Labour laws, rights and organizing have changed significantly in the last half century, and even more so since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased intrusion of AI into our lives and work.

Led by Local Journalism Initiative labour reporter Isaac Phan Nay, The Tyee’s coverage of this rapidly transforming world of work has included airline workers, miners, library workers, Amazon warehouse employees, BC Ferries workers, university custodial staff, forestry workers, posties, lab workers, seafarers and gig workers. It’s all a reminder of how much labour undergirds and relates to every facet of our lives.

On this Labour Day, read some of our stories from this year on the emerging struggles and questions for labour across B.C. This reporting is supported by our Builder members. You can join them here.

Yuriy Umansky was one of more than 200,000 Ukrainians who arrived in Canada under a special visa offering safe harbour until danger back home passed. But as Umansky wrote in The Tyee, "Safe in Canada, challenges lay ahead."

From the loneliness of renting in a quiet Surrey suburb, to struggling to find work despite years of professional experience in Crimea, to wondering whether a ceasefire will send you home after you've fallen in love with Canada — finding refuge can be a lifesaver, but that doesn’t make it comfortable, or permanent.

In this five-part series, Umansky shares notes on culture shock, the search for shelter and work and — in his final dispatch — whether he wants to stay in Canada at all.

This series is supported by funding from the Hummingbird Foundation.

From Alaska to California, people are pouring their smarts and hearts into successful enterprises that are low carbon and locally rooted. They’re employing and training, producing and sustaining.

So The Tyee created a whole new section to tell their stories and share best practices for a healthy bioregion. We call it What Works. It’s where you’ll find regular reports on the business of creating what works for a better future.

Interested in this project? Read more about What Works or contact us to be involved.