Chapter 16: Labour Relations Flashcards
NOTE TO KALE: You power read this chapter to understand the live lecture
You only took the highlighted definitions and not indepth notes. Review deeper than usual
A labour union (or union) BLUE
an officially recognized body representing a group of employees who have joined together to present a collective voice in dealing with management
Primary goal is to obtain economic benefits and improve treatment of members
labour–management relations BLUE
refers to the ongoing interactions between labour unions and management in organizations.
Collective bargaining agreement (union contract)
Aka CBA
A formal agreement between an employer and the union representing a group of employees regarding terms and conditions of employment
Collective Bargaining BLUE
The action of bargaining
Negotiations between a union and an employer to arrive at a mutually acceptable collective agreement
govern the selection of employees for transfers, promotions, and training programs and specify the order that employees can be laid off and recalled
Bargaining Unit BLUE
The group of employees in a firm, a plant, or an industry that has been recognized by an employer or certified by a labour relations board (LRB) as appropriate for collective bargaining purposes
The primary goal of labour unions active in Canada today is to
obtain economic benefits and improved treatment for their members.
Business unionism BLUE
The activities of labour unions focusing on economic and welfare issues, including pay and benefits, job security, and working conditions
social (reform) unionism BLUE
Activities of unions directed at furthering the interests of their members by influencing the social and economic policies of governments at all levels, such as speaking out on proposed legislative reforms
labour relations (LR) strategy BLUE
A component of an organization’s HR strategy that is specific to the overall plan for dealing with unions, which sets the tone for its union management relationship
Managers in firms choosing a __________ view the union as the legitimate representative of the firm’s employees
union acceptance strategy
Managers select a __________________ when they believe that it is preferable to operate in a nonunionized environment
union avoidance strategy
Like Walmart lol
To avoid unions, companies can either adopt a ________ approach, in which they become so responsive to employee needs that there is no incentive for them to unionize
union substitution
or adopt a ________ when there is a desire to avoid a union at all costs (e.g., Walmart challenged the constitutionality of Saskatchewan’s labour laws all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but lost)
union suppression approach
For example, on average, union members in Canada earn ______ more per hour than nonunion workers
$5.28
Union workers also generally receive more
holidays, sick leave, unpaid leave, insurance plan benefits, long-term disability benefits, and other benefits than nonunion workers
First and probably foremost, unions seek _____ for themselves.
security
Six types of union security arrangements are possible in Canada:
1) Rand Formula
2) Closed shop
3) Open shop
4) Union shop
5) Modified union shop
6) Maintenance-of-membership arrangement
1) Rand Formula
All members of the bargaining unit pay union dues, but employees have the choice to join the union or not
- This is the most popular union security arrangement
- Requires members of the bargaining unit pay union dues
2) Closed Shop
Only union members in good standing may be hired by the employer to perform bargaining unit work
- Most restrictive form of union security
- Common in the construction industry
3) Open Shop
Union membership is voluntary, and nonmembers are not required to pay dues
4) Union shop
Membership and dues payment are mandatory conditions of employment
-Do not need to be union members when hired, they are required to join the union once they commence work or complete probation
5) Modified Union Shop
A situation where bargaining unit members at the time of certification or when the collective agreement was signed are not obliged to join the union, although they must pay dues, but all subsequently hired employees must do both
6) Maintenance-of-membership arrangement
Individuals voluntarily joining the union must remain members during the term of the contract
-Dues payment is generally mandatory for all bargaining unit members
Once an organization is unionized, the HR department is typically expanded by the addition of an ______ or section
LR specialist
In a large firm with a number of bargaining units, human resources and labour relations may form two divisions within a broader department:
Often called industrial relations or employee relations.
The labour unions in Canada can be classified according to the following characteristics:
1) Type of worker eligible for membership
2) Geographical scope
3) Labour congress affiliation
1) Type of worker eligible for membership
-All the early trade unions in Canada were craft unions
Craft union
A labour organization representing workers practicing the same craft or trade, such as carpentry or plumbing
Industrial union
A labour organization representing all workers eligible for union membership in a particular company or industry, including skilled trades people
2) Geographical scope
Can be divided into:
- international unions
- National unions
- Local unions
International unions
Labour unions with head offices in other countries (most often the United States) that charter branches in both Canada and one or more countries
3) Labour congress affiliation
A third way of distinguishing among labour unions is according to affiliation with one or another central labour organization. These central organizations include the following:
- Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN
- American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO).
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
The CLC is the major central labour organization in Canada, and has over 3.3 million affiliated union members. Most international and national unions belong to the CLC, as well as all directly chartered local unions, local or district labour councils, and provincial or territorial federations of labour.
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
(in English, this is called the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU)). This organization is the Quebec counterpart of the CLC and has more than 300 000 members.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO)
The American counterpart of the CLC is the AFL–CIO. The two organizations operate independently, but since most international unions in the CLC are also members of the AFL–CIO, a certain degree of common interest exists.
Local BLUE
Group of unionized employees in a particular location
For HR managers and front-line supervisors, the union ____ are generally the most important part of the union structure
locals
Union stewards
A union member elected by workers in a particular department or area of a firm to act as their union representative
As of 2015, ____ percent of Canadian employees were unionized
31.8%
This rate has remained constant as 1999 had 30%
As a result, the rate of decline in union membership is not nearly as significant in Canada as it is elsewhere (e.g., the United States). This can be attributed to three significant issues:
1) Global competition
2) Demographics
3) Unionization of white-collar workers in Canada
Global Competition
Globalization is transforming the dynamics of labour relations in Canada such that employers are being forced to become more militant and unions are struggling to maintain their influence at the bargaining table
Demographics
The focus of union collective bargaining efforts must align with the workplace demographics. The aging of the workforce and pending labour shortage affects unions as well as HR managers
Unionization of White-Collar Employees
Difficulties in attempting to resolve grievances and lack of job security have led to increased interest in unionization among white-collar worker
Service-sector workers
such as those in retail stores, fast-food chains, government agencies, managers, and professionals (including university and college faculty) have been targeted for organizing campaigns
Canadian labour laws have two general purposes:
1) To provide a common set of rules for fair negotiations
2) To protect the public interest by preventing the impact of labour disputes from inconveniencing the public
There are a number of common characteristics in the LR legislation across Canada, which can be summarized as follows:
1) Procedures for the certification of a union
2) The requirement that a collective agreement be in force for a minimum of one year
3) Procedures that must be followed by one or both parties before a strike or lockout is legal
4) The prohibition of strikes or lockouts during the life of a collective agreement
5) The requirement that disputes over matters arising from interpretation of the collective agreement be settled by final and binding arbitration
6) Prohibition of certain specified “unfair practices” on the part of labour and management
7) Establishment of a labour relations board or the equivalent; labour relations boards are tripartite—made up of representatives of union and management, as well as a neutral chair or a vice-chair, typically a government representative.
One restriction on unions is that they are prohibited from calling or authorizing an __________
unlawful strike.
The Labour Relations Process contains ___ steps
5
5 Steps to Labour Relations process
1) Step 1: Desire for Collective Representation
2) Step 2: Union Organizing Campaign
3) Step 3: Union Recognition
4) Step 4: Collective Bargaining
5) Step 5: Contract Administration
Step 1: Desire for Collective Representation Overview
Although an employee’s time off and insurance and retirement benefits account for the largest portion of an organization’s benefits costs, many employers also provide a range of services
These include: personal services (such as counselling), job-related services (such as childcare facilities), and executive perquisites (such as company cars and planes for executives).
When workers are dissatisfied and believe that, except through collective action, they are without the ability to change the factors causing dissatisfaction, they become interested in unionizing.
Step 2: Union Organizing Campaign Brief overview
Once interest in joining a union has been aroused, the union organizing process begins
Step 3: Union Recognition brief overview
A union can obtain recognition as a bargaining unit for a group of workers in three basic ways:
(1) voluntary recognition,
(2) the regular certification process, and
(3) a pre-hearing vote.
Bargaining rights can also be terminated in various ways.
Step 4: Collective Bargaining brief overview
Collective bargaining is the process by which a formal collective agreement is established between labour and management.
