Deck 5: The Union Perspective

Question 1

Three of the six biggest unions in Canada are public-sector unions.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The recent shift to a more individualistic employment relationship has affected union identity.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Locals are subunits of the parent national or international union, and as such may have aims that diverge somewhat from the parent organization.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Globalization has increased the bargaining power of unions by allowing money to move more freely across borders.

Question 5

A "company union" is an independent workers' organization whose members all work for a single employer.

Question 6

From 2001 to 2014 CUPE has grown by 25 percent.

Question 7

The International Labour Organization is an agency of the United Nations that includes representatives from labour, management, and government

Question 8

The macroeconomic purpose of wealth redistribution could be achieved by replacing individual bargaining with collective bargaining through unions.

Question 9

The CLC's mandate is to advance a broad social agenda to improve the lives of all workers.

Question 10

National labour bodies are particularly important in Canada because most labour legislation is federal.

Question 11

Local labour councils provide a critical link between labour and the broader community.

Question 12

Public-sector unions evolved in response to changes in labour legislation and an increase in public services.

Question 13

Unifor's broad social agenda stand is very similar to those of the occupational unions.

Question 14

Labour councils participate in many community organizations to promote and advance the economic, social, cultural, and political interests of union members and the wider community.

Question 15

It is possible to organize a union that is not affiliated with either a national or international union.

Question 16

Internal union democracy has been shown to be an important factor in winning union elections, union renewal and worker perceptions of union power.

Question 17

Provincial federations of labour are the main bodies pushing labour's issues on legislation and other policy areas with provincial governments.

Question 18

Craft unions was defined by the way goods were produced in North America

Question 19

The Canadian Labour Congress is the largest central labour body in Canada.

Question 20

Canada's two largest unions are both private-sector unions.

Question 21

Canadian patterns of unionization are very similar to those in the United States, but on a smaller scale.

Question 22

If unions want to keep the allegiance of their members, they must fulfill their primary function of providing distributive justice to their members.

Question 23

The Rand Formula requires all members of a bargaining unit to pay union dues, whether or not they choose to join the union.

Question 24

Unionized employees who work for larger companies are more likely to want to leave their unions.

Question 25

Blue-collar workers are more likely to join a union for economic reasons than for noneconomic ones.

Question 26

People who are satisfied in their jobs, take pride in their work, and feel fairly paid will not join unions.

Question 27

The public sector is more highly unionized in the United States than in Canada.

Question 28

Union density statistics answer the question of whether the growth in union membership has kept pace with the natural growth in the labour force.

Question 29

What key element of industrial democracy are labour boards and arbitration processes examples of?

A) an employee voice in determining work rules
B) a written law of employment standards
C) a binding procedure for the enforcement of written law
D) a balance of power between management and labour

Question 30

Newfoundland has the highest union density in Canada.

Question 31

What was the International Labour Organization's international labour standards established to limit?

A) child labour
B) freedom of association
C) the right to strike
D) collective bargaining

Question 32

What is the most important institutionalist objective for unions?

A) achieving the right to strike
B) macroeconomic redistribution of wealth
C) achieving industrial democracy
D) freedom of association

Question 33

According to institutional economists, which mechanism improves the efficiency of markets?

A) unregulated trade
B) unions with bargaining rights
C) macroeconomic policy
D) wealth creation

Question 34

Employees under the age of 25 and over the age of 64 were much less likely to belong to a union or to be covered by a collective agreement than employees between the ages of 25 and 64.

Question 35

Women and minorities were significantly more likely to want unionization than men and non-minorities.

Question 36

According to the textbook, institutionalists saw two broad approaches to justify the existence of unions. What were they?

A) economics and human rights
B) human rights and social justice
C) politics and social justice
D) economics and politics

Question 37

Community attitudes toward unions affect a worker's desire (or lack of desire) to join a union.

Question 38

Which aspect of globalization has eroded the bargaining power of unions?

A) free movement of capital
B) international labour protections
C) rising education levels
D) continuing poverty

Question 39

In Canada, a union is legally required to represent all individuals covered by a collective agreement, whether or not they have signed a union card.

Question 40

By 2012, there had been a significant shift where the union density for female employees exceeded that of for male employees.

Question 41

How does union security language in a collective agreement protect the union's survival?

A) It ensures that new employees believe in and support a union.
B) It replaces legislation.
C) It provides a guarantee of income to the union through dues.
D) It enhances union coverage.

Question 42

What does "union coverage" measure?

A) all workers who are covered by a collective agreement
B) the percentage of all workers who are union members
C) union members as a percentage of the nonagricultural workforce
D) the percentage of union members who pay dues

Question 43

Which statement most accurately describes industrial unions?

A) They were a response to assembly-line methods of production.
B) They tried to organize all production workers in an occupation.
C) They focused on collective bargaining instead of broad social issues.
D) They primarily organized office workers.

Question 44

Which great wave of unionization in Canada corresponded with assembly-line production?

A) craft
B) industrial
C) public sector
D) globalization

Question 45

In addition to economic gains from collective bargaining, what are industrial unions primarily concerned with?

A) restricting entry into professions
B) licensing and regulation of competitors
C) training and educating members
D) broad social issues in their community

Question 46

Which of the following best explains why independent unions have limited social and political objectives?

A) Company and local conditions are their priority.
B) They lack the financial power of large membership.
C) They are opposed to collective bargaining.
D) They are nonpartisan organizations.

Question 47

What is the primary focus of business unionism?

A) to promote the economic welfare of the employer
B) to run an effective and efficient organization
C) to achieve economic gains through collective bargaining
D) to ensure the long-term employment security of a specific industry

Question 48

Which of the following might influence the non-collective bargaining goals of a union?

A) history of violent struggles
B) labour laws
C) company union
D) human rights

Question 49

What type of union is Unifor an example of?

A) industrial
B) occupation
C) craft
D) social justice

Question 50

Which entitlement is typical of an enterprise union?

A) Workers are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace.
B) Workers are entitled to a strong economic system.
C) Members of society are entitled to a strong economic system.
D) Members of society are entitled to a safe and sustainable environment.

Question 51

Which of the following is beyond the scope of the democratic structure of unions?

A) Union members make decisions about collective bargaining.
B) Union members must show solidarity in collective bargaining.
C) Union members make decisions about political affiliation.
D) Union members set the union's policies.

Question 52

According to the textbook, why do workers join unions?

A) collective voice, utility, and ideology
B) collective voice, collective agreement, and vision
C) ideology, more money, and better benefits
D) ideology, more money, and social inclusion

Question 53

Why do craft unions often lack a strong social agenda?

A) This form of unionism arose before corporate social responsibility was popular.
B) The complexity of many trades makes social activism impossible.
C) Their goals are tied to promoting opportunities that exist in a specific occupation.
D) They are prevented by law from joining political parties.

Question 54

Which factor best explains why unions have been more successful organizing in Canada than in the U.S.?

A) demographic differences
B) higher proportion of female members
C) variation in economic stability
D) differences in political systems

Question 55

Which organization is responsible for the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work?

A) the UN
B) the CLC
C) the

Question 56

Which of the following is an important link between unions and the broader community?

A) Canadian Labour Congress
B) provincial labour federation
C) local labour council
D) New Democratic Party

Question 57

What is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers an example of?

A) an employer-sponsored association
B) an industrial union
C) a national union
D) a craft union

Question 58

What two elements of the legal definition of unions are essential under Canada's labour relations laws?

A) labour organization that bargains collectively and supports the right to strike
B) labour organization that bargains collectively and is independent of the employer
C) labour organization that supports the right to strike and supports political action
D) labour organization that supports political action and is NOT dominated by the employer

Question 59

There have been three great waves of unionization in Canada, each with its own defining elements. What are the three waves?

A) craft, industrial, and public sector
B) craft, health, and public sector
C) transportation, craft, and health
D) public sector, teachers, and craft

Question 60

Which of the following is an example of a social justice unionism goal that extends beyond the workplace?

A) organization of all workers in an industry
B) elimination of harassment and discrimination
C) organizational conservation
D) implementation of quality standards

Question 61

Discuss why internal union democracy has been shown to be an important factor in winning union elections, union renewal, and worker perceptions of union power.

Question 62

List five reasons why a democratic structure is important for unions.

Question 63

List three forms of union security in Canada.

Question 64

List four issues that are important for unions to address when they try to organize women.

Question 65

What are three reasons for comparing union membership in Canada with the situation in the United States?

Question 66

What four areas do we need to invest in for the future "Green Jobs"?

Question 67

List five areas of public policy in which social unions have promoted members' interests beyond the workplace.

Question 68

Why do employees leave unions?

Question 69

Name four institutionalist objectives for unions' promotion of industrial democracy.

Question 70

Name the four goals of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Question 71

List five distinct categories of unions, and provide one example of each.

Question 72

What are the two key elements of a legal definition of a union?

Question 73

Discuss three reasons employees join unions.

Question 74

How has union density changed over the past 30 years in Canada?

Question 75

Describe two of the three broad approaches used to justify the existence of unions.

Question 76

What are the three main categories of unions?