Chapter 5

Question 1

Organizing Campaign

Answer 1

is conducted by a union
to persuade employees to choose the union as their
legal representative

Question 2

Factors Affecting Employee Support for a Union

Answer 2

• Personal Factors
• Workplace Factors
• Economic Factors
• Societal Factors
• -> tailor to address and build on those influences
• ->why workers reject union

Question 3

Workers must first decide whether a union is an asset

Answer 3

2. invite a union to undertake organizing campaign

3. each individual worker = must decide whether to cast formal vote in favour of union representation

Question 4

Personal Factors

Answer 4

• parent’s view: (+) / active participants in unions = (+) attitudes
• –>active participants = had more stronger + direct influence

-socioeconomic status: members of ethnic minorities & low income / low status worker = (+); worker loyalty bc unions address issues associated w/ race, gender, benefits, salary, etc.

(+) attitude toward unions = do not auto. translate active support

Question 5

Factors (Pro-Union Attitude) actually vote in favour

Answer 5

• must feel he/she lacks any individual ability to influence / change unsatisfactory working conditions –> feel that a union is the mechanism by which change can be achieved
• will not support if lacks instrumentality
• or feel that they can make change without the union’s assistance

Question 6

Instrumentality (catalyst)

Answer 6

that is a union = an effective means to achieve what individual employee want but cannot achieve on their own

–>can still motivate to support union as long as the employees perceive that the union = can cause the desired change –> even if in reality it cannot

Question 7

Important component of instrumentality (significant in the success / failure of vote)

Answer 7

involves the employee’s perception of the specific union involved in the organizing campaign

Question 8

Perception of the specific union and self-identity

Answer 8

-if they can relate/connect to the union’s image or what they are trying to represent

Question 9

Workplace Factors

Answer 9

The most common reason for employee interest in unionizing is dissatisfaction with workplace conditions

Unionization may be perceived as a way to address:

• Dissatisfaction with compensation (determines whether d exists)
• Management ignoring workplace issues

–> Union-related attitudes of co-workers may also
be influential

–>Structure of workplace and type of work may
also have an effect

Question 10

Absolute terms

Answer 10

the actual amount of pay & benefits

Question 11

Relative terms

Answer 11

how one’s pay & benefits compare with those of others in the organization or workers in similar positions on other organizations

Question 12

Management ignoring workplace issues

Answer 12

• Refusal to correct problems brought to its attention
• problems w/ administration in general
• inadequate benefits
• lack of opportunity for promotion
• perceived unfairness of workplace policies / procedures
• job security concerns

Question 13

**Major cause of dissatisfaction in the workplace

Answer 13

lack of opportunity for worker participation & cooperation w/ management in decision-making

–>instrumentality determines if dissatisfaction = active support.

Question 14

Union-related attitudes of co-workers may also

be influential

Answer 14

co-workers (+) attitudes more likely to support

• -> the managers & supervisor’s attitudes did not affect whether the individual employees supported the union
• —–> if it was perceived that management = might actually retaliate against employees if they supported a union (demoting or firing) –> subject were more likely, NOT LESS –> likely to support a union

Question 15

Economic Factors

Answer 15

–>Workers’ pay levels

–>Unemployment rate

–>Inflation rate

–> many feel that a union = shields them from the effect of an unstable labour market –> by increasing job security

INCREASED SUPPORT BASICALLY.

Question 16

Societal Factors

Answer 16

• Attitudes and perceptions about unions
• –> half; (+) / (-) attitude towards unions
• (+) but personally distrust their power

-Whether labour legislation facilitates or hinders
union certification

Question 17

Steps in the Organizing Campaign

Answer 17

A successful campaign results in the union being able
to request recognition as the bargaining agent
for the employees

–> Employees may decide to form own union

–>Employees may want to join an existing union

–>Union may contact dissatisfied workers and
suggest unionization

Question 18

Bargaining Agent

Answer 18

means that the union is legally recognized as the sole representative of employees in that particular workplace

–> as a bargaining agent, the union acts on behalf of the employees in bargaining conditions & terms of work w/ the employer –> and in administrating the collective agreement that results in the bargaining

Question 19

The Information Meeting

Answer 19

The first formal step: interested employees meet with a union representative off site and after hours

–> may be preceded by smaller informal gatherings

–> Identities of employees interested in unionization
and the meeting location are usually kept secret from employer and from pro-employer workers

Question 20

The Organizing Committee

Answer 20

If those at the information meeting feel an organizing campaign could be successful (it might result in certification) –> an organizing committee will be created

• -> usually consist of employees rather than professional organizations
• “credible” –> workplace issues
• familiar to potential union members
• better knowledge of workplace issues occurring

–> Committee members will contact other employees
seeking a formal indication of support for the union

–> Support can be shown by signing a membership card
or by paying a small amount of money to the union; or a petition.

Question 21

Unfair labour practices

Answer 21

A constant concern through the campaign

–> Actions by union or employer that make potential union members act differently than they would
have otherwise

• -> concern bc of their potential to influence the vote for or against the union
• —-> in which outcome of certification vote might not reflect employees’ actual desires

–> Labour relations law generally bans unfair
labour practices

Question 22

Factors Affecting the Success of an Organizing Campaign

Answer 22

• *strongest influence on success: rank & file strategies – personal contact w/ members (telephone calls, house calls, small group meetings, and the presence of a representative organizing committee
• -> combination of strategies&raquo_space;>

–> Unions must identify what is important to workers
and address those concerns while attempting to organize

– > Campaign is also affected by the amount of control workers have over the campaign and amount of worker participation in campaign activities

–> Employer’s response to organizing campaign can
also affect its success or failure

Question 23

Application for Certification

Answer 23

When the organizing committee believes it has sufficient membership support, the union files an application for certification with the appropriate labour relations board

This form has three major components:

1. An indication of sufficient membership support
2. A description of the desired bargaining unit (the group of employees that will be represented in collective bargaining with the employer)
3. Who the employer is and who the union is

Question 24

Sufficient Membership Support

Answer 24

a certification application must be accompanied by an indiction of a sufficient level of support from the employees in the proposed bargaining unit

–> The required level of support varies from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction

–>The labour board may certify the union without
the ‘required’ level of support if the employer has engaged in an unfair labour practice

–> In some jurisdictions, if the support exceeds the required level, there may be automatic certification for the union

–> The Board will also consider the timeliness of the application—how long the union has taken to get
the required support

Question 25

Appropriate Bargaining Unit

Answer 25

Every certification application must contain a description of the bargaining unit the union seeks
to represent

–> The principle underlying the bargaining unit description is community of interest, i.e., enough in common among the members to make a cohesive and representative unit

–>The appropriateness of a bargaining unit will
be assessed on its size and location(s) the number
of management and non-management employees,
and the definition of an employee