Glossary U

U
Underemployment - The condition in which people are working at jobs below their level of skill and/or are working part-time because they cannot get full-time jobs.

Underground Railroad - This was a network of safe havens for American slaves to have a chance to reach freedom in Canada. It was started possibly as early as 1786 with its most active period between 1830 and 1860. More than 50,000 slaves benefited from this loosely formed network.

Unemployment - when an individual is not employed, is looking for work, and is available for work. Unemployment is an involuntary loss of wage income. Official unemployment, or those counted in the unemployment statistics are those who cannot find paid employment, and are actively looking for a job. If a person has given up the search for a job they are not considered to be part of the labour force, and are not included in the statistics. They are not counted in the unemployment statistics. The unemployment rate in 1999 was 7.6%.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) - This federally administered program, initially called Unemployment Insurance, dates back to 1941. Extensive changes were made to UI in 1996 with Bill C-12, including a name change to Employment Insurance (EI).

Unemployment Rate - the percentage of individuals who are actively looking for work and are able to work but do not have a job, i.e., the number of unemployed individuals divided by the total number of people 15 years of age and older who have a job or are actively looking for work multiplied by 100, expressed as a percentage.

United Empire Loyalists - American Colonists who supported the British during the American Revolution. They fled to Canada after the United States defeated the British.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights – adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. Its preamble asserted that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Universality - everyone within a certain category (for example, over 65 years of age) receives benefits without a means test or a needs test. It is also one of the five principles of Medicare. Within Medicare it means care is to be provided to all residents of a province regardless of age, condition or ability to pay.

University - institution of higher education beyond the high school level, offering degree and certificate programs of study from one to four years in length, as well as post-graduate studies.

Unmasking Structures - an element of the structural social work approach, fostering an understanding of the client's living/working conditions by linking these to the primary structures of oppression (patriarchy, racism, capitalism, heterosexism).

Upper Canada - The equivalent to modern day Ontario. It was created by the Constitution Act of 1791.

Upper Canada (1791-1841) - This name was given to the western region of the province of Quebec when it was made a separate province by the Constitutional Act of 1791.

User fees - an extra fee above the scale, small charges directly to the patient for hospital and physician services.