Dr.
Christine Brown
Chapter 1
An Introduction to
Industrial Relations in Canada
Welcome to the Course - Me 1
Dr. Christine Brown
Now you … 1
Small groups – breakout rooms
Introduce yourself, and meet the others
Topics – name, where you are, what you are studying,
work experience, cat person/dog person, do you believe
in ghosts, etc
Chapter 1 Objectives 1
• At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Identify the various terms used to describe
union-management relationships
Describe how different academic subjects might
address industrial relations issues
Identify the major pieces of legislation that regulate
Canadian industrial relations and explain what they
have in common
Understand how other kinds of Canadian legislation
affect industrial relations
Explain some of the major demographic and statistical
features of Canadian union membership
What Is Industrial Relations? 1
• Industrial relations:
Refers to the relationship between a union
and an employer
• The difference between Industrial Relations (IR)
and Human Resource Management (HR) is that
IR refers to employment relationships in a unionized
environment, whereas HR deals with employment
relationships in all types of organizations.
Industrial Relations in Academia
1
Industrial Relations is a stand alone area of
study but is also found in many other academic
fields such as:
History, Psychology, Economics, Political
Science, Law and Sociology
Overview of Text 1
Chapter 1
• Introduces theoretical and historical background,
explains evolution of Canadian workplaces and
relevant legislation
Chapter 2
• Overview of theories and research addressing
creation of unions, and how unions’ purpose
have changed over time
Chapter 3
• Historical events and forces affecting evolution
of Canadian labour relations
Overview of Text 1
Chapter 4
• Structure of Canadian unions: national,
provincial, municipal and local organizations
Chapter 5
• Why employees may or may not wish
to join a union
Chapter 6
• How a labour relations board assesses
certification application
Overview of Text 1
Chapter 7
• The effects of a certification order
Chapter 8
• The four stages of collective bargaining
Chapter 9
• Strikes and lockouts
Chapter 10
• Third-party intervention: conciliation, mediation
and arbitration
Overview of Text 1
Chapter 11
• Grievances and the Arbitration Process
Chapter 12
• Changes during the collective agreement:
successorship; raiding and union mergers;
decertification; technological change and
workplace restructuring
Overview of Text 1
Chapter 13
• Recent changes in the Canadian workplace
and their implications for unions and employers
• Recent changes to labour legislation
and their implications for the future of
union-employer relationships
• Effects of globalization on industrial relations
Course Notes 1
Participation – 10%
Midterm Exam – 25%
Simulation 1 – Contract Negotiation – 15%
Simulation 2 – Arbitration Negotiation – 15%
Final Exam – 35%
Class Formats 1
Some expectations:
• You will attend classes regularly and come prepared
to work
• You will have done the readings for that class PRIOR
to class start
• You will be working in small groups on case studies
… groups TBD
• You will participate in simulations – that is, you will be
assigned a role to play, will do your research and
preparation before class, and will interact freely with
your teammates
Class Formats - 2 1
Weekly class format:
• Some initial discussion/presentation lasting less than
30 minutes
• Class will be broken down into groups – different
groups each week
• Groups will review and complete a short case study
or other assignment
• Class time will also be used to prepare for 2
simulation cases
What you need to do: 1
1. Purchase the text
2. Read chapters 1, 2, and 3 in preparation for next
class
3. Complete the syllabus quiz (in Blackboard)
4. Come to class prepared to work in small groups
Questions? 1
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