30th for members to discuss worker voice, identify the voice gaps that exist in Canada, and produce policy recommendations to minimize these gaps and help workers play a more active role in decisions that affect them.
• NOVEMBER: The completion of a post-survey to measure the impact of the Assembly on participants’ personal wellbeing.
• WINTER 2025: Regional forums across Canada, held in collaboration with academic/industry partners and key stakeholders regarding the Assembly’s findings and the imminent release of its final report.