CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO LABOUR RELATIONS
True/False
- Some human resource managers use the terms industrial relations and labour relations interchangeably.
Answer: True
- There is a consensus on the meaning of the terms industrial relations and labour relations.
Answer: False
- Labour relations are important because they affect both union and non-union employees.
Answer: True
- Labour relations is defined as the study of all aspects of the union-management relationship.
Answer: True
- The issue of improving health and safety in the workplace is within the domain of industrial relations.
Answer: True
- The Political Economy Approach to Labour Relations suggests that there is fundamental conflict of interest between employers and employees.
Answer: True
- The Conciliation Act of 1907 required employers to recognize unions.
Answer: False
- After an employer has been unionized an employee in the bargaining unit cannot make an agreement with the employer providing for additional vacation time.
Answer: True
- When employees are not represented by a union the employment relationship is governed by the contract between the parties, common law, and employment legislation Answer:
Answer: True
- A unionized employer must give members of the bargaining unit reasonable notice to terminate them.
Answer: False
- The courts have the authority to order employers to reinstate non-union employees who have been wrongfully dismissed.
Answer: False
- Constructive dismissal means that an employer could not reduce an employee's pay by 15% unless the employee is consented.
Answer: True
- Unionization affects the profitability but not the productivity of employers.
Answer: False
- A systems approach to labour relations refers to the industrial relationship, parties, processes, and outputs.
Answer: False
- The processes in labour relations refer only to joint union-management activities such as contract negotiations.
Answer: False
- Human resource managers and labour relations specialists may have a different perspective on unions.
Answer: True
- Without a union, the employment relationship would be governed exclusively by agreements between employers and individual employees.
Answer: False
- “Wrongful dismissal” means that an employer must have a valid reason to terminate an employee.
Answer: False
- It is possible for collective agreements to provide less notice of termination to employees than the common law reasonable notice period.
Answer: True
- There are studies indicating that unionized employees have lower job satisfaction than non-union employees.
Answer: True
- A open systems framework for labour relations contains five elements: the parties, processes, the environment, outputs, and feedback.
Answer: True
- The environmental factors affecting labour relations refer exclusively to the economy, technology, and legal issues.