Unit Plan
Learning from Labour
13
Vocabulary
Term
Take a ‘language moment’ to reflect on vocabulary in context. What does a word (labour, union, agency)
mean to you? Where have you heard the word and used it before? What are some other ways to use that
vocabulary? What does it mean in this context?
Agency
Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
Labour
Labour can refer to trade unions, to the group of people who perform manual work or who work for
wages, or to the act of working itself.
Labour
Standards
Labour Standards refer to Employment Standards and Health and Safety Regulations. These are laws
which govern the minimum standards and practices for all workers and work environments in the
province of Ontario. These Standards have evolved over time, often in response to gains made for
workers by unions.
Organized
labour
Organized refers to organized labour, another term for a union..
Union
A union is a democratic organization of workers which gives collective voice to workers, notably when
dealing with their employer.