Appendix I - Labour Unions and Collective Agreement

Question 1

What is a labour union?

Answer 1

A group of workers who have organized in order to pursue common-worker related goals such as, better wages, security, and safer worker conditions.

Question 2

What are the 2 types of basic structures of unions?

Answer 2

Craft - workers who have the same skill or profession

Industrial - workers who are employed in the same industry but don’t necessarily share same skills.

Question 3

What are the steps to creating a union?

Answer 3

1) Initial contact
2) Initial meeting
3) Formatting of in-house organizing committee
4) Application to labour relations board and receipt of of certificate
5) election of bargaining committee and contract negotiations.

Question 4

What are the influencing factors in bargaining?

Answer 4

• Economic
• Negotiator personalities
• Bargaining history between parties
• Laws and administrative rulings
• other…?
• Public opinion

Question 5

What is the collective bargaining process?

Answer 5

1) Prepare for negotiations
2) Develop strategies
3) Conduct negotiations
4) Formalize agreement

Question 6

What are the types of collective bargaining?

Answer 6

Distributive & Interest-based

Question 7

What is the difference between a Mediator and an Arbitrator?

Answer 7

Mediator is someone who helps both parties come to an agreement.

Arbitrator has the power to force them to come to an agreement.

Question 8

What do labourers do when they feel they’ve been treated unfairly?

Answer 8

Submit a GRIEVANCE