Deck 1: Introduction to Labour Relations

Question 1

There is a consensus on the meaning of the terms industrial relations and labour relations.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The courts have the authority to order employers to reinstate non-union employees who have been wrongfully dismissed.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Without a union, the employment relationship would be governed exclusively by agreements between employers and individual employees.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Unions have equal strength and importance in all provinces.

Question 5

Labour relations is defined as the study of all aspects of the union-management relationship.

Question 6

When employees are not represented by a union the employment relationship is governed by the contract between the parties, common law, and employment legislation.

Question 7

Constructive dismissal means that an employer could not reduce an employee's pay by
15% unless the employee is consented.

Question 8

A systems approach to labour relations refers to the industrial relationship, parties, processes, and outputs.

Question 9

"Wrongful dismissal" means that an employer must have a valid reason to terminate an employee.

Question 10

A unionized employer must give members of the bargaining unit reasonable notice to terminate them.

Question 11

Human resource managers and labour relations specialists may have a different perspective on unions.

Question 12

Unionization affects the profitability but not the productivity of employers.

Question 13

Labour relations are important because they affect both union and non-union employees.

Question 14

The issue of improving health and safety in the workplace is within the domain of industrial relations.

Question 15

After an employer has been unionized an employee in the bargaining unit cannot make an agreement with the employer providing for additional vacation time.

Question 16

The processes in labour relations refer only to joint union-management activities such as contract negotiations.

Question 17

There are studies indicating that unionized employees have lower job satisfaction than non-union employees.

Question 18

It is possible for collective agreements to provide less notice of termination to employees than the common law reasonable notice period.

Question 19

Collective bargaining refers exclusively to the negotiation of a contact between the union and the employer.

Question 20

Some human resource managers use the terms industrial relations and labour relations interchangeably.

Question 21

Company A is reducing production because of a decrease in demand for its product. When the company reduces the size of its unionized workforce, which of the following is
Correct:

A)the union must be given reasonable notice
B)employees must be given reasonable notice
C)employees must be given the notice provided for in the collective agreement
D)younger employees must be laid off first
E)employees cannot be terminated unless the union consents

Question 22

The actors in Dunlop's system are:

A)workers and their agents
B)free trade agreements
C)society
D)non-union employees
E)non-government agencies

Question 23

Dunlop's model of industrial relations systems contains which of the following as elements:

A)the distribution of power in society
B)the context for the system
C)conflict between employers and employees
D)workplace democracy
E)political economy

Question 24

A political economy approach to labour relations emphasizes which of the following:

A)conflict between employer and employee interests
B)a web of rules
C)an ideology shared by employers and unions
D)government intervention
E)the values of employers and unions

Question 25

The environmental factors affecting labour relations refer exclusively to the economy, technology, and legal issues.

Question 26

Which of the following is correct regarding the environment component in a systems approach to labour relations:

A)environmental factors do not effect each other
B)outputs are an element of the system
C)an ideology that binds the system together is an element of the system
D)the distribution of power in society is an element of the system
E)unions and employers may attempt to influence or change their environment

Question 27

A systems framework for labour relations contains five elements: the parties, processes, the environment, outputs, and feedback.

Question 28

Which of the following are two dominant perspectives in the framework for labour relations:

A)actors & the environment
B)processes engaged in by the actors & outputs
C)cost & productivity
D)Terms & conditions of work
E)Systems approach & the political economy approach

Question 29

The legal environment hinders collaboration between employers and unions because it provides that unions cannot agree to give up the right to strike.

Question 30

Labour relations is defined as the study of:

A)employment in union and non-union organizations
B)all aspects of the union-management relationship
C)the negotiation and administration of collective agreements
D)methods to improve union-management relations
E)compensation in unionized workplaces

Question 31

The process component in a systems approach to labour relations includes which of the following:

A)unilateral action by management
B)unilateral action by unions
C)the environment
D)a and b
E)a and c

Question 32

The unionization of employees is the least likely to affect which of the following:

A)job satisfaction of employees
B)costs of operations for the employer
C)job security for employees
D)the reasonable notice employees are entitled to
E)investment decisions made by the employer

Question 33

A unionized employee has access to which of the following legal procedures and remedies:

A)a suit for constructive dismissal
B)a suit for wrongful dismissal
C)reinstatement ordered by an arbitrator
D)reinstatement ordered by a judge
E)damages awarded by a judge for the breach of the collective agreement

Question 34

When a union represents employees:

A)Individual employees can negotiate terms of employment provided that the terms are better than the terms of the collective agreement.
B)Employers are obligated to give reasonable notice when terminating employees.
C)Disputes between the union and the employer are resolved in the courts.
D)Employee job security is reduced.
E)A termination of an employee could be overturned by an arbitrator.

Question 35

Some employers and unions have attempted to move to a more collaborative relationship by agreeing that contract disputes will not be resolved through strikes.

Question 36

Countries with higher rates of unionization tend to have lower economic inequality.

Question 37

Labour Relations in Canada are viewed as being co-operative in nature.

Question 38

A systems framework for labour relations has the following elements:

A)parties, contract negotiation, the environment, outcomes, and feedback
B)the environment, parties, processes, outcomes, and feedback
C)parties, processes, the environment, outcomes, and legislation
D)parties, processes, feedback, and outcomes
E)the environment, parties, processes, outcomes, and collective agreements

Question 39

The unionization of employees at Company A is the least likely to affect:

A)Company A's compensation costs
B)Company A's productivity
C)job satisfaction of employees at Company A
D)employment standards legislation affecting Company A
E)Company A's policies and procedures relating to employee dispute resolution

Question 40

Which of the following is correct regarding feedback in a systems framework for labour relations:

A)Experience with a process can not result in a party seeking to change the process.
B)The feedback affects only the actors and processes in the system.
C)Outputs of the labour relations system affect the cultural system used by the parties.
D)Outputs of the labour relations system affect the legal system of the parties.
E)Outputs of the labour relations system affect the individual contract of employment.

Question 41

The values and beliefs of the Canadian public are part of:

A)the legal environment
B)social environment
C)political environment
D)technological environment
E)economic environment

Question 42

Which of the following is correct regarding the issue of employer and union collaboration:

A)the legal environment may hinder collaboration
B)the labour relations system is viewed as being collaborative
C)collaboration is universally accepted as being good for both parties
D)collaboration is part of the political economy approach to labour relations
E)collaboration is an essential component in a systems approach to labour relations

Question 43

Describe the differences in the relationship between employers and employees in non- union and unionized environments.

Question 44

Discuss the following statement: Labour relations are important for employers, employees, and society.

Question 45

Two of the elements of a systems approach to labour relations are the actors and the processes or activities the actors engage in.Identify the actors in the system and describe the processes that each one could be engaged in.

Question 46

Which of the following is correct regarding a systems framework for labour relations:

A)It establishes that employers are the key actor in labour relations.
B)It minimizes the importance of environmental factors.
C)It establishes that contract negotiation is the only process involved in labour relations.
D)It illustrates that the components of the system are self-contained.
E)It illustrates that there are numerous results or outputs.

Question 47

Some of the employees of an organization have been unionized.Explain three ways that the employer could be affected.

Question 48

Describe the elements of a systems framework for labour relations.

Question 49

Describe the outputs of a systems approach to labour relations.

Question 50

Describe the environmental factors that could affect labour relations.