Chapter 14: The Dynamics of Labour Relations Flashcards
What are the steps of the labour relations process?
- Workers desire collective representation
- The union begins its organizing campaign which may lead to certification and recognition
- Collective negotiations lead to a contract
- The contract is administered
What are some reasons employees unionize?
- They see unions as a way to achieve results they can’t achieve acting individually
- They are dissatisfied with wages, benefits, and working conditions
- They perceive that managerial practices regarding promotion, transfer, shift assignment, or other policies are administered in an unfair or biased manner
- Their needs for recognition and social affiliation are being frustrated
What is a union shop?
A provision of a collective agreement that requires employees to join the union as a condition of their employment
What is a card-check process?
The union submits to the labour board authorization cards from a majority of workers in order to certify the union
What is a mandatory ballot?
The union obtains authorization cards for 40% or more of the workers in order to trigger a vote to unionize among all workers
What is a bargaining unit?
A group of two or more employees who share common employment interests and conditions and may reasonably be grouped together for the purposes of collective bargaining
What are unfair labour practices?
Specific employer and union illegal practices that deny employees their rights and benefits under federal and provincial law
What is voluntary recognition?
A process where the employer simply agrees to recognize the union as the representative of the employees
How can a union be decertified?
If a majority of employees indicate they want to be represented by a different union or if the union has failed to bargain, an application for decertification can be made to the labour relations board
What are management rights?
Decisions regarding organizational operations over which management claims exclusive rights
What is a craft union?
A union that represents skilled craft workers
What is an industrial union?
A union that represents all workers (skilled, semiskilled, unskilled) employed along industry lines
What is an employee association?
A labour organization that represents various groups of professional and white-collar employees in labour-management relations
What is a union (shop) steward
An employee who, as a nonpaid union official, represents the interests of members in their relations with management
What is a business agent?
A paid labour official responsible for negotiating and administering the collective agreement and working to resolve union members’ problems
Is the right to strike limited in any way?
It is limited to specific groups of employees (those performing nonessential services) and the strike cannot endanger public health, safety, or welfare
What is compulsory binding arbitration?
Binding method of resolving collective bargaining deadlocks by a neutral third party
What is final offer arbitration?
A method of resolving collective bargaining deadlocks where the arbitrator has no power to compromise but must select one or another of the final offers submitted by the two parties
What is the collective bargaining process?
A process of negotiating a collective agreement including the use of economic pressures by both parties
What are the 4 steps of the collective bargaining process?
- Prepare for negotiations
- Develop strategies
- Conduct negotiations
- Formalize agreement
What is included in preparing for negotiations?
Assembling data to support bargaining proposals and forming the bargaining team
What is the bargaining zone?
The area in which the union and employer are willing to concede when bargaining
What is interest-based bargaining?
Problem solving bargaining based on a win-win philosophy and the development of a positive long term relationship
What is adversarial bargaining?
Negotiators start with defined positions and, through deferral, persuasion, trade, or power, the parties work toward the resolution of individual bargaining demands
What is bargaining power?
The power of labour and management to achieve their goals through economic, social, or political influence
What is an interest arbitrator?
A third-party neutral who resolves a labour dispute by issuing a final decision in the disagreement
What is a grievance procedure?
A formal procedure that provides for the union to represent members and nonmembers in processing a grievance
When is a grievance procedure initiated and by who?
Normally initiated by the union or an individual employee when it feels management has violated some article of the collective agreement
What is rights arbitration?
Arbitration over interpretation of the meaning of contract terms or employee work grievances
What is the purpose of rights arbitration?
To provide a solution to a grievance that a union and employer have been unable to resolve by themselves
What is an arbitration award?
The final and binding award issued by an arbitrator in a labour management dispute
