Chapter 15 Working with Unions Falkenberg Stone and

Chapter Overview Unions: A definition n Evolution of Canadian labour unions n Unions and organizational effectiveness n Relation to other HRM functions n Responsibilities for labour relations n Labour union goals n 15. 1

Chapter Overview (cont’d. ) Labour unions: Structure n The transition from employee relations to labour relations n Collective bargaining n The grievance procedure n Dissatisfaction among union members n Improving relationships n 15. 2

Evolution of Canadian Labour Unions The free-market period n The IDI Act of 1907 n World War I and the extended IDI Act n The Wagner Act of the United States n World War II and PC 1003 n The Public Service Staff Relations Act of 1967 n The growth of organized labour 15. 3 n

Labour Relations Relation to Other HRM Functions Human Resource Planning Recruiting and Selection Labour Relations Training and Development Performance Appraisal Compensation and Benefits Health and Safety 15. 4

Labour Unions: Structure Local unions n National and international unions n Central labour congresses n 15. 5

Local Unions — Types and Terms Local of an international or national union n Directly chartered n Independent local n Stewards n Closed shop agreements n Union shop agreements n Rand formula or agency shop agreements n 15. 6

The Transition from Employee Relations to Labour Relations n Factors related to unionization n 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 n n 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 n n n 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 n n 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. ) n n n 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 bargaining table n counterproposal n “in good faith” n deadlocked n strike n lock-out n mediation n compulsory conciliation n voluntary mediation n interest arbitration n final-offer selection n 15. 12

Two Premises of Union Termination and Decertification A union that fails to exercise its rights may lose them. n 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. n 15. 13