Deck 11: Collective Bargaining and Labour Relations

Question 1

The strongest union security arrangement is a union shop.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Administration of the contract is largely carried out at the local union level including conducting membership drives and processing grievances.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A craft union's bargaining power depends greatly on the control it can exercise over the supply of its workers.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

When employees and their unions,management,and the government have a common ideology and accept the roles of the other participants,then there is a convergence of interests.

Question 5

The major downfall of labour unions to society is the institutionalization of industrial conflict,which is therefore resolved in a very costly way.

Question 6

The largest labour union in Canada is the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

Question 7

Although competitive challenges have a major impact on labour relations,the legal framework of collective bargaining is an especially critical determinant of union membership and relative bargaining power.

Question 8

Mediation is the most formal but least used of the conflict resolution procedures to settle impasses in contract negotiations.

Question 9

According to many provincial labour relations statutes an engineer working in their professional capacity would be included within the statutes.

Question 10

The earliest labour relations legislation in Canada go back as far as the 1800s with the Trade Union Act of 1872.

Question 11

A union that had just been certified and is negotiating its first contract is likely to reach an agreement with the management.

Question 12

In a "containment-aggression" relationship,distrust remains,but to a lesser extent and the parties' dislike for one another becomes antagonism.

Question 13

National unions comprise 27.6 percent of Canada's union membership,while 48 percent of Canadian union members belong to international unions.The remaining 24.4 percent belong to independent local associations or directly chartered unions.

Question 14

Intra-organizational bargaining has a win-win focus,as it seeks solutions beneficial to both sides of the bargaining table.

Question 15

Management is less able to afford a strike when products are of a non-perishable nature.

Question 16

Generally,more people are present during the later stages of a negotiation than at the initial stages.

Question 17

It has been suggested that a successful industrial relations system consists of three elements: (1)an environmental context (technology,market pressures,and the legal framework,especially as it affects bargaining power); (2)participants,including employees and their unions,management,and the government;and (3)a "web of rules" (rules of the game)that describe the process by which labour and management interact and resolve disagreements (such as the steps followed in settling contract grievances).

Question 18

When a union has been certified as the exclusive representative of a group of employees,and where no collective agreement is in force,another union is able to apply for certification to displace the certified union during a prescribed period of time.

Question 19

Labour-management relations exist on a continuum ranging from open conflict to cooperation/collaboration.

Question 20

Problems related to wages and benefits are the most common issues to reach arbitration.

Question 21

North America differs from western Europe in the degree of informal worker participation in decision making.

Question 22

What type is the least formal of the dispute resolution procedures?

A)Mediation
B)Fact-finding
C)Arbitration
D)Strikes

Question 23

Examples of conduct by either (or both)the union or employer during a union organizing campaign that may lead to an election result being set aside,include all of the following except

A)threats of loss of jobs or benefits.
B)anti-union statements beyond the limits of lawful employer free speech.
C)a grant of benefits or a promise of benefits.
D)the use of consultants or lawyers.

Question 24

Strikes are most often the rule rather than the exception.

Question 25

In parts of western and northern Europe,it is not uncommon to have union coverage rates of _______.

A)50-60 percent
B)60-70 percent
C)70-80 percent
D)80-90 percent

Question 26

In all jurisdictions but __________,unions are prohibited from engaging in union organizing activities involving employees at the workplace during working hours,though in most jurisdictions unions may undertake such solicitation with the employer's consent.

A)Manitoba
B)Saskatchewan
C)Alberta
D)British Columbia

Question 27

Examples of essential workers include police and firefighters.

Question 28

The union is certified by the labour boards as the exclusive representative of employees if over

A)50 percent of employees vote in favour of the union.
B)50 percent of all eligible employees vote in favour of the union.
C)30 percent of all eligible employees vote in favour of the union.
D)a prescribed minimum and the level of support varies by jurisdiction.

Question 29

__________ describe(s)the process by which labour and management interact and resolve disagreements.

A)Ideology
B)Participants
C)A "web of rules"
D)Environmental context

Question 30

When it comes to union membership,the United States has more union members than any other country,except ___________.

A)China,Russia,and Ukraine
B)Canada,China,and France
C)Australia,the Netherlands,and the United Kingdom
D)France,the Netherlands,and the United Kingdom

Question 31

Public-sector union growth,unlike that in the private sector,has occurred largely in the service industry and among white-collar employees.

Question 32

Most studies have found that nonunion workers are more productive than union workers.

Question 33

A union is reluctant to agree to productivity-enhancing work-rule changes to enhance job security if in the past it has made similar concessions but believes management has not stuck to its assurance of greater job security in return.The term that best describes this sub-process of labour-management negotiations is

A)distributive bargaining.
B)integrative bargaining.
C)attitudinal structuring.
D)intra-organizational bargaining.

Question 34

Union-density rates in Canada are more than twice that of the United States.

Question 35

Which bargaining tactic is atypical of the early stages of labour-management negotiations?

A)Extensive lists of proposals are presented by the union.
B)Many people are involved on both sides.
C)A mediator acts as facilitator between parties.
D)Management may or may not present proposals of its own.

Question 36

It has been suggested that a successful industrial relations system consists of four elements.Which of the following is NOT one of the four elements?

A)Ideology
B)Contract negotiations
C)A "web of rules"
D)Environmental context

Question 37

In a __________ relationship,distrust remains,but to a lesser extent and the parties' dislike for one another becomes antagonism.

A)"participative"
B)"accommodation"
C)"containment-aggression"
D)"open conflict"

Question 38

What is the minimum percent of employees in a bargaining unit that must sign authorization cards for the labour boards to hold a union representation vote?

A)30 percent
B)35 percent
C)50 percent
D)51 percent

Question 39

Public-sector workers in Canada are among the most highly unionized workers with _____ of the public-sector workforce being unionized.

A)59.4 percent
B)65.9 percent
C)71.2 percent
D)80.3 percent

Question 40

After a long period of negotiations and the union not accepting the terms and conditions of employment you as the employer have the right to invoke a lockout.

Question 41

A duty on employers and unions to make every reasonable effort to collectively bargain with the objective of reaching a collective agreement is known as

A)Duty to Fair Presentation
B)Duty to Bargain in Good Faith
C)Duty of Equal Representation
D)Duty of Fair Representation

Question 42

Which of the following is likely to increase management's willingness to take a strike?

A)There is little price competition in the industry.
B)There is strong product demand.
C)Facilities are integrated.
D)The organization is labour-intensive.

Question 43

Which of the following is not a criterion used to judge a grievance procedure?

A)How well does the grievance procedure adhere to set rules and protocol?
B)How well are day-to-day contract questions resolved?
C)How well does the grievance procedure adapt to changing circumstances?
D)In multi-unit contracts,how well does the grievance procedure permit local contract issues to be included and resolved?

Question 44

A common law and statutory duty that the union fairly represent all employees in the bargaining unit,whether or not union members.Unions are prohibited from acting in an arbitrary,discriminatory or unfair manner is known as

A)Duty to Fair Presentation
B)Duty to Bargain in Good Faith
C)Duty of Equal Representation
D)Duty of Fair Representation

Question 45

_____ rules do not require union membership but do require that employees who choose to join must remain members for a certain period of time.

A)Agency shop
B)Maintenance of membership
C)Closed shop
D)Union shop

Question 46

Your newer employees within Button,Knob and Fasteners Inc.are members of the Button Pushers Union.You have realized that many of the new employees are not really thrilled about being unionized and do not see the benefit of this.Management has never been a big fan of the union and have picked up on the views of the employees and it appears they are beginning to encourage __________ which is __________.

A)dissolving the union;not allowed
B)decertifying the union;not allowed
C)dissolving the union;allowed
D)decertifying the union;allowed

Question 47

If a company agrees to a union's demands,it can remain profitable over the long run

A)if it can transfer the high labour costs onto the customers.
B)if price increase is large.
C)if there is significant price competition in the industry.
D)if it competes on price instead of quality.

Question 48

Which of the following is a drawback of an industrial system based on unilateral control by the management?

A)Conflict resolution sacrifices workers' rights.
B)Conflict resolution is expensive.
C)Conflict resolution is slow.
D)Conflict resolution is imposed by someone with much less firsthand knowledge of the circumstances.

Question 49

Just as employers are prohibited from interfering in unions,unions cannot

A)interfere with the formation or administration of an employers' organization.
B)interfere with the employers' right to seek counsel on how to manage unions.
C)interfere with the formation of a non-union environment campaign.
D)interfere with the employers' plans to effectively manage unions.

Question 50

The pay system that is most frequently used in a union setting is a(n)

A)incentive system.
B)merit system.
C)bonus system.
D)seniority system.

Question 51

Employers use a variety of methods to oppose unions in organizing campaigns,some of which may go beyond what the law permits,especially in the eyes of union organizers.The following are all common management issues in campaigns EXCEPT:

A)Improvements not dependent on unionization.
B)Loss of benefits may follow union win.
C)Dues and initiation fees are unreasonable.
D)Employees should be certain to vote.

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of a craft union employee?

A)Steelworker
B)Autoworker
C)Carpenter
D)Flight attendant

Question 53

__________ unions often are responsible for training their members (through apprenticeships)and for supplying these workers to employers.

A)Trade
B)Craft
C)Industrial
D)Labour

Question 54

Unions attempt to persuade employees that their wages,benefits,treatment by employers,and opportunity to influence workplace decisions are not sufficient and that the union will be effective in obtaining improvements.However just like employers trying to discourage unions some of the acts may go beyond what the law permits.The following are all common union issues in campaigns EXCEPT:

A)Union,not outsider,bargains for what employees want.
B)Dues and initiation fees are reasonable.
C)Employees have legal right to engage in union activity.
D)Strikers will lose wages;lose more than gain.

Question 55

Industrial relations scholars such as __________ argued in the late 1800s and early 1900s that individual workers' bargaining power was far smaller than that of employers,who were likely to have more financial resources and the ability to easily replace workers.

A)Beatrice and Sidney Webb and John R.Commons
B)John R.Commons and Harry Katz
C)Harry Katz and Thomas Kochan
D)Thomas Kochan and Paula Petit

Question 56

The type of union security provision that has the strongest union security arrangement is

A)union shop.
B)agency shop.
C)closed shop.
D)open shop.

Question 57

Collective bargaining resolves disputes through

A)arbitration.
B)the judicial system.
C)fighting.
D)discussion.

Question 58

Members of bargaining units represented by __________ tend to associate more closely with a single employer (and perhaps even a single location of a single employer)over the long term.

A)trade Unions
B)craft Unions
C)industrial Unions
D)labour Unions

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a recent research finding concerning the effects of unionization on profits and stock performance?

A)Unions have a large negative effect on profits
B)Union workers have been shown to have both positive and negative effects on productivity,but are generally shown to be more productive than nonunion workers
C)Each dollar of unexpected increases in collectively bargained labour costs results in a dollar reduction in stockholder wealth
D)Investment in research and development is higher in unionized firms

Question 60

_________ is the part of the labour-management negotiation process that focuses on the conflicting objectives of factions within labour and management.

A)Integrative bargaining
B)Attitudinal structuring
C)Intra-organizational bargaining
D)Distributive bargaining

Question 61

Collective bargaining not only has the potential to __________ economic losses caused by strikes but may also __________ societal stability.

A)reduce;inhibit
B)increase;contribute to
C)reduce;contribute to
D)increase;inhibit

Question 62

The following are examples of excluded professional employees EXCEPT

A)Dentists
B)Architects
C)Land surveyors
D)Teachers

Question 63

Which of the following is not an objective of the transformation to less adversarial workplace relations?

A)Increase employee involvement
B)Minimize work rules
C)Maximize flexibility in managing people
D)Minimize employee problem-solving

Question 64

Employees,whether members of a union or not,communicate to management regarding how good a job it is doing by either the "________" or "________" mechanisms.

A)active;passive
B)affirmative;negative
C)progressive;regressive
D)exit;voice

Question 65

With the exception of two provinces,unions in all Canadian jurisdictions have a statutory duty of fair representation that builds on the common law foundation.What two provinces are the exceptions?

A)Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
B)New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
C)New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
D)Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island

Question 66

Which of the following is not true about mediation as an impasse resolution procedure?

A)Mediators will try to be more persuasive than conciliation officers.
B)The minister of labour can appoint a mediator.
C)It is the most formal impasse resolution procedure.
D)The mediator acts as a facilitator and go-between in negotiations.

Question 67

An "industrial" type of union is characterized by which of the following?

A)The members are all in the same occupation.
B)Union leaders try to limit the number of members in order to maintain high wages.
C)Members change employers more frequently than in other types of unions.
D)Members all work in the same industry.

Question 68

The introduction of a union may have a "_______" on management,pressuring it into tightening standards and accountability and paying greater heed to employee input in the design and management of production.

A)negative effect
B)shock effect
C)proactive effect
D)cascading effect

Question 69

What type of union security arrangement requires a person to join the union within a certain amount of time after being hired?

A)Agency shop
B)Maintenance of membership
C)Open shop
D)Union shop

Question 70

Perhaps the most dramatic example of the influence of labour laws is the 1944 passage of __________ in Canada under the War Measures Act,which actively supported collective bargaining rather than impeding it.

A)Order-in-Conduct P.C.1203
B)Order-of-Unification P.C.1003
C)Order-of-Collectivist P.C.1203
D)Order-in-Council P.C.1003

Question 71

Despite what you were hoping,your employees have been successfully certified by a labour relations board.Understanding that your focus now has to shift from dealing with the employees as individuals to a group you also realize that the following basic management objectives must remain EXCEPT:

A)Controlling labour costs
B)Controlling expensive conflict resolution costs
C)Promoting individuals based on skill and expertise
D)Maintaining management prerogatives in important areas

Question 72

In what areas of the employee population has much of the public-sector union growth been?

A)White-collar employees
B)Blue-collar employees
C)Production employees
D)Supervisory employees

Question 73

Employer __________ rules that prohibit union organizing during __________ are generally unlawful,as are arbitrary restrictions upon access by union organizers to employer premises if those premises are generally accessible to the __________.

A)no-solicitation;non-working hours;non-unionized employees
B)solicitation;non-working hours;public
C)no-solicitation;working hours;non-unionized employees
D)no-solicitation;non-working hours;public

Question 74

According to Walton and McKersie,labour-management bargaining that focuses on dividing a fixed economic pie between two sides is referred to as

A)integrative bargaining.
B)attitudinal structuring.
C)intra-organizational bargaining.
D)distributive bargaining.

Question 75

The aspect of the labour-management negotiation process that refers to the relationship and level of trust between the negotiators is known as

A)integrative bargaining.
B)attitudinal structuring.
C)intra-organizational bargaining.
D)distributive bargaining.

Question 76

Which of the following is not a competitive challenge in The Labour Relations Framework?

A)Administrating
B)Legal challenge
C)Satisfying stakeholders
D)Globalization

Question 77

Most union contact is with the _______,who is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the collective bargaining contract are enforced.

A)supervisor
B)manager
C)shop steward
D)administrative representative

Question 78

Which of the following is NOT a violation of the statutes of the labour relations legislation?

A)Closures
B)Union consultation
C)Relocations
D)Contracting out

Question 79

Traditionally,which form of arbitration has been reserved for special circumstances,generally those involving public-sector negotiations where strikes would be especially costly (e.g. ,police,firefighters)?

A)Final-offer arbitration
B)Interest arbitration
C)Rights arbitration
D)Conventional arbitration

Question 80

Outside intervention in negotiation in which an arbitrator (or arbitration board)intervenes in the actual writing or setting of contract terms is

A)final-offer arbitration.
B)interest arbitration.
C)rights arbitration.
D)conventional arbitration.