Falkenberg, Stone, and Meltz
Fourth Edition
Copyright © 1999 Harcourt Brace &
Company Canada, Ltd.

Chapter Overview
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Unions: A definition
Evolution of Canadian labour unions
Unions and organizational effectiveness
Relation to other HRM functions
Responsibilities for labour relations
Labour union goals
15.1

Chapter Overview
(cont’d.)
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Labour unions: Structure
The transition from employee relations to labour relations
Collective bargaining
The grievance procedure
Dissatisfaction among union members
Improving relationships
15.2

Evolution of Canadian
Labour Unions
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The free-market period
The IDI Act of 1907
World War I and the extended IDI Act
The Wagner Act of the United States
World War II and PC 1003
The Public Service Staff Relations Act of
1967
The growth of organized labour
15.3

Labour Relations Relation to
Other HRM Functions
Human Resource
Planning
Labour
Relations
Recruiting and
Selection
Training and
Development
Performance
Appraisal
Compensation and Benefits
Health and
Safety
15.4

Labour Unions: Structure
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Local unions
National and international unions
Central labour congresses
15.5

Local Unions — Types and Terms
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Local of an international or national union
Directly chartered
Independent local
Stewards
Closed shop agreements
Union shop agreements
Rand formula or agency shop agreements
15.6

The Transition from Employee
Relations to Labour Relations
 Factors related to unionization
 The union organizing process
Process initiation
Membership campaign
Determining the bargaining unit
The representation vote
Management responses to unionization
15.7

Situations and Attitudes Influencing the Propensity to Unionize
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Job dissatisfaction, especially wages, benefits, and working conditions
Perceived inequities in pay
Lack of desired amount of influence or participation on the job, and perceptions of inability to influence working conditions
Beliefs about how effective unions are in improving wages and working conditions
15.8

Determining the Bargaining Unit
Ontario Labour Relations Board
Considerations
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The desires of the employer and the union
The community of interest among employees (that is, the nature of work performed, the conditions of employment, and the skills required)
The organizational structure of the employer
The desire not to split one employer’s work force into too many bargaining units
The general policy of not putting office staff and production workers on the same bargaining unit
15.9

How to Make Unions
Unnecessary
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Management commitment to and communication of a non-union objective
Avoiding human resource policies that teach people to “think union”
Pay policies, including avoiding problems in performance reviews and the danger of poorly handled merit reviews
Benefit programs, including overcoming communication and administrative problems
15.10

How to Make Unions
Unnecessary
(cont’d.)
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Problem solving, including consistency and due process approaches to discipline
Communication programs, including discussion methods such as meetings, employee handbooks, newsletters, attitude surveys, and the use of survey results
Value system analysis, including management and employee values and a workshop on management flexibility
15.11

Collective Bargaining Terms
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 bargaining table counterproposal
“in good faith” deadlocked strike lock-out
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 mediation compulsory conciliation voluntary mediation interest arbitration final-offer selection
15.12

Two Premises of Union
Termination and Decertification
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A union that fails to exercise its rights may lose them.
A union that no longer represents the majority of employees in a bargaining unit may lose its rights — subject to the concern that a challenge must be made in a timely fashion and should not unduly impair the bargaining process.
15.13