What is a Union?
Unions began in Canada when craft workers like bakers, carpenters, and factory workers would meet
as a group and choose a representative to talk to the owners or supervisors for them. They would
discuss standard rates of pay, working conditions, and safety. Today the process is similar.
WHO BELONGS TO A UNION?
Circle which of the following occupation groups may be/are likely to be union members.
Teachers
Secretaries
Auto workers
Hockey players
Singers/performers
Police officers
Actors
Airline pilots
Bank tellers
You are right! All of them. There are many types of unions covering thousands of jobs.
WHO DOES NOT BELONG TO A UNION?
Many small and large business owners and their employees have mutually agreeable arrangements
without the formality of a union.
WHAT IS TE PURPOSE OF A UNION?
Some people think that the only purpose for unions is to fight for higher salaries. Often salary is not
the main issue at all. They negotiate many issues.
Working Conditions. This can involve safety issues. Very noisy machines can cause deafness.
Environmental factors can cause cancer. Unsafe equipment can cause injury. The union works with
the owner to protect each worker Canada has passed many laws to make sure worker conditions are
safe.
Pensions. The union helps arrange pensions. Pensions ensure people will still have money when
they stop working. If a member is ill or has an accident forcing him/her to retire early, the program
provides support. If a company closes, there are protections to help employees financially while they
look for other jobs
Benefits. Most unions have successfully negotiated other benefits such as medical care, drug plan,
dental plans, vacation pay, automatic deductions from payroll, etc.
Equal Pay for Equal Work. This is a philosophy that if two people are doing the same job under
the same conditions they should be paid the same amount. For years we have had a problem in this
country that women particularly were not paid the same wage for equal work.
Shorter WorkWeek. Unions make sure there are jobs for everyone. This is a very difficult problem.
One solution may be for people to work shorter days and weeks. This can allow people more time for
their family responsibilities and create more work.
Training. Training in safety is a major focus Awareness of Canadian and provincial laws is
essential. Training on how to do the job correctly is also a main focus.
Co-op Students. The description of a co-op student’s job is always negotiated between the
employer, the co-op teacher, and the student to avoid conflict with other employees’ agreed upon
roles Co-op Students’ job descriptions are sometimes limited by rules of confidentiality, safety
regulations, and skill requirements.
Co-op Students and Strikes. Co-op students are advised to not cross picket lines. If teachers are on
strike students may attend their placements if the principal gives them permission.
Daffy Definitions
Student Activity
Circle the most appropriate labour-related definition.
1.
Arbitration:
(a) A march during America’s Arbor Day
(b) A method of settling disputes through a binding third party decision
(c) A new method of modern dance
2.
Blue Collar Workers:
(a) Factory employees who make shirts with blue collars
(b) People who only wear blue collars
(c) Production and maintenance workers
3.
Closed Shop:
(a) A place where only union members are hired
(b) A store that closes during specific hours
(c) The old Sunday shopping law
4.
Collective Bargaining:
(a) A bunch of people looking for a bargain
(b) A method of determining wages and other employment conditions through direct
negotiations between the union and employer
(c) Making a bargain to collect a person’s rent
5.
C.O.L.A.:
(a) A dark, sweet beverage
(b) Cost of Living Allowance
(c) Pay increases based on the Consumer Price Index
(d) a & c
(e) b & c
6.
Fringe Benefits:
(a) A benefit concert by a group named FRINGE
(b) A wage benefit package given only to employees who wear clothing with some fringe on it
(c) Non-wage benefits such as paid such as paid vacations, pensions, and life insurance
7.
Grievance:
(a) Complaint against management by a union or union member regarding a breach of the
collective agreement
(b) What you go through upon the death of someone close to you
(c) Someone who complains a lot
8.
Injunction:
(a) A court order restraining an employer or union from engaging in certain acts
(b) A needle you get before starting certain jobs
(c) A place of employment at a railway junction
9.
Labour Relations Board:
(a) A wooden board used in hard labour
(b) A Federal or Provincial Board established to administer labour law
(c) A group of people who work hard at their relationships
10. Local:
(a) The basic unit of union organization
(b) Here, not there
(c) An establishment that is close by
11. Lockout:
(a) When you leave your keys at home
(b) When you accidentally lock your keys in your car
(c) When you’ve had an argument with someone and they lock you out of the house
(d) A phase in labour dispute where management doesn’t allow its employees to work
12. Moonlighting:
(a) A former hit television show starring Bruce Willis
(b) What you do when you want a romantic evening
(c) A situation in which an individual holds more than one paid job at the same time
13. Picketing:
(a) Union members publicize the existence of a labour dispute
(b) A type of white fencing usually found around country homes
(c) Fancy guitar playing
14. Seniority:
(a) The age when you start to receive a pension
(b) When people begin to think that they are too old
(c) Term used to designate an employee’s status, usually based on length of service
15. Shift:
(a) The daily working period for a group of employees
(b) A type of straight dress
(c) To move around on the job site
16. Slowdown:
(a) To really take things easy, at a slow place, to preserve good health
(b) What you should do for a yellow light at an intersection
(c) A deliberate lessening of work effort to force concessions from the employer
17. Strike:
(a) When a player swings at a bad pitch at a baseball game
(b) A well-aimed punch
(c) A refusal to work by employers in order to compel the employer to agree to certain terms or
conditions
18. Scab:
(a) A person who accepts employment to replace workers who are on strike
(b) A crust that forms on your skin after a bad cut or scrape
(c) A new type of seafood
19. Trade Union:
(a) Workers organized into a voluntary association to further their mutual interests regarding
wages and working conditions
(b) A group of people who get together to trade hockey cards
(c) A union for fur traders
20. White Collar Workers:
(a) People who wear white collars to work such as nurses, secretaries, or clowns
(b) Workers in offices and other non-production phases of industry
(c) Workers, mostly seamstresses, who make white collars for the clergy
Union Related Terms
Student Activity
Fill in the blanks:
1. A refusal to work because a satisfactory
contract cannot be negotiated is a
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
12. A unionized employee has the right to file a
if
.
some part of his or her contract is not
followed.
An employer and employees who are trying 13. An advantage attained by length of
to come to an agreement are
continuous employment is called
.
.
A legal step used by an employer to end a
14. A strike that takes place while a contract is
strike or other actions of employees is an
still in effect is called an
.
.
The agreement between an employer and a 15. A work slowdown or a refusal to perform
union that involves issues such as wages,
some duties not in the employee’s job
working conditions, and fringe benefits is
description is known as
.
.
The person in charge of a local union is
16. The closure of a place of work by an
called a
.
employer in order to pressure employees to
agree to terms of employment is a
.
Dental plans, pension plans, and sick leave 17. A method of determining issues such as
plans are
.
wages and hours through direct negotiations
between the union and the employer is
called
.
A place of work where a person must belong 18. A cost of living adjustment clause is know
to the union is a
.
as
.
A method of settling a dispute between an
employer and employees by bringing in a
third party is called
.
A method of collecting union dues is
.
The legal procedures that a group must
follow in order to become a union are know
as
.
Workers on strike spend several hours each Name:
week
in front of their place of work.
Score: