Research

My academic interest in unions arises from hands-on experience in the labour movement both as an active rank-and-file member and in various leadership roles. My dissertation research focuses on the impact of inter-union competition on settlements and on the dynamics of strike activity. 

In a separate research program, I explore the gender earnings gap in relation to parenthood. Specifically, I study the drop in earnings women experience after the birth of a child (i.e., the “motherhood penalty”) and how it relates to factors within the workplace and at home. 

Dissertation: Coordination, Cooperation and Competition Among Unions in Canada

My dissertation explores two empirical questions with respect to the labour movement in Canada:

In the strikes study, I argue that whether strike activity spreads depends on whether a union, observing an external strike, sees an opportunity to coordinate strike actions or an opportunity to free-ride. I use data on strike activity in Ontario to estimate a model of strike spread, and test hypotheses relating to coordination versus free-riding mechanisms as well as spread through geographic and social proximity. 

In the study on inter-union competition, I link legal cases of union conflict (i.e, "raids") to bargaining relationships and raw collective agreement files. I use an algorithm to extract wage settlement information from the collective agreements. I explore the question of how inter-union conflict affects wage settlements by estimating both a direct effect of being the subject of a raid, as well as the broader effect of being in a competitive environment. 

Studies on the Motherhood Penalty and the Gender Earnings Gap

In this research program, I study the gender earnings gap in relation to the drop in earnings women experience over the course of a first birth (i.e., the "motherhood penalty").

In one co-authored study, we explore the gender earnings gap in an organization that has already adopted equitable compensation practices. We find that despite the absence of a gender wage gap, a substantial gender earnings gap persists due to the presence of young children for women. Our results suggest that even when best practices are adopted gendered responsibilities for childcare can still drive an earnings gap, which in this setting would be unexplained without incorporating data on the timing of children. 

In another study, we document the motherhood penalty using Canadian administrative tax data linked to a longitudinal workplace and employment survey. We explore whether part of the motherhood penalty can be attributed to women moving to family-friendly firms around the time of a first birth.