Deck 11: Public Sector Labour Relations

Question 1

A union dealing with a public sector employer will always know where to direct its efforts in order to influence the employer.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Employers in the public sector have the same authority and priorities as employers in the private sector.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In a designated strike the union determines who continues to work in the event of a strike.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

All bargaining units in the public sector are determined in the same manner as the public sector, by the relevant labour relations board.

Question 5

Public sector employees were not initially granted the right to unionize because they are involved in providing essential services

Question 6

Employers in the public sector do not have the same economic bottom line as private sector employers.

Question 7

There is evidence that interest arbitration leads to higher increases in compensation than increases obtained pursuant to bargaining where a strike is the final dispute resolution mechanism

Question 8

Provincial government employees were granted the right to unionize in the Public Service
Staff Relations Act.

Question 9

Interest arbitration may lead to higher increases in compensation than increases obtained in bargaining where the strike is the final dispute resolution mechanism.

Question 10

In each province there is one method to resolve contract disputes that is used for all segments of the public sector in the province.

Question 11

When public sector employees are allowed to strike, as opposed to relying on arbitration, the likelihood of the employer and the union negotiating their own agreement is increased.

Question 12

Federally regulated employees in the public sector did not have the right to unionize until

Question 13

There are limits on contract negotiation in the public sector that are not found in the private sector.

Question 14

There are more professional employees unionized in the public sector than the private sector.

Question 15

The legislative framework for labour relations in the public sector is fragmented.

Question 16

A controlled strike refers to a situation where employees are permitted to strike for a period of time and then they are legislated back to work.

Question 17

Teachers have the right to strike in all provinces.

Question 18

Union density in the public sector is over three times as high as the private sector.

Question 19

Twenty-two percent of employees in Canada work for the federal or provincial government.

Question 20

The public sector is composed of individuals who work directly for local, provincial, or federal governments.

Question 21

Which of the following is correct:

A)Most public sector employees did not have the right to organize until after 1967.
B)All public sector employees were initially covered by the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
C)Prior to the enactment of legislation that allowed public sector employees to organize, employee organizations did not exist.
D)Most provinces do not have a separate statute dealing with public sector labour relations.
E)a and c

Question 22

In the public sector contract disputes could be resolved through:

A)strikes
B)interest arbitration
C)a designated strike
D)a, b, and c
E)b and c

Question 23

When the law was changed to allow public sector employees to unionize:

A)unions grew rapidly in the public sector
B)employee associations that had previously existed were the foundation for some unions
C)no public sector employees were allowed to strike
D)a and b
E)a and c

Question 24

Labour relations in the public sector are distinctive from the private sector because:

A)employees are not allowed to strike
B)some employers can pass legislation affecting the processes used
C)there are fewer professional employees
D)public relations are less important
E)negotiations have a broader scope

Question 25

Which of the following is correct:

A)Union density is higher in the public sector than the private sector.
B)There are more female union members in the private sector than in the public sector.
C)Union density in the public sector has been declining since 1984.
D)There are more professional employees unionized in the private sector than in the public sector.
E)Union density in the public sector cannot increase in the future.

Question 26

Most public sector employees were not allowed to unionize for more than two decades after private sector employees because:

A)There was a concern that unions would have too much bargaining power.
B)Public sector employees did not want collective representation.
C)Unions did not want to organize public sector employees.
D)Employees were already adequately represented by employee associations.
E)There were not enough public sector employees to organize.

Question 27

A potential problem with the designated or controlled strike is that the union and employer may not be able to agree on the employees who should be deemed essential.

Question 28

What percentage of the Canadian labour force works in the public sector:

A)32 percent
B)28 percent
C)24 percent
D)20 percent
E)16 percent

Question 29

The public sector is composed of:

A)the employees of government enterprises
B)employees of the municipal, federal, and provincial governments
C)persons employed in health, education, and social services
D)a and b
E)a, b, and c

Question 30

Which of the following provided federal public sector employees the right to unionize:

A)Wagner Act, 1935
B)PC 1003, 1944
C)Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, 1948
D)Public Service Staff Relations Act, 1967
E)Government Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1967

Question 31

Which of the following is correct:

A)Most public sector employees were not allowed to unionize until more than two decades after private sector employees.
B)Most private sector employees were not allowed to unionize until more than two decades after public sector employees.
C)Most municipal employees are covered by private sector labour relations legislation.
D)Teachers were the first public sector employees who were allowed to unionize.
E)a and c

Question 32

Which of the following is correct regarding negotiation of collective agreements in the public sector:

A)The scope of bargaining is broader than in the private sector.
B)There are no mandatory terms for the collective agreement.
C)More contract disputes have been ended by back-to-work legislation than in the private sector.
D)Negotiation tends to be more decentralized than in the private sector.
E)c and d

Question 33

The Public Service Labour Relations Act provides that:

A)Employees do not have the right to strike.
B)The union must choose between a strike and arbitration as a dispute settlement mechanism before each round of negotiations.
C)The union must choose between a strikes and arbitration as the dispute settlement mechanism after the union is certified, and the election is permanent.
D)Arbitration is used to settle all interest disputes.
E)Conciliation is not required.

Question 34

It is generally accepted that interest arbitration is the best way to resolve contract disputes in the public sector.

Question 35

Which of the following provided all public sector employees the right to unionize:

A)Wagner Act, 1935
B)PC 1003, 1944
C)Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, 1948
D)Public Service Staff Relations Act, 1967
E)none of the above

Question 36

There is evidence that managers and labour leaders in the public sector have different views on the state of labour relations.

Question 37

Which of the following is a potential advantage of a designated strike:

A)Compared to interest arbitration it increases the likelihood of voluntary settlement.
B)It is the method of dispute resolution that minimizes disruption to the public.
C)There is a built in incentive for any strike to be shorter than would be the case if there was an unrestricted strike.
D)It avoids any loss of services to the public.
E)It is the most efficient dispute resolution mechanism available.

Question 38

Which of the following is (are) correct regarding unionization in the public sector:

A)The public sector was unionized before the private sector.
B)Union density is higher in the private sector than in the public sector.
C)The percentage of union members who are female is higher in the public sector than in the private sector.
D)a and c
E)b and c

Question 39

Which of the following is correct regarding an essential services agreement:

A)It provides that no employee in the bargaining unit can strike.
B)It provides that arbitration is used to resolve a contract dispute.
C)It is negotiated by the union and the employer.
D)It is dictated by the minister responsible for labour relations.
E)Unions prefer that a larger number of employees be designated as essential.

Question 40

Most governments that have relied upon back-to-work legislation to resolve public sector contract disputes have suffered adverse political consequences.

Question 41

Outline three reasons for the importance of the public sector.

Question 42

When interest arbitration, an unrestricted strike, and a controlled strike are compared which of the following is correct:

A)Interest arbitration increases the likelihood of a voluntary settlement.
B)Interest arbitration involves the negotiation of an essential services agreement.
C)Back to work legislation is required to end a controlled strike.
D)The controlled strike eliminates the loss of any services.
E)The unrestricted strike increases the likelihood of a voluntary settlement.

Question 43

Explain the difference in the "bottom line" between the public and private sectors and elaborate on the significance of this difference for unions and employers.

Question 44

Identify three reasons why collective bargaining rights were provided to employees in the private sector before most employees in the public sector.

Question 45

Which of the following has been a recent trend in public sector labour relations:

A)a more optimistic approach to labour relations on the part of union leaders
B)adoption of mutual gains bargaining
C)increased use of interest arbitration
D)reduced concerns regarding government debt levels
E)legislation to impose collective agreement terms

Question 46

Which of the following is correct regarding alternative contract dispute resolution mechanisms in the public sector:

A)Chilling and narcotic effects are associated with a designated strike.
B)Chilling and narcotic effects are associated with interest arbitration.
C)A strike decreases the likelihood of a negotiated settlement.
D)A designated strike avoids all disruption to the public.
E)Interest arbitration involves the negotiation of an essential services agreement.

Question 47

Identify and contrast three methods to resolve contract disputes in the public sector.

Question 48

Explain three distinctive features of labour relations in the public sector.

Question 49

A recent trend in public sector labour relations is the reliance on legislation by governments.Explain the reasons for and the significance of this trend.