Labour and Employee Relations Module 4 - The Collective Agreement

Question 1

What is a collective agreement?

Answer 1

A written contract of employment covering a group of employees who are represented by a trade union.

Question 2

What are the four areas of provisions in a collective agreement?

Answer 2

1. provisions for rights and obligations of parties - purpose definitions, etc.
2. conditions of employment - wages, hours of work, etc.
3. general work rules - layoff, transfers, etc.
4. work environment - discipline procedures, health and safety, etc.

Question 3

What are management or residual rights?

Answer 3

They affirm an employer’s right to run the business as it did before unionization except for changes made by the collective agreement.

Question 4

What is the union security clause?

Answer 4

They recognize the union, their rights and officials, and the collection of dues, and whether employees are required to be members.

Question 5

What is a closed shop?

Answer 5

Employers are required to hire and employ only members of a particular union.

Question 6

What is an open shop?

Answer 6

Union membership is not required as a condition of employment.

Question 7

What is a union shop?

Answer 7

Employer may hire employees who are not union members but each employee in the bargaining unit must join the union.

Question 8

What is an agency shop?

Answer 8

All employees in a bargaining unit as a condition of employment are required to pay union due whether or not they are in the union.

Question 9

What is union density?

Answer 9

The percentage of workers in the labor force who are union members

Question 10

What is a yellow dog contract?

Answer 10

The former practice of requiring employees to sign a contract indicating they would not join a union. Illegal today.

Question 11

What is a whipsaw?

Answer 11

A union negotiating tactic that plays one employer off against another.

Question 12

What is job control?

Answer 12

A collective agreement clause that limits job assignment freedom.

Question 13

What is estoppel?

Answer 13

When a clause in the collective agreement is not upheld it can be claimed that the party it advantages has given up their right to that clause.

Question 14

What is bumping?

Answer 14

The ability of a displaced worker to bump another worker with lower seniority from their job.

Question 15

What is a strike?

Answer 15

A legal work stoppage by employees

Question 16

What is a wildcat strike?

Answer 16

An illegal work stoppage

Question 17

What is work to rule?

Answer 17

A form of striking resulting in a reduction in productivity

Question 18

What is the essential service agreement?

Answer 18

It restricts the ability to strike for workers whose absence may significantly impact public interest.

Question 19

What is a lock-out?

Answer 19

A legal work stoppage by the employer