Read through this package and complete the multiple choice questions, the matching terms and the crossword puzzles. 1. Introduction Labour Unions in Canada Labour Unions in Canada, organizations that represent Canadian workers in their negotiations with employers. Labour unions engage in collective bargaining with employers to determine issues such as wages, the terms and conditions of work, and worker security. Unions also engage in political activities on behalf of workers and have historically had ties to political parties, such as the New Democratic Party (NDP). At the beginning of the 21st century nearly 4.2 million workers in Canada belonged to a union, or about one quarter of the country s workforce. 2. Types of Unions Unionized workers in Canada include industrial and office workers and public employees in government administration, school systems, and hospitals. They also include engineers, professors, nurses, teachers, and other professional employees. Employees are less likely to be unionized in private service-sector firms such as retail stores, restaurants, banks, and insurance companies, because employers in those areas have aggressively opposed unions. Unions have traditionally been divided into craft unions and industrial unions. Craft unions, which were the earliest form of union, are formed by skilled workers in a trade such as printing or carpentry, but they typically exclude unskilled workers. Industrial unions, by contrast, include all workers, skilled as well as unskilled, in a single industry such as automobile or steel manufacturing. In the late 20th century other types of unions arose in Canada. Publicsector unions emerged in the 1960s after the government passed laws allowing government workers to organize (to form groups to protect their rights and interests) and bargain collectively. In the 1980s and 1990s general unions, which represent workers from widely varying industries or occupations, became more common as unions broadened their membership to include people working in jobs outside the union s original
industry. For example, the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) expanded to represent workers in the fishing and airline industries, among other areas. In the private service sector, the CAW organized employees at the first unionized McDonald's restaurant in North America. 3. The Role of Unions Unions help workers negotiate the terms and conditions of their work with their employers. Before unions existed, workers often labored for low wages and long hours in unsafe or unhealthy workplaces. They could be fired without cause at the whim of an employer and thus had no job security. In unionized jobs, employees work under conditions negotiated through the process of collective bargaining, in which the union negotiates with the employers on behalf of the employees. The collective agreements they negotiate include clauses that outline job classifications, rates of pay, workday length, overtime rates, workers health and safety measures, and work distribution. Such agreements also include grievance and arbitration procedures that are designed to settle conflicts that arise during the term of a contract. Unions also negotiate with employers to determine the level of union security (the extent to which workers are required to join or fund the union once it is established). Types of union security arrangements include the closed-shop agreement, in which union membership is a condition of employment in a workplace i.e. you MUST join, and the union-shop agreement, in which a person does not have to be a union member to be hired but must join the union after becoming employed. A third form is known as the Rand Formula, named after Canadian Supreme Court justice Ivan Rand, who created it when he arbitrated a strike against the Ford Motor Company in Windsor, Ontario, in 1945. The Rand Formula does not require all workers to join the union, but it requires them to pay union dues because they receive the benefit of the union s collective bargaining. The formula also allows the employer to automatically deduct union dues from workers paychecks. Collective agreements last for a set period of time, after which they are renegotiated. If the employers and unions cannot reach a collective agreement, either party can apply pressure to the other through a work stoppage. A work stoppage by workers is called a strike, while a stoppage created by an employer is known as a lockout. Lockouts are less common than strikes. Often just the threat of a work stoppage is enough to push the two sides to an agreement. However, before a legal work stoppage can occur in Canada, the parties must apply for conciliation. Under conciliation, a government-appointed mediator tries to help the two sides reach an agreement. If they do not, a cooling-off period of about ten days follows, in which employees remain at work and the parties may continue
to negotiate. Only after the cooling-off period ends can the employers or employees begin a legal work stoppage. In around 90 percent of negotiations, the parties reach collective agreements without a work stoppage. Most workers in Canada have the right to strike, except firefighters, police, some hospital workers, and others who perform essential services. Those employees normally have another recourse to settle disputes such as binding arbitration. In binding arbitration, an outside arbitrator hears the arguments of the parties involved and issues a decision that the parties must accept. Unions in Canada have also taken an active role in politics. Much of this political work is done by central labor bodies, organizations formed by groups of unions to represent the general concerns of unions and workers. Central labor bodies, the most prominent of which is the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), lobby for legislation that is in the interest of their members and other workers. They have supported legislation setting workers' compensation and minimum standards for working conditions. Unions have also pushed for social welfare measures, including universal medical coverage, unemployment insurance, and health and safety legislation. In addition, unions have supported broader community issues, including human rights, pay equity for women, and environmental standards. 4. Union organization Labor organizations exist on a variety of levels, from local workplaces to international organizations. At the local level, workers in a particular workplace can join a local union. Before a union can represent a group of employees at a workplace, it must apply to the provincial labor board, a government agency, to be certified as the bargaining representative. To determine whether the union should be certified, the labor board either counts union membership cards or holds a representation vote to determine if the union has the support of the majority of workers at the workplace. If a majority supports the union, the board determines the appropriate bargaining unit (the group of workers that is represented in a specific collective agreement) at the workplace and certifies the union. Once certified, a local union seeks to negotiate a collective agreement with the employer to determine the terms and conditions of employment.
Unions are democratic organizations. Unionized workers elect their local officials in secret ballot elections. Workers in local unions elect local executives to supervise the work of the union. They also elect officials known as shop stewards to handle grievances that arise on the job. Before collective bargaining begins, workers elect a bargaining committee. The bargaining committee determines the workers demands and strategy in negotiations with the employer.
Matching Match the following terms with the matching definition 1. Strike 2. Negotiating 3. Injunction 4. Collective Agreement 5. Shop Steward 6. Fringe Benefits 7. Closed Shop 8. Arbitration or Mediation 9. Checkoff 10. Certification 11. Picketing 12. Grievance 13. Seniority 14. Illegal or Wildcat Strike 15. Work-to-rule 16. Lockout 17. Collective Bargaining 18. C.O.L.A a) A cost of living adjustment clause is known as b) The closure of a place of work by an employer in order to pressure employees to agree to the terms of employment is a c) A strike that takes place while a contract is still in effect is called an d) A legal step used by an employer to end a strike or other actions of employees is an e) The person in charge of a local union is called a f) Dental plans, pension plans, and sick leave plans are g) A method of settling a dispute between an employer and employees by bringing in third party is called h) A refusal to work because a satisfactory contract can not be negotiated is a i) Workers on a strike spend several hours each week in front of their place of work doing this j) An employer and employees who are trying to come to an agreement are k) A place of work where a person must belong to the union is a l) A method of collecting union dues m) The legal procedures that a group must follow in order to become a union are known as n) The agreement between an employer and a union that involves issues such as wages, working conditions, and fringe benefits is o) A unionized employee has the right to file a if some part of his or her contract is not followed p) An advantage attained by length of continuous employed is called q) A method of determining issues such as wages and hours through direct negotiations between the union and the employer is called r) A work slowdown or a refusal to perform some duties not in the employee s job description is known as
Have Some Fun and Complete these Multiple choice questions on Unions. 1. Arbitration: a) A march during Canada labour Day b) A method of settling disputes c) A new method of modern dance 2. Blue collar workers: d) Factory employees who make shirts with blue collars e) People who only wear blue collars f) Production and Maintenance workers 3. Closed Shop: g) A place where only union members are hired h) A store that closes during specific hours i) The old Sunday shopping law 4. Collective Bargaining: j) A bunch of people looking for a bargain k) A method of determining wages and other employment conditions through direct negotiations between the union and employer l) Making a bargain to collect a person s rent 5. C.O.L.A: m) A dark, sweet beverage n) Cost of living Allowance o) Pay increases based on the Consumer Price index p) A & C q) B & C 6. Fringe Benefits: r) A benefit concert by a group named FRINGE s) A wage benefit package given only to employees who wears clothing with some fringes on it t) Non-wage benefits such as paid vacations, pensions, and life insurance
7. Grievance: u) Complaint against management by union or union members regarding a breach of the collective agreement v) What you go through upon the death of someone close to you w) Someone who complains a lot 8. Injunction: x) A court order restraining an employer or union from engaging in certain acts y) A needle you get before starting certain jobs z) A place of employment at a railway junction 9. Labour Relations Board: aa) A wooden board used in hard labour bb) A Federal or Provincial board established to administer labour law cc) A group of people who work hard at their relationships 10. Local: dd) The basic unit of union organization ee) Here, not there ff) An establishment that is close by 11. Lockout: gg) When you leave your keys at home hh) When you accidentally lock your keys in your car ii) When you ve had an argument with someone and they lock you out of the house jj) A phase in a labour dispute where management doesn t allow it s employees to work 12. Moonlighting: kk) A former hit television show starring Bruce Willis ll) What you do when you want a romantic evening mm) A situation in which an individual holds more than one paid job at the same time. 13. Picketing: nn) Union members publicize the existence of a labour dispute oo) A type of white fencing usually found around country homes pp) Fancy guitar playing
14. Seniority: qq) The age when you start to receive a pension rr) When people begin to think that they are too old ss) The term used to designate an employee s status, usually based on length of service 15. Shift: tt) The daily working period for a group of employee s uu) A type of straight dress vv) To move around on the job