Deck 14: The Dynamics of Labour Relations

Question 1

Jason Thomas recently joined ABC Inc. as loader to work on the shipping wharf. He has been told that he must join the union as a condition of employment. Which of the following is this employment provision called?

A) a union shop
B) a bully provision
C) an agency shop
D) an unfair labour practice

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to Canadian labour relations legislation, all of the following employer actions are prohibited EXCEPT which one?

A) threatening to close the business
B) stating the employer is ready to listen to and discuss any issue
C) increasing wages during the certification process
D) promising increased vacation if the employees vote for no union

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In which organizing step does the collection of signed authorization cards play a major role?

A) initial organizational meeting
B) application to the labour relations board
C) formation of in-house organizing committee
D) employee/union contract

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following groups initiate most organizing campaigns?

A) employees
B) union organizers
C) rival unions
D) Human Resources Development Canada

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a duty of labour relations boards?

A) to hear complaints related to unfair labour practices
B) to remedy violations of collective bargaining legislation
C) to amend labour relations legislation
D) to determine if bargaining was done in good faith

Question 6

According to federal labour law, which of the following tactics can employers use in opposing unionization?

A) review union authorization cards
B) attend union meetings
C) bargain in good faith
D) change working conditions of employees who work for the union

Question 7

Mary works in the basement of her employer's home sewing pants. Which of the following is one of the biggest challenges facing workers like Mary in becoming unionized?

A) They do not have any political party to help them with organizing.
B) They work in scattered locations.
C) They are satisfied with their working conditions.
D) They are satisfied with their pay.

Question 8

In certification elections in Canada, how many employees must vote in favour of unions for them to become certified in workplaces?

A) 50 percent, plus one
B) 40 percent, plus one
C) 41 percent
D) 51 percent

Question 9

Louis, a union organizer in Ontario, needs what minimum percentage of signed authorization cards before the union can apply for a certification election?

A) 40 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 30 percent

Question 10

Which of the following conditions and/or actions may result in labour relations boards imposing a union on an employer in some Canadian jurisdictions, even with as low as 5 percent of the authorization cards signed?

A) Threats by other unions to go on strike if the workplace does not get its own union.
B) Unfair labour practices committed by the employer in the organizing process.
C) The need by government for labour relations peace in workplaces.
D) Advice from the International Labour Office.

Question 11

According to the text, in terms of employment relations, which of the following is a key reason why employers may begin employee involvement and empowerment programs?

A) to satisfy employment relations legislation
B) to satisfy their obligation for good faith bargaining
C) to avoid collective action by employees
D) to consolidate decision making

Question 12

Mary Hart works for the federal government in the immigration department. Her office is located in Toronto. Which of the following pieces of labour legislation applies to her workplace?

A) the Ontario Labour Relations Code
B) the City of Toronto Labour Code
C) the Ontario Labour Relations Act
D) the Canada Labour Code

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the key reasons why workers join unions in Canada?

A) to earn higher pay
B) to fulfill social needs
C) to get a voice in their work lives
D) to change the government

Question 14

Which of the following is the strongest reason to join a union?

A) dissatisfaction with wages, benefits, and working conditions
B) personal preference for a union and social pressure to join
C) the need to fraternize with similar employees and assert personal leadership skills
D) favouritism shown by supervisors in promotions, shift assignments, and transfers

Question 15

Yorkville Tire Manufacturing Company has been experiencing really bad management-employee relations for almost two years. Jack Spratt, one of the leaders among the employees, wants to help in unionizing the employees. He has met with most of the employees. What next should he do?

A) ask the workers to go on strike to put pressure on the company
B) form an in-house organizing committee
C) appeal to a broader community-including academics and international agencies-to put pressure on the employer
D) ask the labour relations board to intervene

Question 16

Labour boards generally have representatives from which of the following groups?

A) third-party representatives and managers
B) academia and management
C) academia and public servants
D) labour and management

Question 17

Who is responsible for administering the union certification elections in Canada?

A) the labour relations board
B) the Canada Elections Commission
C) the union
D) the employer

Question 18

Employees indicate their willingness to be represented by a union by signing which of the following?

A) a selection card
B) an agreement card
C) an authorization card
D) a stipulation card

Question 19

Which of the following is a key difference between unionized and nonunionized work in Canada?

A) Nonunionized workers get higher wages and benefits.
B) Unionized workers get higher wages and benefits.
C) Unionized workers get more benefits but less in wages.
D) Unionized workers get better pay but less in benefits.

Question 20

The majority of workers in Canada are governed by legislation at which of the following levels/jurisdictions?

A) provincial
B) international
C) municipal
D) federal

Question 21

Who has the major responsibility in negotiating and administering the labour agreement and working to resolve problems arising in connection with it?

A) the bargaining agent
B) the shop steward
C) the national union executive
D) the business agent

Question 22

Which of the following is a requirement of interest-based bargaining?

A) An agreement must be reached within a reasonable amount of time.
B) Each side's negotiators meet at any time and a reasonable place to discuss issues.
C) Each side's negotiators meet at any time and place to discuss issues.
D) Each side's negotiators meet at a reasonable time and reasonable place to discuss issues.

Question 23

The full-time professors at McMaster University are usually represented by a group of nonunionized faculty in wage negotiations with management. What is this group of faculty called?

A) a certified union
B) a craft union
C) an employee association
D) a negotiations association

Question 24

Which of the following is an employer required to do once a union becomes certified?

A) notify employees of the bargaining relationship
B) deduct union dues from the employees' paycheques
C) begin negotiations leading toward a collective agreement
D) sign a collective agreement

Question 25

Which of the following may represent professional and white-collar employees?

A) a management right association
B) the Canadian Labour Congress
C) a professional agency
D) an employee associations

Question 26

Strategies to remain union-free include all of the following EXCEPT which one?

A) institute formal procedures to resolve employee complaints.
B) give attention to employee growth and development needs.
C) allow supervisors to adopt their own approaches to employee motivation and job design.
D) offer competitive wages and benefits.

Question 27

Assume that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is representing essential workers in a hospital. The hospital's administration and the union are deadlocked in negotiations. What is a likely solution to this impasse?

A) decertification of CUPE
B) compulsory binding arbitration
C) a strike
D) counselling

Question 28

Tony Lee has been involved on behalf of the national union with negotiating the collective bargaining agreement with the employer for Local 1240. Which of the following is Mr. Lee's most likely job title or role?

A) a negotiator
B) a union agent
C) a business agent
D) a union steward

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a usual effect of unions in the workplace?

A) restrictions on unilateral human resource policy
B) increases in accident rates and sabotage
C) increases in wages
D) restrictions on management rights

Question 30

Unlike many unions in Europe, most of the bargaining and decision making for unions in Canada occurs at which of the following levels?

A) the provincial level
B) the local level
C) the international level
D) the national level

Question 31

Which of the following is interest-based bargaining based upon?

A) the identification and resolution of mutual interests
B) a give-and-take philosophy
C) suspicion and compromise
D) the area within which union and management are willing to concede

Question 32

Which of the following labour organizations is most likely to provide professional and financial assistance during organizing drives and strikes, help negotiate labour agreements, and train union leaders?

A) a local unions
B) the Department of Labour
C) Human Resources Development Canada
D) the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

Question 33

Strikes, boycotts, lockouts, and plant closures may all be included in which of the following?

A) negotiation preparation
B) compulsory binding arbitration
C) public sector bargaining
D) the collective bargaining process

Question 34

In the bargaining model, what is the area within which the union and employer are willing to concede when bargaining?

A) bargaining team
B) bargaining committee
C) bargaining zone
D) contingency operating plan

Question 35

In the United States, the key central federation of unions is called the AFL-CIO. In Canada, what is the name of the organization that does similar work?

A) the Canadian Auto Workers Union
B) the Canadian Labour Congress
C) the Labour Organization
D) the Trades Union Congress

Question 36

Within a bargaining unit, how many workers must vote against the union so as to decertify it?

A) 41 percent
B) 40 percent, plus one
C) 51 percent
D) 50 percent, plus one

Question 37

Approximately what percentage of Canadian public employees are unionized?

A) 70 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 38

The creation of a relationship for the future based on trust, understanding, and mutual respect is the basis of which of the following?

A) interest-based bargaining
B) adversarial bargaining
C) good faith bargaining
D) traditional bargaining

Question 39

Developing likely union proposals, lists of demands, and a contingency plan for operating in the event of a strike are part of which of the following?

A) compulsory binding arbitration
B) an employer's bargaining strategy
C) a union's bargaining strategy
D) good faith bargaining

Question 40

Omar Mohammed represents the interests of union members in their relations with their immediate supervisors and other members of management. Which of the following is Mr. Mohammed's most likely job title or role?

A) mediator
B) union steward
C) union leader
D) conciliator

Question 41

Which of the following is the term for a third-party neutral who resolves labour disputes by issuing a final decision that the parties must accept?

A) a mediator
B) a conciliator
C) an arbitrator
D) a union steward

Question 42

Which of the following actions is compulsory before a strike or lockout in all Canadian jurisdictions?

A) mediation
B) communication
C) arbitration
D) conciliation

Question 43

If an employee personally decides that the benefits will outweigh the costs of joining the union, then she or he is likely to join.

Question 44

Pickets may prevent trucks and railcars from entering a struck business because of which of the following?

A) Picketing during a strike carries a legal obligation on the part of the employer to cease operations, including delivery of goods and materials.
B) Unions often refuse to cross another union's picket line.
C) The union has a legal right to obstruct the business of the employer the union is striking against.
D) Operators of trucks and railcars must get permission from the picketing union to enter the premises.

Question 45

Which of the following clauses holds that "management's authority is supreme in all matters except those conceded in the collective agreement or in those areas where its authority is restricted by law"?

A) the supreme rights clause
B) the defined rights clause
C) the management rights clause
D) the explicit rights clause

Question 46

How can the bargaining power of a union be exercised?

A) lockout or relocation
B) striking, picketing, or boycotting
C) union merger
D) legal injunction

Question 47

The factors that arbitrators use when deciding cases are the wording of the labour agreement, the submission agreement, the testimony and evidence offered, and Which of the following?

A) the truthfulness of witnesses
B) the preferences of the grievant
C) arbitration criteria or standards
D) the concept of reasonable doubt

Question 48

Employees might consider organizing and joining a union an effective alternative to quitting a job in which they feel they are being treated unfairly.

Question 49

Which of the following is the term for a union's use of radio and newspaper ads to discourage the purchase of an employer's products?

A) picketing
B) an unfair labour practice
C) a boycott
D) a bargaining zone

Question 50

Which of the following is the arbitrator's responsibility in a dispute?

A) to interpret the intent of the labour agreement
B) to get the parties to work together to solve their differences
C) to mandate how the grievance will be resolved
D) to decide the case without passing judgment

Question 51

Unions tend to hold strike votes to assess whether members are willing to go on strike for their demands. What does a high vote in favour of a strike (e.g., 95 percent) mean?

A) Management will most likely have to lock out the union.
B) The union will definitely go on strike because it has an overwhelming mandate to do so.
C) Management will lose the bargaining.
D) The union will have strengthened its bargaining power.

Question 52

Employees are most likely to seek unionization if they believe that doing so will achieve results they cannot achieve acting individually.

Question 53

Unions influence labour legislation and HR policies and practices.

Question 54

The Canada Industrial Relations Board administers and enforces the Canada Labour Code.

Question 55

Which of the following is necessary for an employee's grievance to be considered formally?

A) It must be in direct violation of the collective agreement.
B) It must be filed with the labour relations board.
C) It must be expressed orally or in writing.
D) It must have resulted in loss of pay or economic benefit to the employee.

Question 56

Labour relations boards are responsible for administering labour law.

Question 57

Which of the following do dues checkoff, the union shop, and the agency shop represent?

A) management rights
B) union security
C) management prerogatives
D) unfair labour practices

Question 58

If a manager or supervisor violates a labour law, an appropriate defence is that he or she was not familiar with labour legislation.

Question 59

In which of the following situations is grievance handling most successful?

A) in nonunionized businesses
B) in unionized businesses
C) when supervisors are formally trained in the terms of the labour agreement and the development of counselling skills
D) when union stewards are selected by management

Question 60

The first step in the labour relations process is a union organizing campaign.

Question 61

As a manager of XYZ Company, you would most likely expect an organizing drive to be started by your employees rather than a union organizer.

Question 62

Labour organizations are diverse in type and in structure; therefore, each may have its own mode of governance and objectives.

Question 63

Union stewards are full-time employees at the workplace and generally are not paid by the union.

Question 64

If employers interfere with the union certification process, the labour relations board can recognize a union regardless of the percentage of employees that have signed authorization cards.

Question 65

It is possible for a union to be decertified if the majority of bargaining unit members decide they would rather be represented by another union.

Question 66

Canadian employers tend to be supportive of union organizing drives.

Question 67

In Canada, a majority of unions are certified without a vote if the labour relations board finds that at least 50 percent of employees have signed authorization cards.

Question 68

Unions that represent skilled craft workers are called craft unions.

Question 69

The minimum term of the first collective agreement after certification is three years.

Question 70

More than 70 percent of all public employees are unionized.

Question 71

Public employees unionize for very different reasons than their private-sector counterparts.

Question 72

Unionization restricts the freedom of management to formulate HR policy unilaterally.

Question 73

Both employers and unions can be accused of an unfair labour practice.

Question 74

Unions that represent various groups of professional and white-collar workers are called industrial unions.

Question 75

National unions retain most of the decision-making authority over local unions.

Question 76

As long as employers do not object to unionization, they can influence employees to vote for one union rather than another.

Question 77

The first step in organizing begins when employees and union officials meet to explore the possibility of unionization.

Question 78

Unionization may restrict the freedom of management in many areas.

Question 79

Management rights are those decisions over which management claims exclusive rights.

Question 80

Joining a union is a way for employees to put leadership skills to use.