NAFTA and occupational health: a Canadian perspective. North American Free Trade Agreement.

In Canada, health and safety laws are built around three worker rights which are not guaranteed by law in the United States: the right to participate in joint management-worker health and safety committees; the right to know about workplace hazards which requires consultation with the joint committee about the education and training programs; and the right to refuse hazardous work. In the context of NAFTA, health, safety and environmental laws and their enforcement, as well as the workers' compensation system, are all under attack by business leaders who cite the need to deregulate and privatize Canadian institutions in order to harmonize with the United States. The counteroffensive by the trade unions and their allies in the social justice movement is described; the struggle continues.