Deck 13: The Union-Management Framework

Question 1

The union also carries out the responsibilities of the Human Resource department.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Collective agreements address issues such as wages, hours of work, and working conditions.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Unionized employees have more comprehensive benefit packages than nonunionized employees.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Unions are open social systems that are affected by their external environment.

Question 5

Successful companies have only one union representing their employees.

Question 6

Newfoundland has the highest rate of unionism in Canada.

Question 7

Labour unions alter the work environment as they change the relationship between employees and the organization.

Question 8

After a strike is settled, relationships change between co-workers but there is little effect on labour-management relationships.

Question 9

Union grievances often arise because supervisors don't understand the terms of the collective agreements.

Question 10

Unions composed of workers who possess the same skills or trades, usually within a certain geographical area, are called industrial unions.

Question 11

Secession refers to the trend of Canadian workers increasingly joining international unions.

Question 12

International unions are those whose headquarters are located outside of Canada.

Question 13

Social unionism recognizes that a union can only survive if it delivers a needed service to its members in a businesslike manner.

Question 14

The average hourly wage for unionized workers is notably better than the hourly wage for nonunionized workers.

Question 15

Two major types of local unions are craft unions and industrial unions.

Question 16

Many Canadians view union workers as being in blue-collar or government occupations so there is a growing recognition of the need to appeal to other employees.

Question 17

Traditional approaches to organizing and collective bargaining are less relevant today.

Question 18

Some employees are hesitant to join a union because they view unions as "one more boss" that leads to extra costs.

Question 19

Secession is motivated by Canadian locals' desire for more autonomy.

Question 20

The presence of a union places limits on the human resource management role.

Question 21

Unions can be certified automatically by the labour relations board when the employer engages in unfair labour practices.

Question 22

Management rights often include the right to reassign employees to different jobs.

Question 23

Ratified union contracts are approved by management before they are formally a collective agreement.

Question 24

In any disciplinary action, management must abide by the terms of the collective agreement.

Question 25

Most grievances are filed by management.

Question 26

A new standard for behaviour that arises from past practices of either management or workers is referred to as a precedent.

Question 27

The various labour relations statutes require the union and the employer to bargain "in good faith."

Question 28

The Rand Formula requires an employer to deduct union dues at source from the wages of an employee, but the employee is not obligated to join the union.

Question 29

Labour relations boards have the power to determine whether an organization is an appropriate bargaining agent for bargaining purposes.

Question 30

One of the key aspects of Canadian labour law is conciliation.

Question 31

Arbitration cases are lost by management because they neglect to document past disciplinary procedures.

Question 32

Failing to represent employees fairly is considered to be an unfair labour practice by unions.

Question 33

A complaint by an employee or an employer that alleges that some aspect of the collective agreement has been violated is called a grievance.

Question 34

Canadian labour law extends employers a great amount of freedom and leeway when countering a union organizing drive.

Question 35

A union is an organization with the legal authority to represent workers and administer the collective agreement.

Question 36

Labour relations board decisions can be appealed to a court of law by the union, but not by the employer.

Question 37

The Canadian government has jurisdiction over all unions organized in Canada.

Question 38

Conciliation involves using a neutral third party to help settle a labour-management dispute.

Question 39

Employee-related decisions are often centralized in the human resource department to prevent precedents.

Question 40

Contributing financially to the formation or operation of a union is considered to be an unfair labour practice by management

Question 41

An employee who is dissatisfied with their job and believes that a union could have a positive impact on the employee is more likely to join a union.

Question 42

When a union leader speaks out against a government program, they are engaging in which of the following?

A) union organizing
B) social unionism
C) unfair labour practices
D) grievance procedures
E) collective bargaining

Question 43

Voluntary recognition occurs if a union has organized a majority of employees, and the union did not apply undue pressure in the organization process.

Question 44

Which of the following is a feature specific to a provincial labour law?

A) right to join a union
B) good faith bargaining
C) conciliation
D) prohibition on unfair labour practices
E) restriction of strikes by public sector workers

Question 45

Co-operative programs are in the union leader's best interests.

Question 46

Almost all strikes and conflicts have been defensive from the management perspective.

Question 47

Which of the following does the industrial relations perspective state about workplace conflict?

A) it can be constructive
B) it stems from poor management
C) it can be reduced by workplace innovations
D) it fades from the employment relationship when management improves
E) mutual gains-oriented problem-solving techniques can decrease conflict

Question 48

The relationship between unionization and productivity is open to debate.

Question 49

Workers need to take initiative in establishing collective bargaining relationships.

Question 50

Which of the following gave federal civil servants bargaining rights similar to those granted to workers in the private sector as well as the right to strike?

A) Human Rights Act
B) Public Service Staff Relations Act
C) National Labour Relations Act
D) Charter of Rights and Freedoms
E) British North America Act

Question 51

Union leaders mistrusting management is an obstacle to co-operation.

Question 52

Which of the following is the labour negotiating process whereby disputing parties voluntarily choose to reconcile their differences through a neutral third party?

A) mediation
B) business unionism
C) conciliation
D) secession
E) arbitration

Question 53

Which of the following employee behaviours could suggest union activities?

A) more co-operative behaviour by workers
B) positive comments about the work environment
C) routine changes
D) increased morale
E) lack of new alliances

Question 54

There has been increasing government intervention in the bargaining process at the provincial and national levels.

Question 55

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is an example of:

A) an employer-owned union
B) an international union
C) a local union
D) a craft union
E) an industrial union

Question 56

Many co-operative programs have the underlying goal of increasing managerial domination in the workplace.

Question 57

Which of the following provides management with the freedom to operate the business subject to any terms in the collective agreement?

A) conciliation
B) management rights
C) the right to bargain for wages
D) mediation
E) mutual gains bargaining

Question 58

According to a survey about unions, which of the following is a major finding with regards to attitudes towards work and employees?

A) most non-unionized Canadians want to be unionized
B) few currently unionized workers would prefer to be unionized
C) few current union members believe that unions are relevant today
D) most survey respondents had never been in a union
E) most current union employees believe that a secret ballot vote should be necessary when forming unions

Question 59

All jurisdictions require a collective agreement to include a provision for final settlement by which of the following?

A) mediation
B) conciliation
C) arbitration
D) secession
E) business unionism

Question 60

A key issue for human resource management practitioners involves getting union involvement in managing change.

Question 61

Which of the following provisions specifies that employee-related decisions such as promotions, overtime, and layoffs are determined by the length of the worker's employment?

A) pension benefits
B) wage rates
C) time-off benefits
D) seniority
E) discipline

Question 62

Unfair labour practices by unions can include which of the following?

A) contributing financially to the formation of a union
B) interfering in union formation
C) discriminating against an employee on the basis of trade union membership
D) coercing employees to join or not join a union
E) engaging in illegal strikes

Question 63

Employees help convince co-workers to join a union by doing which of the following?

A) conducting home visits
B) persuading co-workers during work hours
C) changing their daily work routines
D) becoming less co-operative at work
E) modify their language at work

Question 64

When a dispute remains unresolved, the final step in most grievance procedures is which of the following?

A) the union submits the complaint to senior management
B) make arrangements for an arbitrator to settle the matter
C) have management and the union discuss the complaint
D) put the complaint in writing and submit it to the supervisor
E) have the chief steward take the complaint to the superintendent

Question 65

Which of the following is TRUE about collective agreement negotiations?

A) the union can bargain in bad faith
B) the face-to-face negotiations stage of negotiation is the most critical
C) the union and management must both make a reasonable effort to negotiate an agreement
D) organizations must establish an industrial relations department to coordinate negotiations
E) it is open for negotiation at any time

Question 66

Which of the following is described as a process whereby both parties sit down at the bargaining table as equals and engage in joint problem-solving activities?

A) mediation
B) conciliation
C) mutual gains bargaining
D) management rights
E) obtaining bargaining rights through voluntary recognition

Question 67

Studies have shown that unions can lead to which of the following outcomes?

A) decrease employee turnover
B) decrease employee tenure with the firm
C) lower productivity
D) reduce the output per worker
E) decreased ability to recognize the importance of increasing productivity

Question 68

Strikes were less common in organizations with which of the following features?

A) a larger organizational size
B) progressive human resource management practices
C) a smaller share of the market
D) unions that are in a strategically strong position
E) workers with less autonomy

Question 69

The inability for a job seeker to gain employment with an organization because they are not members of the union representing the workers is an example of which of the following?

A) closed shop
B) union shop
C) the Rand Formula
D) management rights
E) illegal discrimination

Question 70

Which of the following is primarily concerned with protecting workers, increasing their pay, improving their working conditions, and generally helping workers?

A) collective agreements
B) business unionism
C) strike action
D) grievances
E) conflict resolution

Question 71

Which of the following is set up in federal and provincial jurisdictions to administer labour relations legislation in the private sector?

A) labour relations boards
B) conciliators
C) mediators
D) public service staff relations board
E) arbitrators

Question 72

Which of the following occurs when negotiations break down between management and the union?

A) strike action
B) arbitration
C) disciplinary action
D) conciliation and mediation services
E) search for a precedent

Question 73

Which type of union members have been increasing rapidly in recent years?

A) older workers
B) visible minorities
C) young workers
D) women
E) low wage employees

Question 74

Which of the following is a change that can occur in the human resources function when unions are present?

A) specialists in labour relations are added to the human resource department
B) line managers get increased authority
C) management has more freedom to make unilateral changes
D) individual departments become responsible for record keeping
E) There is less friction between line managers and human resource staff members

Question 75

Once a union drive is underway, management can do which of the following?

A) seek legal advice about how to best encourage employees to vote
B) discipline union supporters
C) coerce employees to become union members
D) contribute to union formation efforts financially
E) discriminate against an employee on the basis of trade union membership

Question 76

Which of the following types of unions is composed of workers who possess the same skills or trades?

A) local unions
B) international unions
C) industrial unions
D) national unions
E) craft unions

Question 77

Which of the following sectors is the most highly unionized?

A) utilities
B) public administration
C) education
D) health care
E) technical services

Question 78

Which of the following common provisions in union-management agreements provides workers with economic security by giving guarantees of minimum work?

A) duration of agreement
B) management rights
C) union security
D) cost of living wage increases
E) income maintenance

Question 79

Unions may obtain legal recognition or bargaining rights by doing which of the following?

A) persuading, employees to join the union at the workplace during work hours
B) being certified on the basis of authorization card signatures
C) trying to compel an employer to bargain collectively with the union prior to certification
D) intimidating individuals because they filed complaints in the past
E) threatening an illegal strike

Question 80

Which approach to grievance procedures increases the chance that the dispute gets resolved without going to arbitration?

A) giving management decision-making power
B) settling grievances based on seniority
C) using a multi-step procedure
D) avoid quick resolutions
E) using a less formal procedure