Construction-phase extended commuting and uneven regional development: Work, households and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador's new extractive economy. Issue 3 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barber, Lachlan
• Is Part Of: Extractive industries and society. Volume 3:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 640
• Page End: 648
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Construction -- Global production networks -- Gender -- Long-distance commuting -- Canada; Mineral industries -- Periodicals; Gas industry -- Periodicals; Petroleum industry and trade -- Periodicals; 338.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exis.2016.07.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2214-790X

Abstract

Highlights: The construction phases of extractive industries projects in Newfoundland and Labrador rely on extended commuting. Extractive industries are central to the regional economy, but development is uneven and may not be sustainable. A Global Production Network approach attentive to labour and the transformation of places allows an understanding of the implications of the commute model for communities and households. In spite of efforts to include more women in the workforce, the commute model and other factors contribute to the persistence of the gendered dimensions of extractive industries construction employment. Abstract: Construction activity is intrinsic to the development of extractive industries infrastructure, requiring significant capital investment and large and varied workforces. The transience and temporary nature of this work, and the fact that local labour supplies do not meet demands in many resource-rich regions, have necessitated the development of a range of mobile labour practices. The specificity of such arrangements for construction phases remains underexplored. In particular, given that jobs requiring long commutes are framed as regional "industrial benefits" in resource development policy, the question of who can access these jobs is important. Focusing on Newfoundland and Labrador's construction workforce, this paper seeks to answer this question by reporting findings from qualitative research on the social and economic impacts of construction industry worker engagements with long-distance commuting in relation to industrial benefits objectives. Situating construction labour as a key upstream element in the Global Production Network (GPN) of the volatile Canadian resource sector, the article considers the logics that underpin participation in this type of employment. Building on recent work that develops a connection between long-distance commuting, global production and regional development, the article goes on reveal the gendered household-level dynamics of these arrangements.