week 5:Chapter 19: Nursing Unions as a Social Force in Canada: Advocating for Nurses, Patients, and Health Care Flashcards
How does the Rand formula in Canadian labour law apply to nurses in a unionized setting?
a. Any nurse covered under the union contract must pay dues.
b. Any nurse covered under the union contract is eligible for legal counsel.
c. Any nurse covered under the union contract is guaranteed employment.
d. Any nurse covered under the union contract cannot grieve.
ANS: A
For nurses working in a unionized setting, the Rand formula under Canadian labour law provides that any nurses covered under the union contract must pay dues.
In Canada, even if nurses choose not to belong to a union, they will still be covered by all of
the provisions of the collective agreement, including which of the following?
a. A duty of proper care to patients
b. A salary increase negotiated by the union
c. A duty of fair representation by the union
d. A duty to register complaints from the unit
ANS: C
Nonmembers of nursing unions are covered by all of the provisions of the collective agreement (including the right/obligation to pay union dues pursuant to the Rand formula) and are owed a duty of fair representation by the union in the event their rights are violated.
In which province did a legal case serve as a catalyst for the development of nursing unions?
a. Alberta
b. Nova Scotia
c. Saskatchewan
d. British Columbia
ANS: C
Saskatchewan had the legal case that served as a catalyst for the development of nursing unions.
Why did the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) indicate, in 1973, that the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA) should not be permitted to act as a trade union?
a. The SEIU did not want to lose members.
b. The SRNA did not have bargaining skills.
c. The SEIU would have to alter its mandate.
d. The SRNA’s board of directors included nursing managers.
ANS: D
In 1973, the SEIU indicated that the SRNA should not be permitted to act as a trade union because its board of directors included nursing managers.
During which decade did the Canadian Nurses Association approve the principle of collective bargaining for nurses?
a. 1930s
b. 1940s
c. 1950s
d. 1960s
ANS: B
The Canadian Nurses Association approved the principle of collective bargaining for nurses during the 1940s.
Which stipulation was included as part of the Canadian Nurses Association endorsement of collective bargaining in the 1940s but subsequently repealed decades later?
a. Endorsing a no-strike policy
b. Prohibiting associations from engaging in collective bargaining
c. Creating a bargaining unit at the national level
d. Limiting memberships to nurses only
ANS: A
As part of the endorsement of collective bargaining, the Canadian Nurses Association also endorsed a no-strike policy.
Which province had the first professional association certified as a bargaining agent?
a. Ontario
b. Manitoba
c. Newfoundland
d. British Columbia
ANS: D
The Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia was the first association to be certified as a bargaining unit.
Why did the “personnel policies” approach to modifying working conditions for nurses not work as it was intended?
a. The policies were too vague for implementation.
b. There was widespread disagreement about policies.
c. The policies were not binding nor implemented
d. The policies were mandatory and had to be implemented.
ANS: C
The personnel policies approach did not work as intended because these policies were not binding and often were not implemented, leading to disillusionment with the process and its results.
In which year did the completion of the process that entailed the separation of professional nursing associations from nursing unions take place?
a. 1985
b. 1987
c. 1989
d. 1992
ANS: B
The process that entailed the separation of professional nursing associations and nursing unions was completed in 1987.
Which province was the last to develop and establish separate organizations for collective bargaining?
a. Quebec
b. New Brunswick
c. Newfoundland
d. Prince Edward Island
ANS: D
In Canada in 1987, the last province to develop and establish separate and unique organizations for collective bargaining was Prince Edward Island.
In which year did the Alberta government ban all strikes by hospital employees?
a. 1981
b. 1982
c. 1983
d. 1984
ANS: C
In 1983, the Alberta government banned all strikes by hospital employees, including nurses.
The Saskatchewan nurses’ strike in 1999 resulted in which of the following outcomes?
a. Higher wages for nurses
b. A shortened work week for nurses
c. Inclusion of a professional responsibility clause
d. The addition of dental benefits to nurses’ current medical benefits
ANS: C
The nurses’ strike in 1999 in Saskatchewan resulted in the inclusion of a professional responsibility clause in collective agreements, giving nurses a mechanism to deal with patient care issues.
The Canadian Nursing Federation of Unions (CNFU) has identified that the foundation of any safe staffing program includes which of the following?
a. Adequate overtime stipend for nurses
b. Ward clerks to do the paperwork
c. Appropriate policies to monitor staffing trends
d. Accurate real-time data to identify the acuity of patients
ANS: D
The CFNU has identified that the foundation of any safe staffing programs is accurate real-time data to identify the acuity level of patients paired with adequate base staffing that accounts for vacations and sick leave.
Which of the following is a common goal for professional nursing associations and nursing unions?
a. Overtime pay
b. Staff nurse salary scales
c. Disability application procedures
d. Working conditions
ANS: D
Professional associations and unions have common goals, including promoting the welfare of members and improving their working conditions.
What is one of the reasons nursing unions separated from their professional nursing associations?
a. Unions represent nurse managers
b. Associations discipline staff nurses
c. Unions discipline staff nurses
d. Associations represent nurse managers
ANS: D
A Supreme Court ruling in 1973 identified that a professional nursing association that also represents managers has a conflict of interest and therefore cannot represent staff nurses in collective bargaining. As a result, new organizations formed (nursing unions) to negotiate collective agreements for the staff nurses.
