Question 1

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-Once a union drive is underway,Martha,who would represent management
A)may not discipline employees for supporting the union.
B)may not discipline employees for supporting the union,except for those who are actively organizing.
C)may not discipline employees for supporting the union,but may legally charge outside union organizers.
D)may not discipline employees,but can warn them of serious negative ramifications if they organize.
E)may discipline employees for supporting the union,though may not dismiss them without warnings.

Accepted Answer

Martha, representing management, cannot discipline employees for supporting the union as it would be considered an unfair labor practice under labor laws. Employees have the right to support, organize, or join a union without fear of retaliation or discrimination from their employer.

Question 2

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-Since Martha's company wishes to remain non-union,her role as described in the scenario uses a ______________________ strategy.
A)union repression approach
B)union embracement approach
C)union forbidden approach
D)union substitution approach
E)union restriction approach

Accepted Answer

Martha's role involves ensuring competitive salaries and working conditions to make the need for a union unnecessary, which aligns with a union substitution approach. This strategy focuses on addressing the root causes that might drive employees to unionize, such as dissatisfaction with pay or working conditions, by improving them and thus removing the perceived need for a union.

Question 3

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-Martha has to be very concerned about what actions she takes to support the company's preference to remain non-unionized,since unions may obtain legal recognition or bargaining rights by
A)persuading,at the workplace during working hours,employees to join the union.
B)automatic certification by a labour relations board when less than 10 per cent of employees sign cards.
C)automatic certification due to employer unfair labour practice(s).
D)certification by workers' compensation board when more than 60 per cent of employees sign union cards.
E)threatening an illegal strike.

Accepted Answer

Automatic certification due to employer unfair labour practice(s) is a serious concern for the company as it means the union can be recognized without an official vote or card-signing process. Martha needs to ensure that the company follows fair labor practices and stays compliant with labor laws to avoid any potential legal recognition of the union.

Question 4

Stuart was relieved that a tentative agreement had been made between the union and management bargaining teams.As a member of the HR department,he was managerially and confidentially excluded from the union,and therefore had participated in the management bargaining team.Quite a few times during this round of negotiations,it appeared that bargaining impasses would not be resolvable.Thankfully,a good mediator was brought into the negotiation process to help both sides reach an agreement.He looked forward to administering the potential collective agreement,as his job was much calmer and less stressful during the life of a collective agreement.
-Now that a tentative agreement had been negotiated,the next step in the collective bargaining process would be
A)traditional face-to-face negotiations.
B)approving the proposed agreement by management.
C)preparation for negotiations.
D)ratification by union members.
E)regular certification.

Accepted Answer

The next step in the collective bargaining process after a tentative agreement has been reached is typically ratification by the union members. This means that the union members will vote to either accept or reject the proposed agreement. It is important to note that this is not the same as regular certification, which is the process through which a union is officially recognized as the bargaining agent for a group of employees.

Question 5

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-Martha has reason to be concerned,since unions usually have the most direct impact on
A)the marketing department.
B)the accounting department.
C)the organization of senior management.
D)the human resource department.
E)the engineering department.

Accepted Answer

Unions have the most direct impact on the human resource department as they deal with employee relations, wages, benefits, and negotiating with unions on behalf of the company. Therefore, Martha should be concerned about the potential impact of the union on the HR department.

Question 6

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-Based on Martha's experience,the likely main explanation for individuals to be interested in joining a union at her workplace is:
A)job description explanation.
B)good management explanation.
C)union push explanation.
D)union pull explanation.
E)a desire to pay union dues.

Accepted Answer

Martha describes that the union had a strong presence and was actively recruiting members. This aligns with the "union pull explanation," where workers are drawn to join unions because they believe the union can improve their working conditions and negotiate better wages and benefits on their behalf.

Question 7

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-As Martha prepares for a potential union organizing campaign,she refreshes her understanding of some of the common key aspects of labour legislation in Canada,which include all of the following except
A)right to join a union.
B)good faith bargaining.
C)conciliation.
D)prohibition on unfair labour practices.
E)collective agreements must be for a minimum period of three years.

Accepted Answer

The statement "collective agreements must be for a minimum period of three years" is not a key aspect of labour legislation in Canada. While it may be common for collective agreements to be for a minimum of three years, there is no legal requirement for this to be the case. The other options listed (right to join a union, good faith bargaining, conciliation, and prohibition on unfair labour practices) are all important aspects of labour legislation in Canada.

Question 8

Martha was very concerned for her organization. Her employer had always expressed its preference to have a non-unionized workforce. As the Director of the HR department, she had started noticing some odd behaviour and thought she recognized a local union organizer in the parking lot of the company during lunch break. In addition, she had been recently receiving a lot more requests for information on compensation and benefits from employees than usual. She was particularly concerned went she went for coffee with her long time friend and colleague in the marketing area, and her friend wouldn't give her a clear answer when she asked if there was anything new or interesting happening at the workplace. As it was her job to know what was happening in her workplace amongst employees, and to ensure that salaries and working conditions were competitive, she wondered what she should do now.
-If the workers do get together and form a union,then the union would be responsible for all of the following except:
A)representing workers.
B)managing the company's employee benefit plans on behalf of the workers.
C)collecting dues from members.
D)would negotiate the terms and conditions of employment.
E)administering the collective agreement.

Accepted Answer

While unions can negotiate for better employee benefits, they do not manage the company's benefit plans. That responsibility remains with the company.

Question 9

Stuart was relieved that a tentative agreement had been made between the union and management bargaining teams. As a member of the HR department, he was managerially and confidentially excluded from the union, and therefore had participated in the management bargaining team. Quite a few times during this round of negotiations, it appeared that bargaining impasses would not be resolvable. Thankfully, a good mediator was brought into the negotiation process to help both sides reach an agreement. He looked forward to administering the potential collective agreement, as his job was much calmer and less stressful during the life of a collective agreement.
-What is the labour negotiating process that would normally be attempted before the use of a mediator (whereby disputing parties voluntarily choose to reconcile their differences through a third party)?
A)mediation
B)conciliation
C)arbitration
D)delegation
E)facilitation

Accepted Answer

Before the use of a mediator, the labour negotiating process that would normally be attempted is conciliation. Conciliation is a process of negotiation between the parties involved in a dispute, with the assistance of a neutral third party to help them reach a resolution. It is usually attempted before moving onto more formal dispute resolution methods like mediation or arbitration.

Question 10

Stuart was relieved that a tentative agreement had been made between the union and management bargaining teams. As a member of the HR department, he was managerially and confidentially excluded from the union, and therefore had participated in the management bargaining team. Quite a few times during this round of negotiations, it appeared that bargaining impasses would not be resolvable. Thankfully, a good mediator was brought into the negotiation process to help both sides reach an agreement. He looked forward to administering the potential collective agreement, as his job was much calmer and less stressful during the life of a collective agreement.
-During the life of a collective agreement,what is the formal procedure for resolving disputes if the parties have a disagreement regarding the interpretation of a collective agreement?
A)complaint procedure
B)grievance procedure
C)lockout
D)collective bargaining
E)strike

Accepted Answer

The formal procedure for resolving disputes if the parties have a disagreement regarding the interpretation of a collective agreement is the grievance procedure. This involves a series of steps, such as filing of a complaint, meetings between the parties, and arbitration if necessary. The complaint procedure is a similar but less formal process. Lockouts and strikes are extreme measures that are typically taken when negotiations have failed, rather than as part of the dispute resolution process. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating a collective agreement in the first place, rather than resolving disputes within an existing agreement.

Quiz 13: The Unionmanagement Framework