Chap 5 Industrial Relations in Canada Edition By Fiona Mc Quarrie Test Bank, Study materials for exams. HRPD 709. PDF

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Chap 5th Industrial Relations in Canada Edition By Fiona Mc Quarrie Test Bank, Study materials for exams. HRPD 709....

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

CHAPTER 5 THE ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN Multiple Choice Questions 1. Generally, there are four classifications of factors which influence a person’s decision to support a union. Which of the following is not one of these classifications? A) Personal factors B) Workplace factors C) Political factors D) Societal factors Answer C Page 165 easy 2. The principle of ‘community of interest’ underlies which two of three considerations in determining whether a bargaining unit is appropriate? A) Definition of an employee and managerial and non-managerial employees B) Size and location and size of company C) Definition of employee and job titles D) Managerial employees and non-managerial employees. Answer A Page 187 intermediate 3. Which of the following is not a criterion used in assessing whether a managerial position should be included in the bargaining unit during the certification process? A) Whether the position is responsible for production or operations B) Whether the position has the authority to hire, fire, or discipline C) Whether the position has access to confidential information D) Whether the position requires a substantial amount of travel Answer D Page 189-190 easy 4. What is the most common reason why employees consider joining a union? A) Dissatisfaction with compensation levels B) Dissatisfaction with workplace conditions C) Pressure from friends and family D) Lack of respect for seniority Answer B Page 167 intermediate 5. Which of the following is not a concern of employees in assessing whether or not a union would be in their best interests? A) Lack of opportunity for worker participation B) Lack of cooperation with management in decision-making C) Disrespect of coworkers D) Dissatisfaction with opportunities for promotion Answer C Page 169 difficult

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

6. Which of the following has little or no effect on an employee’s decision to support a union? A) Union-related attitudes of others in the workplace B) The attitudes of supervisors and managers C) The wishes of family members D) The employees’ socio-economic standing Answer B Page 169 difficult 7. An American study suggested that unemployment rates had an impact on the probability of successful unionization attempts. What was the conclusion? A) That high unemployment increases the probability of unionization B) That high unemployment decreases the probability of unionization C) That there is no discernable impact D) Unemployment would have to reach 10 percent to affect interest in unionization Answer A Page 171 intermediate 8. Who must initiate the first step in an attempt to organize a union? A) The union B) The employees C) Either the union or the employees D) The Ministry of Labour Answer C Page 174 easy 9. During an organizing campaign, which of the following statements holds true? A) During the campaign, employers must provide a location for meetings B) Employees may meet during working hours, provided such meetings do not interfere with the company’s operations C) Only in rare circumstances do either of the parties engage in unfair labour practices D) In the early stages of the campaign, it is advisable to keep secret the identity of those attending the meetings Answer D Page 176 difficult 10. Which of the following provincial labour legislation does not contain a definition of employer? A) Nova Scotia B) Ontario C) Quebec D) British Columbia Answer B Page 192-193 intermediate 11. What is the minimum level of support required for a certification application in the Province of Ontario? A) 35% of all employees B) 35% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit C) 40% of all employees

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

D) 40% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit Answer D Page 184 intermediate 12. Under which of these circumstances will a labour relations board consider an application for certification with less than the required percentage of support? A) If the union can show that the employer intimidated employees B) If it is shown that the union intimidated employees C) Under no circumstances will labour relations boards consider such an application D) If the Minister of Labour opts to waive the minimum requirement Answer A Page 185 intermediate 13. What is the minimum level of support required for automatic certification to be granted under the federal labour code? A) 50% + 1 of all employees B) 50% of all employees C) 50% of employees in the proposed bargaining unit D) 50% + 1 of employees in the proposed bargaining unit Answer D Page 182 difficult 14. What is the least likely course of action for a government that is pro-union with regard to legislation governing the certification process? A) Raise the level of support required for a certification application B) Reduce the level of support required for a certification application C) Introduce mechanisms for automatic certification D) Ensure that legislation prohibits the use of unfair labour practices Answer A Page 186 intermediate 15. Every certification application must contain a description of the bargaining unit that the proposed union is seeking to represent. Generally that description contains what information? A) A list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of employees to be included in the bargaining unit B) A list of job titles to be included in the bargaining unit C) A list of names of those employees to be excluded from the bargaining unit D) All of the above Answer B Page 187 easy 16. Which of the following is not one of the difficulties in dealing with a bargaining unit that is too large? A) Communicating with the entire membership B) Achieving consensus on issues C) Collecting union dues D) Having to address a wider range of issues because there are more individual concerns Answer C Page 188 intermediate

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

17. A general policy in labour legislation is that unions should only represent nonmanagerial employees. Which of the following is not a reason for this policy? A) Managers make more money than frontline workers and thus have not reason to be unionized B) It would be a conflict of interest for a manager to discipline a fellow union member C) A union is entitled to be established and administered without employer interference D) Managers have access to confidential material Answer A Page 188-189 easy 18. Which of the following workplace trends have made it more difficult to determine who should be excluded from a bargaining unit by virtue of their managerial role? A) Job titles say nothing about the work B) Term/ contract hiring C) Expansion of organizations D) Significant numbers of educated people in the present workforce Answer A Page 189 intermediate 19. Which of the following is not a criterion for an employee to be excluded from the bargaining unit as an exempt employee? A) The performance of work involving administrative support to top managers B) Access to employment records C) Responsibility for the scheduling of certain operations D) Involvement in the preparation of plans for collective bargaining Answer C Page 190 easy 20. The question of who is an employee is important in determining who should be included in the bargaining unit. Which of the following makes the employment relationship of today more variable than in the past? A) Today’s marketplace is characterized by job security B) Contract work C) Benefits plans exist for everyone D) Most union members do not have university degrees Answer B Page 191 intermediate 21. Why are labour relations boards strict about enforcing the definition of ‘employee’? A) To prevent employers from not adhering to the collective agreement. B) To prevent unions from becoming less powerful. C) To prevent employers from reducing the size of the bargaining unit. D) To prevent employers from becoming too powerful. Answer C Page 192 intermediate 22. What does “union wage premium” refer to? A) Unions can stabilize wage rates. B) Unions can improve wage rates.

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

C) Unions can standardize wage rates across industries. D) Unions deter wage reductions. Answer B Page 171 difficult 23. SEIU plans to organize workers in every workplace in Ottawa involved in what type of work? A) Fast food B) Janitorial C) Temp agency D) Long term care Answer B Page 162 intermediate 24. While there is research as to why employees do or do not support a union, there is not much regarding A) Caucusing with other employees about the benefits of a union B) Internal struggles over whether to join a union C) Questioning how the organizing process moves forward D) Decision-making points in the organizing process Answer D page 165 intermediate 25. Which of the following contributes to employees’ workplace dissatisfaction? A) Compensation levels B) Management’s refusal to correct problems C) Lack of opportunity to participate in decision-making D) All of the above Answer D page 168-169 easy 26. What effect may the level of unionization in a specific occupation have on non-union workers? A) Some non-union workers may look to join a unionized workforce. B) Non-union workplaces may close their doors. C) Non-union workplaces may increase the wages of their employees. D) Non-union workplaces may increase the benefits they offer. Answer C page 171 intermediate 27. What may account for the decline in unionization rates in Canada for the period of 1984-1998? A) Downsizing B) Contracting out C) Anti-union legislation D) High wages in non union workplaces Answer C page 173 intermediate 28. Canadian studies show that the requirement for mandatory workplace votes for certification applications A) Results in multi-vote processes

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

B) Strengthens the resolve of employees to unionize C) Ensures that all of the issues are canvassed before the final vote D) Reduces the number of successful applications for certification Answer D page 173 easy 29. Labour law makes it illegal for employers to take what action against employees during an organizing campaign? A) Demotion B) Promotion C) Change their shifts D) Requiring employees to wear anti-union arm-bands Answer A page 176 easy 30. Why are organizing committees usually comprised of several employees? A) Employees are generally considered more credible than outsiders. B) Employees are familiar with other employees who might be potential union members. C) Employees have firsthand knowledge of the workplace issues. D) All of the above Answer D page 176 easy

TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS 31. An individual’s choice to join a union can be influenced by his or her parents’ attitudes toward unions. TRUE page 165 easy 32. The support required for certification applications can fluctuate depending on the philosophy of the governing political party. TRUE page 186 intermediate 33. Voluntary recognition means the employer can argue about the composition of the bargaining unit. FALSE page 196-197 intermediate 34. Being the “bargaining agent” means that the union is legally recognized as one of the representatives of employees in that particular workplace. FALSE page 174 difficult 35. Generally workers on construction sites must be organized and certified on each site. FALSE Page 196 intermediate 36. An employer must demonstrate that it removed work from the workplace for reasons unrelated to the union’s presence.

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

TRUE

Page 192

easy

37. A ‘sweetheart agreement’ always favours the union. FALSE Page 195 intermediate 38. During an organizing campaign, unions must not conduct their campaign activities at the workplace or during working hours. TRUE Page 175 intermediate 39. The level of sufficient membership support required for certification is consistent in most Canadian jurisdictions. FALSE Page 182-184 difficult 40. A general policy in labour legislation is that a union should not represent both managerial and non-managerial employees. TRUE Page 188 intermediate

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS 41. Describe the notion of instrumentality as a factor in a person’s decision to join or not to join a union. In order to support a union, an employee must feel that he/she lacks any individual ability to influence or change unsatisfactory working conditions and that a union is the mechanism by which that change can be achieved. Instrumentality is the employee’s perception of the usefulness of the union in achieving what the employee wants. (Page 166, intermediate) 42. What are the three different decision-making points in the certification process? i. Whether or not a union would be an asset to the workers ii. Whether or not to actually invite or encourage a union to undertake an organizing campaign iii. Whether or not to formally vote in favour of union representation. (Page 165, difficult) 43. Describe a situation where an employer might seek out unionized workers for their workplace. In the construction industry, an employer who secures a contract stipulating the use of unionized workers will contact the appropriate union and request that they provide the number of unionized employees needed for their project. (Page 196, intermediate) 44. In the context of the certification process, what is meant by voluntary recognition? Voluntary recognition occurs when the employer accepts the union as the employees’ bargaining agent without any representation vote or other formalization of the union’s existence.

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

(Page 196-197, easy) 45. What are the three major components of an application for certification? i. An indication of sufficient membership support ii. A description of the desired bargaining unit iii. An indication of the employer and the union covered by the application (Page 181, intermediate) 46. How does an employee usually express support for the establishment of a union in his or her workplace? An employee expresses support by signing a declaration of intent to join the union and paying a small membership fee. (Page 177, intermediate) 47. What are exempt employees? Exempt employees are non-managerial employees who are excluded from the bargaining unit because of the nature of their work. Their work usually involves supplying administrative support to top managers where they may have access to confidential information, such as employee records or the employer’s plans for collective bargaining. (Page 190, intermediate) 48. What is a sweetheart agreement? A sweetheart agreement is a union-management agreement that unduly favours management and/or does not consider the needs and wants of the employees. (Page 195, intermediate) 49. What are the two primary reasons that a union would like to include as many employees as possible in their application for certification? Unions would like to include as many employees as possible in the bargaining unit in order to maximize their revenues from union dues and increase their power when dealing with the employer. (Page 188, difficult) 50. What are some of the less permanent forms of work which may be used by employers to erode a union’s membership base? The use of part-time workers instead of full-time workers, temporary workers, contract workers, or the use of workers employed by another company are all ways an employer might erode a unions’ membership. (Page 191, easy)

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS 51. Describe the process of certification from the initial idea to official accreditation. Refer to the labour code of your province.

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

Suggested answer: i. The idea will be discussed among employees to determine if there is enough general support for the union ii. The union which best suits the workers’ needs will be identified iii. The union’s assistance will be requested during the organizing process iv. The union will try to get as many employees as possible to sign a union membership card v. Once the minimum level of support required is attained, the union can apply to the labour relations board to investigate and schedule a vote vi. A vote may not be required if majority support is confirmed at the time of the investigation 52. Assuming that most employers would choose to remain non-unionized, what are some of the strategies they might use to remain or become union free? Suggested answer: The most reliable way of remaining union free is to create a work environment in which employees feel that their contributions are valued and that they are treated fairly. That means the creation and maintenance of open communication lines, the establishment of equitable compensation systems, a method of resolving differences, and a process through which employees are encouraged to participate in a continuous improvement process. Other approaches might include being diligent in the hiring process to screen out those who might be particularly inclined toward collective action, ensuring that your pay rates are competitive in your industry, and that there is some respect for the principles of seniority. The answer might also include some legal and communication strategies to be used in the case of an existing application for certification. 53. What are some of the challenges which confront labour relations boards as they attempt to determine if there exists the necessary level of support for certification and which employees should be included? Suggested answer: i. Determining whether there has been undue pressure exercised in getting people to sign union membership cards. ii. Determining whether the employer has committed any unfair labour practices, such as disciplining employees who participate in the organizing process. iii. Ensuring that the group of employees specified in the union’s application for certification is the appropriate bargaining unit. iv. Ensuring the vote is conducted without interference. 54. The exclusion of managerial employees is increasingly coming under attack by unions. Discuss the considerations that keep managers out of being organized and what strategies unions are using to organize managers. Suggested answer: A titled position of ‘manager’ will not in itself be enough to keep a position or group of employees out of being organized. An application will be made to the labour board by

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Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Third Edition

the union and in determining the issue, the board will consider several factors including whether: i. the person has the authority to hire, fire, and/ or discipline other employees ii. the position is responsible for operations or production iii. others report to the position and is that person responsible for supervising others iv. the position the ‘go to’ person in times of crisis or emergency v. the person/position has access to personal information, such as employment records or budgetary information vi. the person/position participates in planning and conducting collective agreement negotiations (exempt employees are dealt with in the same manner as managers) vii. As well, what is the division between managerial and non-managerial work? Some ways that unions are combating this is to organize managers in a separate bargaining unit from those who are being supervised by the manager. In doing so, the division between the manager and employee is maintained but there is recognition of the right to organize and be represented by a bargaining agent. 55. Why is there concern around a company initiating a union drive? How are those situations addressed? Suggested answer: Most jurisdictions do not recognize an employee organization that is dominated or influenced by an employer, otherwise known as a ‘company union.’ The reason for t...