Kelly Pike
School of Human Resource Management
Associate Professor
Office: Atkinson Building, 150M
Ext: 22939
Email: kpike@yorku.ca
Attached CV
Media Requests Welcome
Accepting New Graduate Students
Kelly Pike specializes in the role of worker voice and participation in the regulation of international labour standards, with a particular focus on the global garment industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her research contributes to the literature on regulating labour in global value chains. Her most recent publications appear in ILR Review; Gender, Work and Organization; Journal of Developing Societies; and the ILO Better Work Discussion Paper series.
Kelly spent her 2022-23 academic year as a York-Massey Fellow (Visiting Scholar) at Massey College in Toronto and currently holds a Visiting Scholar position at the Global Labor Institute at Cornell University's ILR School.
Kelly is a partner in the COVID homeworking by university staff survey (CHUSS) project, an international research collaboration between 14 universities in Canada and Australia examining the impacts of COVID-19 on work and life outcomes for faculty and staff.
In 2018-19, Kelly was a major research partner on the project Decent Work Regulation in Africa, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund, in partnership with colleagues in the UK and South Africa. A central aim of the project was to establish a regional network of researchers and policy-makers who have an interest in effect labour regulation.
Kelly also works part-time as a consultant for the International Labour Office, having recently evaluated the impacts of the Workplace Cooperation Program (i.e. Better Work Academy) which was piloted in collaboration with a major brand-name retailer in the global garment industry. The goal of the program is to improve workplace cooperation and train workers and managers to more effectively resolve non-compliance issues.
Additional leadership and advisory roles include her recent service (2018-19) as Interim Director of the Global Labour Research Centre at York, and as a current member of the CETA Canadian Domestic Advisory Group for Labour.
Kelly’s publications include articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, book reviews, as well as several technical reports, research briefs and discussion papers for the ILO. Her most recent publications appear in ILR Review; Gender, Work and Organization; Journal of Developing Societies; and the ILO Better Work Discussion Paper Series.
Prior to her current appointment in the School of HRM, Kelly was a CLA in Work and Labour Studies at York. During that time she appeared several times on CBC Windsor News at 6 for comment on local labour disputes.
In addition to research and policy work, Kelly is committed to teaching and mentoring students. She currently teaches courses in Industrial Relations, Negotiations, and Qualitative Research Methods.
Degrees
PhD, Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor RelationsProfessional Leadership
President, Canadian Industrial Relations Association (2023-present)
Interim Graduate Program Director, School of Human Resource Management (2023-24)
Interim Director, Global Labour Research Centre, York University (2018-19)
Community Contributions
CETA Canadian Domestic Advisory Group for Labour
Research Interests
- YUFA Teaching-Learning Development Grant - 2019
- Dean's Award for Research Excellence - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- LA&PS Minor Research Grant - 2017, 2019
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
- YUFA Teaching-Learning Development Grant - 2019
- Dean's Award for Research Excellence - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- LA&PS Minor Research Grant - 2017, 2019
This study follows the implementation and evaluation of initiatives to prevent sexual harassment in four garment-producing countries. The first wave of research was conducted in 2022. A follow-up impact assessment is being conducted in 2023. THe project examines both traditional methods of training across the countries, as well as a virtual reality pilot project in Indonesia.
Start Date:
- Month: Sep Year: 2022
End Date:
- Month: May Year: 2024
Collaborator: Tinu Koithara Mathew
Collaborator Institution: York University
Collaborator Role: Research Associate
Funders:
International Labour Organization
-
Summary:
The goal of this project is to investigate the impact of current working arrangements at York University (among academic and administrative staff), arising from adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description:https://glrc.info.yorku.ca/covid-19-and-the-world-of-work/impacts-on-faculty-and-staff/
Start Date:
- Month: Mar Year: 2020
-
Summary:
The project on Decent Work Regulation in Africa is a collaboration between Durham University (UK), the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and York University (Canada). DWR-Africa is led by Professor Deirdre McCann of Durham Law School and funded through the UK Global Challenges Research Fund. A central aim of the Project is to establish a Regional Network of researchers and policy-makers with an interest in effective labour regulation. DWR-Africa responds to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. To achieve this objective, effective labour regulation is crucial. Strong labour laws are a vital component of development policies, capable of supporting inclusive growth, sustainable prosperity, and the wellbeing of workers and their families. Yet the regulatory strategies that can effectively achieve decent work – especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) – have yet to be designed.
A Pilot Project on Enforcing Labour Laws in Southern Africa is being led by Dr Shane Godfrey of the Institute of Development and Labour Law, University of Cape Town and Professor Kelly Pike of the School of Human Resource Management, York University, Toronto. The project aims to better understand the limitations and strengths of multi-stakeholder models in South Africa and Lesotho. The focus is on whether these models provide a better way to enforce labour rights. To investigate this question, fieldwork was carried out in the garment sectors in South Africa and Lesotho during 2018. This research involved interviews with stakeholders in both countries including government officials, employers, unions, NGOs and other local initiatives, and workers themselves.
Description:https://www.dur.ac.uk/law/policyengagement/ufw/africa/project/
Collaborator: Deirdre McCann; Shane Godfrey
Collaborator Institution: Durham University; University of Cape Town
Collaborator Role: Principal Investigator; Co-Investigator
Funders:
Durham University, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Global Challenges Research Fund
-
Summary:
The Workplace Cooperation Program is an initiative of the International Labour Office (ILO) and a major retailer in the global garment industry. The program aims at training workers and managers to more effectively address and resolve non-compliance issues. This project serves as an evaluation of the program.
Description:Phase 1 (2017) evaluation efforts focused on the training itself, including both the materials used as well as receiving/delivering the training. The purpose was to identify the key strengths and potential problem areas, with suggestions for future improvements. Phase 2 (2018) evaluation efforts are focused on impacts on the factory floor, and whether the training has translated into improvements for workers.
Funders:
ILO
Pike, Kelly. (2019). “Women’s Work in Kenya’s Athi River EPZ: Opportunity or Exploitation?” In B. English, M. Frederickson, and O. Sanmiguel-Valderrama (eds.), Global Women’s Work: Perspectives on Gender and Work in the Global Economy. London and New York: Routledge.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2015) Access to Justice in Employment Arbitration? In Samuel Estreicher and Joy Radice (eds.), Beyond Elite Law – Access to Justice in America. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2014) Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for Better Work in Lesotho’s Apparel Sector. In A. Rossi, A. Luinstra and J. Pickles (eds.), Towards Better Work: Understanding Labour in Apparel Global Value Chains. Geneva and Basingstoke: ILO and Palgrave Macmillan.
Pike, Kelly. (2017) Review of Labour Regulation and Development: Socio-Legal Perspectives. By Shelley Marshall and Colin Fenwick, in Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 70(4): 1060-1062.
Pike, Kelly. (2012) Review of From Servants to Workers: South African Domestic Workers and the Democratic State by Shireen Ally, in Journal of Comparative Labor Law and Policy, 34(2): 557-561.
Pike, Kelly and Beth English (2021). And Roses Too: How the Better Work program facilitates gender empowerment in global supply chains. Gender, Work and Organization 29(1): 188-204.
Pike, Kelly (2020). Dialogue and Coordination: How hybrid models can strengthen labor standards enforcement. Journal of Developing Societies. DOI: 10.1177/0169796X20924577
Pike, Kelly. (2020). Voice in Supply Chains: Does the 'Better Work' program lead to improvements in labor standards compliance? ILR Review. DOI: 10.1177/0019793920911905
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2014) Saturns and Rickshaws Revisited: What Kind of Employment Arbitration System has Developed? Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution 29(1): 59-83.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2013) “Beyond Baby-Splitting: Arbitrator Decision-Making Patterns in Employment Cases.” Dispute Resolution Journal 68(2): 57-67.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2012) The Impact of Case and Arbitrator Characteristics on Employment Arbitration Outcomes. Canadian Industrial Relations Association Conference Proceedings, Quebec City, Quebec, May 2010.
Pike, Kelly. (2009) Depending on the Angle: Perspectives on conflict and workplace climate. 22nd Annual International Association for Conflict Management Conference Proceedings, Kyoto, Japan, June 2009.
Pike, Kelly. (2016) “Better Work Five Years Later: Worker perspectives on labour standards compliance in the final year of Better Work Lesotho.” International Labour Office.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2015) “Two Sides to Better Work: A comparative analysis of worker and management perceptions of the impact of Better Work.” International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2015. Better Work Discussion Paper, No.20.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2015) Worker and Management Perceptions of the Impact of Better Work Lesotho. ILO-IFC. Better Work Research Brief.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2012) Corporate Social Responsibility and the Worker Stakeholder. International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2012. Better Work Discussion Paper; No.7.
Pike, Kelly. (2012) Better Work Lesotho: Garment Industry Baseline Report: Worker Perspectives from the Factory and Beyond. International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2012
Pike, Kelly and Beth English. (2020). Better Work beyond the workplace: A comparative study of gender dynamics in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Lesotho, and Vietnam. International Labour Office. Better Work Discussion Paper, No.35.
Godfrey, S., Collier, D., McCann, D., Pike, K., Ronnie, R., & Osiki, A. (2019). Developmental Enforcement? Challenges to public and private enforcement of labour standards in the South African and Lesotho garment sectors. A report of the Decent Work Regulation in Africa Project, funded by the UK Global Challenges Research Fund. June 2019.
Pike, Kelly. (2017). Meeting Targets: Evaluating Phase 1 of the Better Work-X Partnership on Workplace Cooperation. International Labour Office. August 2017. Internal circulation only.
Pike, Kelly. (2017). Meeting Targets: Evaluating Phase 1 of the Better Work-X Partnership on Workplace Cooperation. International Labour Office. August 2017. Internal circulation only.
A short documentary on our work in Lesotho - Rethabile’s Story. Directed and produced by Dreamscope TV, the documentary is narrated by Rethabile Ratsiu, a former factory worker in Maseru, Lesotho, who introduces us to working life in the garment factories and her involvement in the Decent Work Regulation Project. The film highlights the work of the project in Lesotho, where we are supporting local partners to work towards more effective implementation of labour rights. This project is a collaboration between the National University of Lesotho, University of Cape Town, Durham University, York University Toronto and our local partners. We hope that it will contribute to the public debate on how regulation can promote decent work in Lesotho and beyond. The full version of the film was launched on 8 July 2019 at the Regulating for Decent Work Conference, held at the International Labour Office. Here is a 4-minute video with highlights from the event in Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8cvf0f6fcA&feature=youtu.be
The film also screened at the Global Labour Research Centre at York University on 20 November 2019, and at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival on 23 November 2019.
Approach to Teaching
HRM 3422 Industrial Relations
HRM 4490 Negotiations
HRM 7010 Qualitative Research Methods
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/HRM3422 3.0 | A | Industrial Relations | ONLN |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | AP/HRM3422 3.0 | M | Industrial Relations | ONLN |
| Winter 2025 | GS/HRM7010 3.0 | M | Qualitative Research Methods & Processes | ONLN |
Kelly Pike specializes in the role of worker voice and participation in the regulation of international labour standards, with a particular focus on the global garment industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her research contributes to the literature on regulating labour in global value chains. Her most recent publications appear in ILR Review; Gender, Work and Organization; Journal of Developing Societies; and the ILO Better Work Discussion Paper series.
Kelly spent her 2022-23 academic year as a York-Massey Fellow (Visiting Scholar) at Massey College in Toronto and currently holds a Visiting Scholar position at the Global Labor Institute at Cornell University's ILR School.
Kelly is a partner in the COVID homeworking by university staff survey (CHUSS) project, an international research collaboration between 14 universities in Canada and Australia examining the impacts of COVID-19 on work and life outcomes for faculty and staff.
In 2018-19, Kelly was a major research partner on the project Decent Work Regulation in Africa, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund, in partnership with colleagues in the UK and South Africa. A central aim of the project was to establish a regional network of researchers and policy-makers who have an interest in effect labour regulation.
Kelly also works part-time as a consultant for the International Labour Office, having recently evaluated the impacts of the Workplace Cooperation Program (i.e. Better Work Academy) which was piloted in collaboration with a major brand-name retailer in the global garment industry. The goal of the program is to improve workplace cooperation and train workers and managers to more effectively resolve non-compliance issues.
Additional leadership and advisory roles include her recent service (2018-19) as Interim Director of the Global Labour Research Centre at York, and as a current member of the CETA Canadian Domestic Advisory Group for Labour.
Kelly’s publications include articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, book reviews, as well as several technical reports, research briefs and discussion papers for the ILO. Her most recent publications appear in ILR Review; Gender, Work and Organization; Journal of Developing Societies; and the ILO Better Work Discussion Paper Series.
Prior to her current appointment in the School of HRM, Kelly was a CLA in Work and Labour Studies at York. During that time she appeared several times on CBC Windsor News at 6 for comment on local labour disputes.
In addition to research and policy work, Kelly is committed to teaching and mentoring students. She currently teaches courses in Industrial Relations, Negotiations, and Qualitative Research Methods.
Degrees
PhD, Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor RelationsProfessional Leadership
President, Canadian Industrial Relations Association (2023-present)
Interim Graduate Program Director, School of Human Resource Management (2023-24)
Interim Director, Global Labour Research Centre, York University (2018-19)
Community Contributions
CETA Canadian Domestic Advisory Group for Labour
Research Interests
Awards
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
This study follows the implementation and evaluation of initiatives to prevent sexual harassment in four garment-producing countries. The first wave of research was conducted in 2022. A follow-up impact assessment is being conducted in 2023. THe project examines both traditional methods of training across the countries, as well as a virtual reality pilot project in Indonesia.
Project Type: FundedRole: Project Lead
Start Date:
- Month: Sep Year: 2022
End Date:
- Month: May Year: 2024
Collaborator: Tinu Koithara Mathew
Collaborator Institution: York University
Collaborator Role: Research Associate
Funders:
International Labour Organization
-
Summary:
The goal of this project is to investigate the impact of current working arrangements at York University (among academic and administrative staff), arising from adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description:https://glrc.info.yorku.ca/covid-19-and-the-world-of-work/impacts-on-faculty-and-staff/
Project Type: Self-FundedRole: York University Research Lead
Start Date:
- Month: Mar Year: 2020
-
Summary:
The project on Decent Work Regulation in Africa is a collaboration between Durham University (UK), the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and York University (Canada). DWR-Africa is led by Professor Deirdre McCann of Durham Law School and funded through the UK Global Challenges Research Fund. A central aim of the Project is to establish a Regional Network of researchers and policy-makers with an interest in effective labour regulation. DWR-Africa responds to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. To achieve this objective, effective labour regulation is crucial. Strong labour laws are a vital component of development policies, capable of supporting inclusive growth, sustainable prosperity, and the wellbeing of workers and their families. Yet the regulatory strategies that can effectively achieve decent work – especially in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) – have yet to be designed.
A Pilot Project on Enforcing Labour Laws in Southern Africa is being led by Dr Shane Godfrey of the Institute of Development and Labour Law, University of Cape Town and Professor Kelly Pike of the School of Human Resource Management, York University, Toronto. The project aims to better understand the limitations and strengths of multi-stakeholder models in South Africa and Lesotho. The focus is on whether these models provide a better way to enforce labour rights. To investigate this question, fieldwork was carried out in the garment sectors in South Africa and Lesotho during 2018. This research involved interviews with stakeholders in both countries including government officials, employers, unions, NGOs and other local initiatives, and workers themselves.
Description:https://www.dur.ac.uk/law/policyengagement/ufw/africa/project/
Project Type: FundedRole: Co-Investigator
Collaborator: Deirdre McCann; Shane Godfrey
Collaborator Institution: Durham University; University of Cape Town
Collaborator Role: Principal Investigator; Co-Investigator
Funders:
Durham University, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Global Challenges Research Fund
-
Summary:
The Workplace Cooperation Program is an initiative of the International Labour Office (ILO) and a major retailer in the global garment industry. The program aims at training workers and managers to more effectively address and resolve non-compliance issues. This project serves as an evaluation of the program.
Description:Phase 1 (2017) evaluation efforts focused on the training itself, including both the materials used as well as receiving/delivering the training. The purpose was to identify the key strengths and potential problem areas, with suggestions for future improvements. Phase 2 (2018) evaluation efforts are focused on impacts on the factory floor, and whether the training has translated into improvements for workers.
Project Type: FundedRole: Project Lead
Funders:
ILO
All Publications
Pike, Kelly. (2019). “Women’s Work in Kenya’s Athi River EPZ: Opportunity or Exploitation?” In B. English, M. Frederickson, and O. Sanmiguel-Valderrama (eds.), Global Women’s Work: Perspectives on Gender and Work in the Global Economy. London and New York: Routledge.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2015) Access to Justice in Employment Arbitration? In Samuel Estreicher and Joy Radice (eds.), Beyond Elite Law – Access to Justice in America. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2014) Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for Better Work in Lesotho’s Apparel Sector. In A. Rossi, A. Luinstra and J. Pickles (eds.), Towards Better Work: Understanding Labour in Apparel Global Value Chains. Geneva and Basingstoke: ILO and Palgrave Macmillan.
Pike, Kelly. (2017) Review of Labour Regulation and Development: Socio-Legal Perspectives. By Shelley Marshall and Colin Fenwick, in Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 70(4): 1060-1062.
Pike, Kelly. (2012) Review of From Servants to Workers: South African Domestic Workers and the Democratic State by Shireen Ally, in Journal of Comparative Labor Law and Policy, 34(2): 557-561.
Pike, Kelly and Beth English (2021). And Roses Too: How the Better Work program facilitates gender empowerment in global supply chains. Gender, Work and Organization 29(1): 188-204.
Pike, Kelly (2020). Dialogue and Coordination: How hybrid models can strengthen labor standards enforcement. Journal of Developing Societies. DOI: 10.1177/0169796X20924577
Pike, Kelly. (2020). Voice in Supply Chains: Does the 'Better Work' program lead to improvements in labor standards compliance? ILR Review. DOI: 10.1177/0019793920911905
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2014) Saturns and Rickshaws Revisited: What Kind of Employment Arbitration System has Developed? Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution 29(1): 59-83.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2013) “Beyond Baby-Splitting: Arbitrator Decision-Making Patterns in Employment Cases.” Dispute Resolution Journal 68(2): 57-67.
Colvin, Alexander J.S. and Kelly Pike. (2012) The Impact of Case and Arbitrator Characteristics on Employment Arbitration Outcomes. Canadian Industrial Relations Association Conference Proceedings, Quebec City, Quebec, May 2010.
Pike, Kelly. (2009) Depending on the Angle: Perspectives on conflict and workplace climate. 22nd Annual International Association for Conflict Management Conference Proceedings, Kyoto, Japan, June 2009.
Pike, Kelly. (2016) “Better Work Five Years Later: Worker perspectives on labour standards compliance in the final year of Better Work Lesotho.” International Labour Office.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2015) “Two Sides to Better Work: A comparative analysis of worker and management perceptions of the impact of Better Work.” International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2015. Better Work Discussion Paper, No.20.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2015) Worker and Management Perceptions of the Impact of Better Work Lesotho. ILO-IFC. Better Work Research Brief.
Pike, Kelly and Shane Godfrey. (2012) Corporate Social Responsibility and the Worker Stakeholder. International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2012. Better Work Discussion Paper; No.7.
Pike, Kelly. (2012) Better Work Lesotho: Garment Industry Baseline Report: Worker Perspectives from the Factory and Beyond. International Labour Office. Geneva: ILO 2012
Pike, Kelly and Beth English. (2020). Better Work beyond the workplace: A comparative study of gender dynamics in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Lesotho, and Vietnam. International Labour Office. Better Work Discussion Paper, No.35.
Godfrey, S., Collier, D., McCann, D., Pike, K., Ronnie, R., & Osiki, A. (2019). Developmental Enforcement? Challenges to public and private enforcement of labour standards in the South African and Lesotho garment sectors. A report of the Decent Work Regulation in Africa Project, funded by the UK Global Challenges Research Fund. June 2019.
Pike, Kelly. (2017). Meeting Targets: Evaluating Phase 1 of the Better Work-X Partnership on Workplace Cooperation. International Labour Office. August 2017. Internal circulation only.
Pike, Kelly. (2017). Meeting Targets: Evaluating Phase 1 of the Better Work-X Partnership on Workplace Cooperation. International Labour Office. August 2017. Internal circulation only.
A short documentary on our work in Lesotho - Rethabile’s Story. Directed and produced by Dreamscope TV, the documentary is narrated by Rethabile Ratsiu, a former factory worker in Maseru, Lesotho, who introduces us to working life in the garment factories and her involvement in the Decent Work Regulation Project. The film highlights the work of the project in Lesotho, where we are supporting local partners to work towards more effective implementation of labour rights. This project is a collaboration between the National University of Lesotho, University of Cape Town, Durham University, York University Toronto and our local partners. We hope that it will contribute to the public debate on how regulation can promote decent work in Lesotho and beyond. The full version of the film was launched on 8 July 2019 at the Regulating for Decent Work Conference, held at the International Labour Office. Here is a 4-minute video with highlights from the event in Geneva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8cvf0f6fcA&feature=youtu.be
The film also screened at the Global Labour Research Centre at York University on 20 November 2019, and at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival on 23 November 2019.
Approach to Teaching
HRM 3422 Industrial Relations
HRM 4490 Negotiations
HRM 7010 Qualitative Research Methods
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/HRM3422 3.0 | A | Industrial Relations | ONLN |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | AP/HRM3422 3.0 | M | Industrial Relations | ONLN |
| Winter 2025 | GS/HRM7010 3.0 | M | Qualitative Research Methods & Processes | ONLN |
