Labour%20and%20Unions

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Labour and Unions

• Pt. 2

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The Union

• When discussing labour it is nearly impossible to
  have that discussion without mention of unions.
• The idea of unions can be very polarizing but
  some misconceptions about the role of unions has
  to be addressed.

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Labour

• Prior to learning about the types of unions in
  Canada it is important to see what we already
  know about union
• Prior Knowledge

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• Fire up the barbeque, Labour Day has arrived.
• While wildly celebrated across the country, the
  holiday is often thought of as the last hurrah
  before students head back to school and the
  official end to summer
• But Labour Day is more than just the end to
  summer break a fact many Canadians tend to
  forget.

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• The Labour Day holiday, however, was established
  to recognize the contribution that ordinary
  working people have made to the Canadian way of
  life.
• The union movement has built a very large part of
  society, both in terms of the way people are
  paid, but also in terms of people's rights.
• This includes the right to fair wages, safe
  working conditions and compensation for injury,
  and equitable labour relations.

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A step back..

• Canada was changing rapidly during the second
  half of the 19th century. Immigration was
  increasing, cities were getting crowded, and
  industrialization was drastically altering the
  countrys economy and workforce.

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• As machines began to replace or automate many
  work processes, employees found they no longer
  had special skills to offer employers. Workers
  could easily be replaced if they complained or
  dissented and so were often unable to speak out
  against low wages, long work weeks and deplorable
  working conditions.

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• This is the context and setting for what is
  generally considered Canadas first Labour Day
  event in 1872. At the time, unions were illegal
  in Canada, which was still operating under an
  archaic British law already abolished in England.
• The decisions by the workers at the Toronto
  Printer Union began a movement

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George Brown--?
John A. Macdonald
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PM Sir John Thompson
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Video

• What does this image have to do with unions?

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Labour Unions

• Labor unions represent workers in particular
  industries, trades or sectors. They organize
  their members to negotiate improved wages,
  benefits and working conditions.
• Although union membership in the United States
  peaked in the mid-20th century and has declined
  since then, various types of labor unions remain
  an influential force in North American business
  and politics.

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Influencing the Supply of Labour

• The ability of a union to influence the supply
  of the labour market depends on they type of
  union.
• There are three main types of unions that exist
  and have power in industrial nations Craft
  Unions, Industrial Unions and Public Unions.

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Craft/Trade Unions

• Craft Unions, commonly known as Trade Unions have
  their roots in the guilds of medieval Europe. In
  occupations such as bakers and blacksmiths,
  apprentices learned their trades from masters
  through the guilds, which regulated production by
  setting prices and limiting wages and employment.
• A trade union whose members all possess a
  particular skill is called a craft or trade
  unions.

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• Modern craft unions continue to represent workers
  in specific occupations, especially skilled
  trades. Craft unions in Canada include the
  Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) that represent
  workers in the automobile industry. In 2013 it
  merged with the Communications, Energy and
  Paperworkers Union of Canada, forming a new
  union, Unifor.

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Industrial Unions

• In contrast to Trade Unions, which represent
  members in specific trades, such as machinists,
  carpenters and electrical workers, industrial
  unions represent workers in industrial sectors,
  such as transportation or food service. One of
  the largest industrial unions in North America is
  the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
• A trade union that attempts to organize all the
  workers in a particular industry, regardless of
  the job they perform, is called an industrial
  union.

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Trade Unions

• Initially a union that represented workers in
  long-haul trucking, the Teamsters' membership
  comprises workers in a variety of industrial
  jobs, including trucking, warehouse and
  construction.
• Other industrial unions in the United States
  include the United Food and Commercial Workers,
  consisting of workers in restaurants and other
  food service industries, and the Organization of
  Chemical and Atomic Workers, which represents
  workers in chemical industries and nuclear power
  plants.

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Public Sector Unions

• A public-sector trade union (or public-sector
  labor union) is a trade union which primarily
  represents the interests of employees within a
  public sector or a governmental organization.
• The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is
  a Canadian trade union serving the public
  sector - although it has in recent years
  organized workplaces in the non-profit and
  para-public sector as well.

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Public Sector Unions

• CUPE is the largest union in Canada, representing
  some 650,000 workers in health care, education,
  municipalities, libraries, universities, social
  services, public utilities, transportation,
  emergency services and airlines.
• CUPE is still twice the size of the new
  union Unifor (a merger of the CAW union and
  the CEP), which represents around 350,000 members
  versus CUPE's 657,000. Over 60 of CUPE's members
  are women, and almost a third are part-time
  workers. 

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• The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is
  another common union in Canada that represents
  government workers.
• The Public Service Alliance of Canada represents
  more than 170,000 workers in every province and
  territory in Canada and in locations around the
  world. 
• Members work for federal government departments
  and agencies, Crown Corporations, universities,
  casinos, community services agencies, Aboriginal
  communities, airports, and the security sector
  among others.

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Mini- Research Assignments

• In groups of 3 or less choose a union in North
  America and gather some facts or interesting
  historical information about this union. Be
  ready to present your findings with the class.
• Choose between
• CAW
• PSAC
• CUPE
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• One of your choice

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Collective Bargaining

• 1943 was a benchmark year for labour unions in
  Canada as federal legislation was passed that
  restricted when unions were allowed to strike in
  exchange for the legal requirement that employers
  must bargain with a union that represents the
  majority of the workers.
• Having a collective agreement has nearly
  eliminated unnecessary strikes as workers have
  reached a temporary contract with employers.

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Collective Bargaining

• A Unions most significant role is in negotiating
  wages and working conditions on behalf of all the
  members. This process is known as Collective
  Bargaining. The contract that is negotiated is
  know as the collective agreement, which normally
  lasts for a period of 1 to 3 years.

McGill University Collective Agreement
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• In situations where disputes arise during the
  term of the agreement differences must be
  settled by arbitration.
• Arbitration is a procedure whereby an independent
  3rd party settles disputes between unions and
  management during the life of a collective
  agreement.

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Job Action and Strikes

• In the majority of situations, disputes between
  management and its employees are settled without
  any further issues or problems. Sometimes,
  however, both parties cannot come to an
  agreement. Both sides use a number of tools to
  attempt to force the other party to fold.
• Strikes are probably the most well-known tool
  used by employees. A strike is a temporary
  stoppage by employees, designed to force an
  employer to meet contractual demands. Strikes
  need to have the majority of union support.

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Strikes and Other job actions

• The equivalent tool from the perspective of the
  employers is the lockout. A lockout occurs when
  the employer shuts down the place of employment
  in order to force workers to accept its contract
  offer.
• The cost of strikes and lockouts are high as lost
  wages and lost profits hurt both parties in the
  short-run.

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Other Actions

• Rotating Strikes are strikes where different
  branches or locations are shut down for a day or
  two before the strike moves to another location.
  This causes disruptions but doesnt have a large
  impact on employee paycheques.
• Work-to-rule is where employees perform only the
  duties specifically stated in their contracts.
• Boy-cotts can be encouraged by unions members or
  the general public as a way to lower
  sales/profits. This strategy may force the
  employer to reconsider its stance on contract
  disputes.

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Additional Terms

• Review the terms found on page 500-501 of your
  text book.
• Read Should Civil Servants Be Given the Right to
  Strike? found on page 501 in the text book,
  discuss and complete questions 1,2 3.

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Questions from the Film

• Why is it that the middle class not the wealthy
  are the true job creators?
• Some income inequality is inevitable as
  capitalism use financial rewards as an incentive
  to work hard and be inventive. So why worry
  about income inequality at all?
• Why is income inequality a threat to democracy?
• What it the economic impact of globalization?
• What is the economic impact of new technology?

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Unit Questions

• Case Study Pay Equity (pg 508, questions 1,2,3)
• End of Unit Review Questions 2, 3, 5, 7, 8,14
• I really like this question, check page 503 for
  additional information