Question 1

Which of the following does not have a significant implications for the future development of the grievance process??
A)Grievances are rarely settled in the middle stages of internal grievance procedures.
B)Middle- level managers and union officials tend to pass grievance matters to upper- level managers and officials.
C)Grievances were most likely to be granted in industries with a negative industrial relations climate.
D)Grievances are more likely to be settled in the early stages of an internal grievance procedure.
E)Higher status employees were more likely to have their grievances granted than lower- status ones.

Accepted Answer

This option does not provide any significant implications for the future development of the grievance process, as it simply describes a current trend rather than indicating any potential changes or shifts in the process. The other options (A, B, D, and E) all suggest potential changes or challenges in the grievance process that could impact its future development.

Question 2

Politicization of the grievance process can lead to all but which one of the following?
A)increased union intraorganizational conflict
B)greater difficulty in distinguishing individual problems from broader political issues
C)increased union support for the NDP
D)management stonewalling
E)increased union- management conflict

Accepted Answer

Politicization of the grievance process can lead to increased union support for a particular political party such as the NDP. However, it is unlikely to cause the other options listed. Increased union intraorganizational conflict and union-management conflict might occur when grievances are not resolved properly, but they are not directly linked to the politicization of the process. Greater difficulty in distinguishing individual problems from broader political issues and management stonewalling might also occur, but they are not necessarily caused by politicization.

Question 3

Which of the following is not an emerging trend in Grievance arbitration?
A)Recognition of the employer's duty to accommodate.
B)The application of external standards to the collective agreement.
C)The increasing trend for courts to overturn arbitrator's decisions on the basis of unreasonableness.
D)The consideration of tort- based claims by arbitrators.
E)The increased settlement of grievances at the middle stage of an internal procedure.

Accepted Answer

E

Question 4

In the U.S.,grievance mediation has proved extremely successful in this notoriously strike- prone industry:
A)meatpacking.
B)steel.
C)autos.
D)coal mining.
E)rubber tires.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the U.S.,grievance mediation has proved extremely...

Question 5

The grievance process can best be described as a substitute for which of the following?
A)arbitration
B)the mid- term strike
C)conciliation
D)mediation
E)the end- of- term strike

Accepted Answer

The grievance process is often used as a substitute for the mid-term strike, providing a formal mechanism for resolving disputes without resorting to work stoppages during the term of a contract.

Question 6

In most cases,the most significant effect of three- person panels including union and management representatives is that the panels
A)cut costs.
B)waste time and money.
C)lead to improved union- management relations.
D)make for a more entertaining hearing.
E)result in better decisions than single arbitrators would produce.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In most cases,the most significant effect of...

Question 7

In addition to providing individual workers with some measure of workplace voice,the grievance process does all but which one of the following?
A)maintains the integrity of the agreement by ensuring that its terms are adhered to
B)helps resolve union and management intraorganizational conflict
C)ensures that all cases are dealt with by an arbitrator in timely fashion
D)serves as a forum for supplementary negotiations over items left vague in the agreement
E)serves as a pressuring voice to induce management to address issues not covered in the agreement

Accepted Answer

The grievance process does not necessarily ensure that all cases are dealt with by an arbitrator in a timely fashion. Delays can occur due to various factors such as backlog, scheduling conflicts, and negotiations between the union and management over the selection of an arbitrator.

Question 8

A special feature of Newfoundland's preventive mediation program is
A)joint supervisor- steward training in collective agreement administration.
B)grievance mediation.
C)negotiation skills training.
D)relationship by objectives.
E)establishing a labour- management committee.

Accepted Answer

Joint supervisor-steward training in collective agreement administration is a unique aspect of Newfoundland's preventive mediation program, focusing on collaborative understanding and implementation of agreements.

Question 9

Under Ontario's expedited arbitration procedure,arbitrators are
A)not named until grievance mediation has been tried and has failed.
B)standing umpires agreed on by the parties with the help of a labour board facilitator.
C)retired judges.
D)chosen by the parties according to the usual collective agreement procedure.
E)drawn from a list maintained by the labour ministry.

Accepted Answer

Under Ontario's expedited arbitration procedure, arbitrators are drawn from a list maintained by the labour ministry, which helps streamline the process by having a pre-approved list of arbitrators ready to be appointed.

Question 10

The growing legalism of the arbitration process has led to all but which one of the following?
A)delays in writing awards
B)greater use of precedents
C)greater sensitivity,within the legal profession,to labour relations matters
D)awards which are more difficult to understand
E)higher costs to the parties

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the growing legalism of the arbitration process has led to greater sensitivity, within the legal profession, to labour relations matters, meaning that lawyers are more aware of and sensitive to labor relations issues. Therefore, option C cannot be the correct answer. A, B, D, and E are all mentioned as negative consequences of the growing legalism of the arbitration process in the passage.

Question 11

The port of Vancouver's dockside arbitrator reduces wildcat strikes because
A)she can bring all shipping activity in the port to a halt until the problem in question is resolved.
B)she can provide immediate rulings on disputes which in the past would often have led to strikes.
C)the parties know that any strike would be a disaster for all concerned.
D)she is usually a relative or close friend of the labour board chair.
E)she undercuts longshoring workers' legal right to refuse unsafe work.

Accepted Answer

The dockside arbitrator can provide immediate rulings on disputes which have previously led to strikes, which reduces the likelihood of wildcat strikes occurring.

Question 12

You can speed up the arbitration process by doing all but which one of the following?
A)adhering strictly to the agreement's time limits
B)agreeing not to use legal counsel
C)reducing the use of precedents and allowing oral decisions in straightforward cases
D)allowing the union's grievance committee to have a say in the choice of arbitrator each time a case is sent through to arbitration
E)agreeing on a standing umpire who will hear cases at a set time each month

Accepted Answer

Allowing the union's grievance committee to have a say in the choice of arbitrator each time can slow down the process, as it may lead to prolonged discussions and negotiations over the selection of the arbitrator.

Question 13

All but which one of the following things has happened to the grievance process since the early postwar period?
A)It has become costlier.
B)It has become more legalistic.
C)It has become lengthier.
D)It has entailed less government intervention.
E)It has become more formal.

Accepted Answer

The statement "It has entailed less government intervention" is the only option presented that is different from the early postwar period. The others (A, B, C, and E) have all become characteristics of the grievance process since then.

Question 14

A major function of grievances is that the grievance process provides workers with a certain measure of
A)workplace voice.
B)fringe benefits,such as more days off.
C)social status.
D)wealth.
E)perks,such as those enjoyed by management.

Accepted Answer

Grievances provide workers with a platform to voice their concerns and bring attention to issues in the workplace, therefore providing them with workplace voice. B, C, D, and E are not functions of the grievance process.

Question 15

A comparison of arbitrators' decisions sorted by the arbitrator's professions,reveals that
A)lawyer arbitrators had wildly different outcomes than industrial relations- arbitrators.
B)the quality of decisions varied greatly depending on the arbitrator's background.
C)lawyer arbitrators had wildly different outcomes than economist- arbitrators.
D)age of the arbitrator was a significant factor.
E)there was little difference in the outcomes between cases decided by arbitrators from different professions.

Accepted Answer

The passage states that "there was little difference in the outcomes between cases decided by arbitrators from different professions." Therefore, the best choice is E.

Question 16

As applied to grievance mediation,the term "without prejudice" means
A)both sides' witnesses must be representative of the Canadian population with respect to gender,race,age,and ethnic origin.
B)no precedent created by the settlement may be used to help decide any future cases.
C)mediators must avoid making remarks which cast aspersions on any group.
D)the government will require that mediators be drawn from a pool that is representative of the Canadian population with respect to the variables listed in A,above.
E)settlements may not discriminate against any of the groups listed in A,above.

Accepted Answer

"Without prejudice" means that any settlement reached during mediation cannot be used as precedent in any future cases. This allows parties to speak freely and explore potential solutions without fear that their statements or proposals could be used against them in the future.

Question 17

Which of the following best sums up the difference between the rules of evidence in arbitration cases and those applied to formal court cases?
A)Standards are generally much more relaxed in arbitration cases.
B)There is no difference.
C)Standards are sometimes,but not always more relaxed in arbitration cases.
D)Standards are generally stricter in arbitration cases.
E)There is no discernible relationship.

Accepted Answer

The rules of evidence in arbitration cases are generally more relaxed than those applied to formal court cases. This is because arbitration is meant to be a quicker, less formal process than going to court, and therefore the rules are often more flexible.

Question 18

In the Employer's view,a discharge for conduct amounting to sexual harassment,should only be overturned by an arbitrator if
A)the grievor's behaviour was not such as to indicated that he was beyond rehabilitation.
B)the grievor offered an apology for his behaviour.
C)there are tangible and identifiable mitigating factors.
D)the grievor's past disciplinary record was not for serious offences.
E)the grievor had many years of seniority.

Accepted Answer

Sexual harassment is a serious offence and employers have a duty to provide a safe and respectful workplace for their employees. Mitigating factors such as the severity of the harassment, the impact on the victim, and the remorse of the grievor should be taken into account. However, the fact that the grievor has many years of seniority or a clean disciplinary record for other offences should not be considered as justifications for overturning the discharge. It is important to send a clear message to all employees that such behaviour will not be tolerated in the workplace.

Question 19

Which of the following statements best sums up the rationale for the arbitrator's award in the IKO case discussed in the text?
A)The company's sexual harassment policy was worded too broadly.
B)Lacelle did not intend to sexually harass Ms M.
C)Sexual harassment should never be a cause for dismissal.
D)Progressive discipline procedures must always take priority over sexual harassment complaints.
E)The severity of Lacelle's conduct,coupled with his seniority leads to a lengthy suspension as the more appropriate punishment.

Accepted Answer

The arbitrator determined that Lacelle's actions constituted sexual harassment and that it was appropriate for him to face discipline. However, the arbitrator also found that termination was too severe a punishment given Lacelle's length of service and previously unblemished record. Therefore, the arbitrator awarded a lengthy suspension as a more appropriate punishment.

Question 20

Arbitration hearings normally include all but which one of the following?
A)cross- examination of witnesses
B)initial ruling on preliminary objections
C)calling and questioning of witnesses
D)opening statements
E)closing statements

Accepted Answer

The initial ruling on preliminary objections is typically not included in an arbitration hearing. The other options, such as cross-examination of witnesses, calling and questioning of witnesses, opening statements, and closing statements, are commonly included in arbitration hearings.

Quiz 12: Grievances: Functions, Resolution, and Prevention

Which of the following does not have a significant implications for the future development of the grievance process??

Politicization of the grievance process can lead to all but which one of the following?

Which of the following is not an emerging trend in Grievance arbitration?

In the U.S.,grievance mediation has proved extremely successful in this notoriously strike- prone industry:

The grievance process can best be described as a substitute for which of the following?

In most cases,the most significant effect of three- person panels including union and management representatives is that the panels

In addition to providing individual workers with some measure of workplace voice,the grievance process does all but which one of the following?

A special feature of Newfoundland's preventive mediation program is

Under Ontario's expedited arbitration procedure,arbitrators are

The growing legalism of the arbitration process has led to all but which one of the following?

The port of Vancouver's dockside arbitrator reduces wildcat strikes because

You can speed up the arbitration process by doing all but which one of the following?

All but which one of the following things has happened to the grievance process since the early postwar period?

A major function of grievances is that the grievance process provides workers with a certain measure of

A comparison of arbitrators' decisions sorted by the arbitrator's professions,reveals that

As applied to grievance mediation,the term "without prejudice" means

Which of the following best sums up the difference between the rules of evidence in arbitration cases and those applied to formal court cases?

In the Employer's view,a discharge for conduct amounting to sexual harassment,should only be overturned by an arbitrator if

Which of the following statements best sums up the rationale for the arbitrator's award in the IKO case discussed in the text?

Arbitration hearings normally include all but which one of the following?