Question 1

The Constitution Act divided authority over labour regulations between the federal and provincial governments.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution Act divides authority over labour regulations between the federal government and the provincial government. Section 91(2) of the Constitution gives the federal government exclusive authority to make laws in relation to "the regulation of trade and commerce," while section 92(13) gives the provincial governments authority over "property and civil rights in the province." This division of authority means that both levels of government can pass laws and regulations that affect labour, but they may not have the same scope or reach.

Question 2

Labour gained the right to collectively bargain with the passage of the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Labour gained the right to collectively bargain...

Question 3

Labour unions were formed by company middle managers as a defence mechanism to protect the firm against the rising power of the industrialists of the late 19th century.

Accepted Answer

Labour unions were formed by workers to protect their rights and interests, particularly in response to the exploitation and poor working conditions imposed by industrialists during the late 19th century.

Question 4

Currently,less than 20 percent of the total Canadian workforce is unionized.

Accepted Answer

As of my last update, more than 30 percent of the Canadian workforce is unionized, indicating a unionization rate higher than 20 percent.

Question 5

Many foreign manufacturers who have set up shop in North America have avoided unionization efforts by providing job security and a work environment where employees are allowed to participate in plant management.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Some foreign manufacturers have implemented strategies such as employee involvement in decision-making and job security to prevent unionization efforts among their employees.

Question 6

As part of the Canada Labour Code,the Minister of Labour must appoint a conciliation officer if the parties in the dispute cannot reach a collective agreement.

Accepted Answer

This is stated in section 76 of the Canada Labour Code.

Question 7

The Canada Labour Code prohibits paying employees on a piece-rate system.

Accepted Answer

The Canada Labour Code allows paying employees on a piece-rate system, but it has specific provisions to ensure that employees are paid fairly for their work. These provisions include requirement for employers to accurately record the time spent by workers on each task or activity, and to maintain records of the earnings of each employee.

Question 8

The Ontario Agricultural Employees' Protection Act allows agricultural workers to join an association,but does not require employers to collectively bargain with the workers.

Accepted Answer

The Ontario Agricultural Employees' Protection Act allows agricultural workers to join an association and engage in activities such as collective bargaining, but employers are not required to collectively bargain with the workers.

Question 9

If it can be shown that an employee did not exercise proper care to ensure his or her own safety on the job,compensation need not be paid if an injury occurs.

Accepted Answer

In most jurisdictions, workers' compensation is a no-fault system, meaning employees are entitled to compensation regardless of fault, including their own negligence.

Question 10

Managers are covered by the provisions of the Canada Labour Code.

Accepted Answer

The Canada Labour Code generally applies to employees, but managers are often excluded from certain provisions, such as those related to hours of work and overtime.

Question 11

Unionization rates vary widely across countries (e.g.,in France only 9 percent of workers are unionized,but in Sweden 82 percent belong to unions).

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Unionization rates vary widely across countries and in France, only 9 percent of workers are unionized, while in Sweden, 82 percent belong to unions.

Question 12

In the past,unions focused on maintaining job security for their members,but in recent years they have increasingly focused on achieving increased wages and benefits.

Accepted Answer

Unions have historically focused on both job security and achieving increased wages and benefits for their members, and this dual focus has remained consistent over the years.

Question 13

The proportion of the total workforce that is unionized has stagnated in the past few decades.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of workers belonging to unions has remained relatively constant at around 10-11% since the early 2000s, indicating that the proportion of the total workforce that is unionized has indeed stagnated.

Question 14

One of the challenges facing unions is employment growth in service industries,where union power has traditionally not been strong.

Accepted Answer

This is because service industries often have a high proportion of part-time or casual workers who are not easily organized and may not have a strong attachment to the employer or industry. Additionally, service industries often have a decentralized workforce spread across multiple locations, making it difficult for unions to effectively coordinate and bargain with employers.

Question 15

As a result of the recession of 2008-2009,unions are now taking a much more adversarial stance in their relations with management.

Accepted Answer

The statement is not universally true; union-management relations vary by industry and region, and while some unions may adopt an adversarial stance, others may pursue collaborative approaches.

Question 16

The public sector is far more heavily unionized than the private sector.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, the union membership rate in the public sector was 34.8%, while in the private sector it was only 6.3%. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 17

Traditionally,union members have been predominantly women.

Accepted Answer

Traditionally, union members have been predominantly men. However, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of women joining unions.

Question 18

During the past 40 years,union density has ranged from 40-50 percent in Canada.

Accepted Answer

Union density in Canada has generally been lower, ranging from about 25-35 percent over the past 40 years.

Question 19

The Fair Employment Practices section of the Canada Labour Code prohibits employers from refusing a person employment on the basis of the person's race or religion,but this prohibition does not apply to non-profit,charitable,and philanthropic organizations.

Accepted Answer

The Fair Employment Practices section of the Canada Labour Code prohibits employers from refusing a person employment on the basis of the person's race or religion, but this prohibition does not apply to non-profit, charitable, and philanthropic organizations.

Question 20

Women now make up about 50 percent of union membership.

Accepted Answer

According to the AFL-CIO, as of 2020, women make up 47% of union membership in the United States. While this is not quite 50%, it is a significant increase from earlier decades where women made up a much smaller proportion of union membership.

Quiz 9: Understanding Labourmanagement Relations