Deck 5: The Organizing Campaign

Question 1

Which of the following is not a criterion used in assessing whether a managerial position should be included in the bargaining unit during the certification process?

A) Whether the position is responsible for production or operations
B) Whether the position has the authority to hire, fire, or discipline
C) Whether the position has access to confidential information
D) Whether the position requires a substantial amount of travel

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following provincial labour legislation does not contain a definition of employer?

A) Nova Scotia
B) Ontario
C) Quebec
D) British Columbia

Answer 2

B

Question 3

An American study suggested that unemployment rates had an impact on the probability of successful unionization attempts. What was the conclusion?

A) That high unemployment increases the probability of unionization
B) That high unemployment decreases the probability of unionization
C) That there is no discernable impact
D) Unemployment would have to reach 10 percent to affect interest in unionization

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following workplace trends have made it more difficult to determine who should be excluded from a bargaining unit by virtue of their managerial role?

A) Job titles say nothing about the work
B) Term/ contract hiring
C) Expansion of organizations
D) Significant numbers of educated people in the present workforce

Question 5

Which of the following is not a concern of employees in assessing whether or not a union would be in their best interests?

A) Lack of opportunity for worker participation
B) Lack of cooperation with management in decision-making
C) Disrespect of coworkers
D) Dissatisfaction with opportunities for promotion

Question 6

Generally, there are four classifications of factors that influence a person's decision to support a union. Which of the following is not one of the classifications?

A) Personal factors
B) Workplace factors
C) Political factors
D) Societal factors

Question 7

Which of the following has little or no effect on an employee's decision to support a union?

A) Union-related attitudes of others in the workplace
B) The attitudes of supervisors and managers
C) The wishes of family members
D) The employees' socio-economic standing

Question 8

A general policy in labour legislation is that unions should only represent non-managerial employees. Which of the following is not a reason for this policy?

A) Managers make more money than frontline workers and thus have no reason to be unionized
B) It would be a conflict of interest for a manager to discipline a fellow union member
C) A union is entitled to be established and administered without employer interference
D) Managers have access to confidential material

Question 9

Under which of these circumstances will a labour relations board consider an application for certification with less than the required percentage of support?

A) If the union can show that the employer intimidated employees
B) If it is shown that the union intimidated employees
C) Under no circumstances will labour relations boards consider such an application
D) If the Minister of Labour opts to waive the minimum requirement

Question 10

Which of the following is not one of the difficulties in dealing with a bargaining unit that is too large?

A) Communicating with the entire membership
B) Achieving consensus on issues
C) Collecting union dues
D) Having to address a wider range of issues because there are more individual concerns

Question 11

What is the least likely course of action for a government that is pro-union with regard to legislation governing the certification process?

A) Raise the level of support required for a certification application
B) Reduce the level of support required for a certification application
C) Introduce mechanisms for automatic certification
D) Ensure that legislation prohibits the use of unfair labour practices

Question 12

The principle of 'community of interest' underlies which two of three considerations in determining whether a bargaining unit is appropriate?

A) Definition of an employee and managerial and non-managerial employees
B) Size and location and size of company
C) Definition of employee and job titles
D) Managerial employees and non-managerial employees.

Question 13

What is the most common reason why employees consider joining a union?

A) Dissatisfaction with compensation levels
B) Dissatisfaction with workplace conditions
C) Pressure from friends and family
D) Lack of respect for seniority

Question 14

Which of the following is not a criterion for an employee to be excluded from the bargaining unit as an exempt employee?

A) The performance of work involving administrative support to top managers
B) Access to employment records
C) Responsibility for the scheduling of certain operations
D) Involvement in the preparation of plans for collective bargaining

Question 15

The question of who is an employee is important in determining who should be included in the bargaining unit. Which of the following makes the employment relationship of today more variable than in the past?

A) Today's marketplace is characterized by job security
B) Contract work
C) Benefits plans exist for everyone
D) Independent work directed by the employer

Question 16

During an organizing campaign, which of the following statements holds

A) During the campaign, employers must provide a location for meetings
B) Employees may meet during working hours, provided such meetings do not interfere with the company's operations
C) Only in rare circumstances do either of the parties engage in unfair labour practices
D) In the early stages of the campaign, it is advisable to keep secret the identity of those attending the meetings

Question 17

What is the minimum level of support required for automatic certification to be granted under the federal labour code?

A) 50% + 1 of all employees
B) 50% of all employees
C) 50% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit
D) 50% + 1 of employees in the proposed bargaining unit

Question 18

Who must initiate the first step in an attempt to organize a union?

A) The union
B) The employees
C) Either the union or the employees
D) The Ministry of Labour

Question 19

Every certification application must contain a description of the bargaining unit that the proposed union is seeking to represent. Generally that description contains what information?

A) A list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of employees to be included in the bargaining unit
B) A list of job titles to be included in the bargaining unit
C) A list of names of those employees to be excluded from the bargaining unit
D) All of the above

Question 20

What is the minimum level of support required for a certification application in the Province of Ontario?

A) 35% of all employees
B) 35% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit
C) 40% of all employees
D) 40% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit

Question 21

Canadian studies show that the requirement for mandatory workplace votes for certification applications

A) Results in multi-vote processes
B) Strengthens the resolve of employees to unionize
C) Ensures that all of the issues are canvassed before the final vote
D) Reduces the number of successful applications for certification

Question 22

What is the "union threat effect"?

A) When non-unionized firms adopt a competitive pay rate in the labour market.
B) When non-union workplaces close their doors to previously unionized workers.
C) When non-union workplaces sporadically increase the wages of their employees.
D) When unionized workplaces aim for similar increases in negotiated wages.

Question 23

Voluntary recognition means the employer can argue about the composition of the bargaining unit.

Question 24

The level of sufficient membership support required for certification is consistent in most Canadian jurisdictions.

Question 25

Which of the following contributes to employees' workplace dissatisfaction?

A) Compensation levels
B) Management's refusal to correct problems
C) Lack of opportunity to participate in decision-making
D) All of the above

Question 26

What did a comparative analysis of Canadian and American unionization rates between1984 and1998 indicate?

A) That company downsizing was on the rise and unionization was the reason
B) A shift in legislation may have contributed to a decline in unionization
C) That changes to labour legislation is creating the perfect environment for greater union activity in Canada
D) That hlow wages in non union workplaces in the U.S. resulted in employees placing greater value on unionizeds workplaces

Question 27

All Canadian jurisdictions set a minimum level of support that must be demonstrated by the union for an application for certification to be considered.

Question 28

SEIU plans to organize workers in every workplace in Ottawa involved in what type of work?

A) Fast food
B) Janitorial
C) Temp agency
D) Long term care

Question 29

What does "union wage premium" refer to?

A) Unions can stabilize wage rates.
B) Unions can improve wage rates.
C) Unions can standardize wage rates across industries.
D) Unions deter wage reductions.

Question 30

A general policy in labour legislation is that a union should not represent both managerial and non-managerial employees.

Question 31

Being the "bargaining agent" means that the union is legally recognized as one of the representatives of employees in that particular workplace.

Question 32

Why are labour relations boards strict about enforcing the definition of 'employee'?

A) To prevent employers from not adhering to the collective agreement.
B) To prevent unions from becoming less powerful.
C) To prevent employers from reducing the size of the bargaining unit.
D) To prevent employers from becoming too powerful.

Question 33

An employer must demonstrate that it removed work from the workplace for reasons unrelated to the union's presence.

Question 34

"Client leverage campaigns" involve:

A) Lobbying the public for greater union support in order to gain new client employers
B) Educating the membership about potential new client employers
C) Going to the clients of the contractors in the members' industry to communicate the risk of questionable employment practices
D) None of the above

Question 35

A 'sweetheart agreement' does not consider the needs and wants of the employees.

Question 36

During an organizing campaign, unions must not conduct their campaign activities at the workplace or during working hours.

Question 37

An individual's choice to join a union can be influenced by his or her parents' attitudes toward unions.

Question 38

Labour law makes it illegal for employers to take what action against employees during an organizing campaign?

A) Demotion
B) Promotion
C) Change their shifts
D) Requiring employees to wear anti-union arm-bands

Question 39

Generally workers on construction sites must be organized and certified on each site.

Question 40

Why are organizing committees usually comprised of several employees?

A) Employees are generally considered more credible than outsiders.
B) Employees are familiar with other employees who might be potential union members.
C) Employees have firsthand knowledge of the workplace issues.
D) All of the above

Question 41

Describe the notion of instrumentality as a factor in a person's decision to join or not to join a union.

Question 42

What is a sweetheart agreement?

Question 43

Describe a situation where an employer might seek out unionized workers for their workplace.

Question 44

Describe the process of certification from the initial idea to official accreditation. Refer to the labour code of your province. (126-139)

Question 45

What are the three major components of an application for certification?

Question 46

What are some of the less permanent forms of work which may be used by employers to erode a union's membership base?

Question 47

The exclusion of managerial employees is increasingly coming under attack by unions. Discuss the considerations that keep managers out of being organized and what strategies unions are using to organize managers.

Question 48

What are the three different decision-making points in the certification process?

Question 49

Assuming that most employers would choose to remain non-unionized, what are some of the strategies they might use to remain or become union free?

Question 50

What are exempt employees?

Question 51

What are some of the challenges which confront labour relations boards as they attempt to determine if there exists the necessary level of support for certification and which employees should be included? (132)

Question 52

What are the two primary reasons that a union would like to include as many employees as possible in their application for certification?

Question 53

Why is it almost unknown for an employer to successfully initiate an organizing campaign? (139-140)

Question 54

How does an employee usually express support for the establishment of a union in his or her workplace?

Question 55

In the context of the certification process, what is meant by voluntary recognition?