The relationship between political parties and Canada's union movement is changing bringing with it "enormous" implications for both labour and working-class politics, says Larry Savage.
The Brock University Professor of Labour Studies says the shift was seen during this year's provincial and federal elections and will continue to shape the political landscape moving forward.
Brock University Professor of Labour Studies Larry Savage and Associate Professor Stephanie Ross of McMaster University received the Leo Panitch Book Prize at Canadian Associations for Work and Labour Studies award ceremony on May 29 at the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton, Ont.
"A growing number of unions are embracing an overtly transactional brand of politics, supporting whichever party is best poised to deliver concrete gains for their members such as job protections, workplace investments or training funds," Savage says. "This is regardless of traditional ideological boundaries or class cleavages."
This new focus on transactional relationships will continue to have ramifications for workers, unions and political parties, says Savage.
But the history between these groups can provide insight into its future, he adds.
Savage and Stephanie Ross of McMaster University co-authored a book last fall that provides timely analysis into this changing relationship by focusing on the political evolution of Canada's largest private sector union.
Shifting Gears: Canadian Autoworkers and the Changing Landscape of Labour Politics was recently honoured for its insights with the 2025 Leo Panitch Book Prize by the Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies a particularly proud moment for Savage and Ross, who were mentored by the award's namesake as graduate students.
Savage argues the trends tracked in Shifting Gears can help inform current and future debates on the most pressing political issues facing the labour movement.
"The book explains how we got here and also provides a framework for understanding how unions may attempt to shift gears politically in the future," he says. "It is sparking debate and discussion among union activists about political strategy in the face of a changing economic landscape."
Savage has tracked changes in organized labour's approach to parties and elections for many years and says unions moving away from "longstanding ties to left-wing social democratic parties" in recent years has left many people "puzzled."
"In February's Ontario provincial election, a number of unions including several Unifor locals endorsed the Progressive Conservatives for the first time in history," says Savage. "During April's federal election, Conservative Party support surged in blue-collar auto towns like Windsor, Ont."
Savage argues that long-held assumptions about labour and working-class politics are changing. As union members in Canada shift their voting preferences, new strategic opportunities are emerging for parties seeking support from different segments of organized labour.
With Canada facing significant political and economic uncertainty, it is unclear whether this trend will persist. However, it is evident that both external pressures and internal dynamics will continue to shape union strategies moving forward, says Savage.
