Exam 14: The Dynamics of Labour Relations

What happens when the labour relations board is satisfied that the union has the required membership support for union formation?

Unions influence labour legislation and HR policies and practices.

What are the primary reasons for employee unionization?

Union stewards are full-time employees at the workplace and generally are not paid by the union.

A strike vote by union members does not always mean a strike will take place.

Management rights are those decisions over which management claims exclusive rights.

What is interest-based bargaining based upon?

Gary Walters has applied for a job at a factory. He was told that he has to join the union if he wants the job. What do you call this provision in the collective agreement?

Public employees unionize for very different reasons than their private-sector counterparts.

Agency shops provide for voluntary union membership, but require all bargaining unit members to pay union dues and fees.

Scenario 14.1 Boat Xpress, a Canadian shipping firm, has been treating employees unfairly for decades. Employees work full-time hours but are hired as part-timers with no benefits other than 4 percent vacation pay. Health and safety standards are non-existent, and the list goes on. Employees have tried to organize before, but management fired them and threatened the remaining workers. A new employee decided that the working conditions are intolerable and wants to get other employees organized in order to obtain union representation. All employees now believe that their interests will be better served with collective agreements. -Refer to Scenario 14.1. Why do workers at Boat Xpress want to organize in a union?

The Canada Industrial Relations Board administers and enforces the Canada Labour Code.

Arbitration hearings are formal court proceedings, held in a court of law.

Which of these statements best describes unionization rates in Canada over the past few decades?

Both employers and unions can be accused of an unfair labour practice.

In collective bargaining, what does the term "bread-and-butter issues" reflect?

It is possible for a union to be decertified if the majority of bargaining unit members decide they would rather be represented by another union.

As a manager of XYZ Company, you would most likely expect an organizing drive to be started by your employees rather than a union organizer.

In the United States, the key central federation of unions is called the AFL-CIO. In Canada, what is the name of the organization that does similar work?

Which clause holds that "management's authority is supreme in all matters except those conceded in the collective agreement or in those areas where its authority is restricted by law"?