Chapter 10 LABOUR RELATIONS

Supervisors And Labour Relations
• unions affect the ability of managers to direct various HR processes • essential that manages understand how unions operate
• supervisors need to familiarize themselves with labour laws and the collective agreement in their company

Laws Governing Labour Relations
• laws seek to create an environment in which both unions and employers can exercise respective rights
• laws reflect government policy- whether at federal or provincial levels

Common Features Of Labour Legislations
• right of people to join unions
• right of unions to be granted authority to represent employees
• requirement that employers recognize a certified union as the rightful bargaining agent
• requirement that unions and employers bargain in good faith
• identification of unfair labour practices
• right of unions to strike and right of employers to lock-out workers

Administration Of Legislation
• Canada Industrial Relations Board administers and enforces Canada Labour Code
• each province has a labour relations board that administers and enforces provincial legislation
• Quebec has a labour court and commissioners

Duties Of Labour Relations Board
• develop administrative regulations that describe how people unionize
• hear complaints related to unfair labour practices
• determine if bargaining is done in good faith
• remedy violations of legislation

Labour Relations Process
1 Workers desire collective
2 Unions begin organizing
3 Collective negotiations
4 Contract is administered
Management
Labour (unions) objectives and goals affect daily HR activities carried out by
Laws and Regulations

Why Employees Unionize
• economic needs
• dissatisfaction with management
• social and status concerns
• requirement of collective agreement union shop closed shop