Deck 14: The Dynamics of Labour Relations

Question 1

A bargaining book is a case history used by an arbitrator to decide a grievance.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

If an employee personally decides that the benefits will outweigh the costs of joining the union,then she or he is likely to join.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

More than 70 percent of all public employees are unionized.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Canadian employers tend to be supportive of union organizing drives.

Question 5

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

Question 6

Good faith bargaining requires that employers and union counterparts be willing to meet at any time and reasonable place to discuss proposals.

Question 7

During collective bargaining,each side normally places only their primary negotiator at the table.

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

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

Question 11

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

Question 12

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.

Question 13

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

Question 14

Mediation is the only form of third-party resolution that results in binding recommendations.

Question 15

The first step in the labour relations process is a union organizing campaign.

Question 16

Unions that represent various groups of professional and white-collar workers are called industrial unions.

Question 17

Employees are most likely to seek unionization if they believe that doing so will achieve results they cannot achieve acting individually.

Question 18

Grievance handling is more successful when supervisors are trained formally in resolving grievances.

Question 19

If employers interfere with the union certification process,the labour relations board can recognize a union regardless of the percentage of employees that have signed authorization cards.

Question 20

Labour relations boards are responsible for administering labour law.

Question 21

A grievance procedure is a formal process that is often considered the heart of a bargaining agreement.

Question 22

Joining a union is a way for employees to put leadership skills to use.

Question 23

Bargaining power consists of economic,political,and social influence to achieve demands.

Question 24

An employer's bargaining power may rest on its ability to continue its operations despite a strike by its workers.

Question 25

National unions retain most of the decision-making authority over local unions.

Question 26

Employers are obligated to negotiate in good faith with the union.

Question 27

Most labour relations activity comes from the day-to-day administration of the collective agreement.

Question 28

The minimum term of the first collective agreement after certification is three years.

Question 29

A union will not usually take a weak case to arbitration for fear of losing member support.

Question 30

In Canada,a majority of unions are certified without a vote if the labour relations board finds that at least 50 percent of employees have signed authorization cards.

Question 31

Compulsory membership provisions and dues checkoff are forms of union security.

Question 32

Unionization restricts the freedom of management to formulate HR policy unilaterally.

Question 33

The largest union in Canada is the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

Question 34

Public-sector unions contend that denying their legal right to strike reduces their power during collective bargaining.

Question 35

It is the arbitrator's responsibility to ensure that each side receives a fair hearing.

Question 36

Unionization may restrict the freedom of management in many areas.

Question 37

Compulsory binding arbitration is often available in the public sector as an acceptable way to settle collective bargaining deadlocks.

Question 38

Labour organizations are diverse in type and in structure; therefore,each may have its own mode of governance and objectives.

Question 39

If a manager or supervisor violates a labour law,an appropriate defence is that he or she was not familiar with labour legislation.

Question 40

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.

Question 41

An arbitration award should include not just a decision,but the rationale for it,in order to provide guidance for future interpretation.

Question 42

What is interest-based bargaining based upon?

A)the area within which union and management are willing to concede
B)a give-and-take philosophy
C)adversarial bargaining
D)the identification and resolution of mutual interests

Question 43

As long as employers do not object to unionization,they can influence employees to vote for one union rather than another.

Question 44

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

Question 45

Unions try to ensure that unionized employees get similar wages and benefits across unionized organizations.What is the effect of this strategy?

A)Pay equality is ensured for all male and female jobs.
B)Higher wages are removed as a source of competitive advantage.
C)Pay bands are increased.
D)Turnover increases.

Question 46

The first step in organizing begins when employees and union officials meet to explore the possibility of unionization.

Question 47

Unions influence labour legislation and HR policies and practices.

Question 48

Which of the following administers the Canada Labour Code?

A)the Supreme Court
B)the Federal Human Rights Commission
C)Canada Industrial Relations Board
D)the federal government

Question 49

Pickets may further disrupt an employer's business because one union member,such as a truck driver,may refuse to cross the other's picket line.

Question 50

Interest-based bargaining usually leads to suspicion and compromise.

Question 51

How can the bargaining power of an employer be exercised during collective bargaining?

A)through lockout of employees
B)through organizing a strike vote
C)through raising wages
D)through legal injunction

Question 52

What is the overarching reason why employees unionize?

A)to change governments
B)to advance social agendas
C)to achieve work outcomes that they cannot achieve individually
D)to advance their political views

Question 53

Unions that represent skilled craft workers are called craft unions.

Question 54

Lee Chen works is an employee of the national union.He is involved with negotiating the collective bargaining agreement with the employer for Local 1240.What is Mr.Lee's most likely job title or role?

A)a business agent
B)a union agent
C)a mediator
D)a union steward

Question 55

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

Question 56

In which of the following situations is grievance handling most successful?

A)when union stewards are selected by management
B)when supervisors are formally trained in the terms of the labour agreement and counselling skills
C)in paternalistic management systems
D)in nonunionized businesses

Question 57

A boycott is a refusal to cross a union picket line.

Question 58

The collective bargaining process may include activities such as strikes and boycotts.

Question 59

Developing likely union proposals,lists of demands,and a contingency plan for operating in the event of a strike are part of which of the following?

A)compulsory binding arbitration
B)an employer's bargaining strategy
C)a union's bargaining strategy
D)good faith bargaining

Question 60

Employees might consider organizing and joining a union an effective alternative to quitting a job in which they feel they are being treated unfairly.

Question 61

What do we call a neutral third party who resolves labour disputes by issuing a final decision that the parties must accept?

A)an arbitrator
B)a conciliator
C)a mediator
D)a chief executive officer

Question 62

Jason Thomas recently joined ABC Inc.to work on the shipping wharf as a loader.He has been told that he must join the union as a condition of employment.What is this employment provision called?

A)a union shop
B)a bully provision
C)an agency shop
D)an unfair labour practice

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT a strategy a union can use to increase its bargaining power?

A)picketing exercises
B)a strike
C)a boycott of products produced by the firm
D)a lockout

Question 64

Sasha Hernandez works for the federal government in the immigration department.Her office is located in Vancouver.Which piece of labour legislation applies to her workplace?

A)the Canada Labour Code
B)the City of Vancouver Labour Code
C)the British Columbia Labour Relations Act
D)the British Columbia Labour Relations Code

Question 65

In Ontario,what is the minimum percentage of signed authorization cards before the union can apply for a certification election?

A)30 percent
B)40 percent
C)50 percent
D)50 percent plus one

Question 66

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?

A)the Canadian Auto Workers Union
B)the Canadian Labour Congress
C)the Labour Organization
D)the Trades Union Congress

Question 67

Unions tend to hold strike votes to assess whether members are willing to go on strike for their demands.What does a high vote in favour of a strike (e.g.,95 percent)mean?

A)Management will most likely have to lock out the union.
B)The union will definitely go on strike because it has an overwhelming mandate to do so.
C)Management will lose in the bargaining.
D)The union will have strengthened its bargaining power.

Question 68

ABC Inc.has exclusive rights,as reflected in the collective agreement,to hire senior staff.What is the term used for such exclusive rights?

A)management rights
B)human rights
C)management power
D)collective bargaining rights

Question 69

What is a key benefit of the grievance procedure in unionized organizations?

A)It allows for the settlement of a dispute without strikes and lockouts.
B)It reduces turnover.
C)It is usually completed within one or two weeks.
D)It is usually used by management to settle issues related to the management rights clause.

Question 70

Which of the following labour organizations is most likely to provide professional and financial assistance during organizing drives and strikes,help negotiate labour agreements,and train union leaders?

A)a local union
B)the Department of Labour
C)Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
D)the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

Question 71

Within a bargaining unit,how many workers must vote against the union so as to decertify it?

A)40 percent,plus one
B)41 percent
C)50 percent,plus one
D)51 percent

Question 72

What is the arbitrator's responsibility in a dispute?

A)to interpret the intent of the labour agreement
B)to get the parties to work together to solve their differences
C)to mandate how the grievance will be resolved
D)to decide the case without passing judgment

Question 73

ABC Corporation and the union are locked in a dispute that they cannot resolve by themselves.Ms.Reza Shah,a third party,has been asked to help them with a binding decision.She has informed them that the final settlement will be one that either ABC Corporation or the union offers.What is this settlement an example of?

A)binding conciliation
B)compulsory binding arbitration
C)final offer arbitration
D)compulsory conciliation

Question 74

Which of the following groups do labour boards generally have representatives from?

A)third-party representatives and managers
B)academia and management
C)academia and public servants
D)labour and management

Question 75

Why might pickets prevent trucks and railcars from entering a struck business?

A)because picketing during a strike carries a legal obligation on the part of the employer to cease operations,including delivery of goods and materials
B)because unions often refuse to cross another union's picket line
C)because the union has a legal right to obstruct the business of the employer the union is striking against
D)because operators of trucks and railcars must get permission from the picketing union to enter the premises

Question 76

What type of bargaining is characterized by a "give-and-take" philosophy,where one side receives the "short end of the stick"?

A)interest-based bargaining
B)adversarial bargaining
C)results-oriented bargaining
D)cooperative bargaining

Question 77

Yorkville Tire Manufacturing Company has been experiencing really bad management-employee relations for almost two years.Jack Pratt,one of the leaders among the employees,wants to help in unionizing the employees.He has met with most of the employees.What should he do next?

A)ask the workers to go on strike to put pressure on the company
B)form an in-house organizing committee
C)appeal to a broader community-including academics and international agencies-to put pressure on the employer
D)ask the labour relations board to intervene

Question 78

A union was recently certified at ABC Corporation after 55 percent of the employees signed authorization cards for the union to represent them.There was no vote.What is this system called when unions are certified in this manner?

A)union shop
B)card-check
C)authorization system
D)mandatory unionization

Question 79

Approximately what percentage of Canadian public employees are unionized?

A)25 percent
B)50 percent
C)70 percent
D)90 percent

Question 80

The factors that arbitrators use when deciding cases are the wording of the labour agreement,the submission agreement,the testimony and evidence offered,and which of the following?

A)the truthfulness of witnesses
B)the preferences of the grievant
C)arbitration criteria or standards
D)the concept of reasonable doubt