Ottawa moves to end Canada Post lockout
June 20, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts
Description: Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt has announced she will introduce legislation to end the Canada Post lockout.
Source: Canadian Business
Date: 06/20/2011
Related links:
- Globe and Mail profile of Lisa Raitt
- Postmedia story
- CBC story
- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Canada Post
- Earlier update
Questions for discussion:
- What arguments can you think of in favour of introducing back-to-work legislation in this dispute?
- What arguments can you think of against introducing back-to-work legislation in this dispute?
- What effect do you think this move will have on long-term labour relations at Canada Post?
- How is this dispute similar to the Air Canada dispute?
- How does it differ?
Air Canada workers vote on new contract
Description: Striking Air Canada workers will be voting on a new contract after the federal government introduced back-to-work legislation in the Commons.
Source: The Windsor Star
Date: 06/20/2011
Link: http://www.windsorstar.com/business/leaders+Canada+deal/4973375/story.html
Related links:
- Postmedia story
- Globe and Mail story about bargaining and pensions
- CBC story
- CAW Airline Local 2002
- Earlier update
- Air Canada
Questions for discussion:
- What can you say about the timing of this strike?
- Why do you think the government introduced back-to-work legislation in this dispute more quickly than in the Canada Post dispute?
- What do you think would have happened if the government had not introduced back-to-work legislation?
- What effect do you think the back-to-work legislation will have on long-term labour relations at Air Canada?
- What happens if the workers do not ratify the contract?
Air Canada workers poised to strike
June 13, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 3 - HIstory of the Canadian Union Movement, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts
Description: Air Canada sales and customer-service employees, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers Union, are threatening to strike over wages and pensions.
Source: CBC
Date: 06/13/2011
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/06/13/aircanada-striketalks-monday.html
Related links:
Questions for discussion:
- Browse the links above. As you will see, one of the key issues in this dispute is pensions. What is a defined benefit pension?
- What is a defined contribution pension?
- Which type of pension would you prefer if you were an employee?
- Which would you prefer if you were an employer?
- Why?
Canada Post reduces deliveries
June 13, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts
Description: Canada Post is cutting mail deliveries, saying rotating strikes are costing it millions; the Canadian Union of Postal Workers counters that the company is trying to spark a full strike.
Source: CBC
Date: 06/13/2011
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/06/13/postal-strike-13.html
Related links:
- Background story by CBC
- Canadian Press story
- Canada Post
- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Earlier update
Questions for discussion:
- Union president Denis Lemelin says Canada Post is trying to impose a “partial lockout.” What does he mean?
- Do you think the term is accurate?
- Lemelin says the company is trying to provoke a general strike. Do you think a general strike, as opposed to rotating strikes, would be in Canada Post’s interest?
- Why or why not?
- The union says Canada Post wants the federal government to impose back-to-work legislation. Why do you think the employer would want back-to-work legislation?
- How do you think the union would feel about back-to-work legislation?
- Why?
Postal workers launch rotating strikes
June 6, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts
Description: Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers began rotating strikes following the expiration of 72-hour strike notice.
Source: CTV.ca
Date: 06/03/2011
Related links:
- Toronto Sun opinion piece
- Letter to the editor, Ottawa Citizen
- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Canada Post
- June 1 update
- May 24 update
Question for discussion:
- What is the difference between a rotating strike and a normal strike?
- Why would a union choose to hold rotating strikes rather than an all-out strike?
- List some of the considerations that would go into a decision to hold a rotating strike.
- Read the letter to the editor and the opinion piece above. Which arguments do you find the most persuasive?
- Are there significant points that the two writers don’t address?
Ontario nurses get lump-sum award
June 6, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 10 - Third-Party Intervention, Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process
Description: An arbitrator has granted members of the Ontario Nurses’ Association lump-sum bonuses, despite a provincial government wage freeze policy.
Source: The Toronto Star
Date: 06/03/2011
Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/1002549–nurses-get-bonuses-despite-wage-freeze
Related links:
- Ontario Nurses’ Association
- Ontario Hospital Association
- Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
- Globe and Mail story
- Toronto Sun story
- Canadian Press story
Questions for discussion:
- Review the links above. How does this settlement fit within the government wage freeze?
- How does this settlement work out to a “net zero increase?”
- If you belonged to this union, would you prefer a lump-sum award or a wage increase? Why?
- What is the role of the provincial government in collective bargaining with the nurses’ union?
- What is the role of the Ontario Hospital Association?
Canada Post, CUPW meet as strike deadline looms
June 1, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts
Description: With the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in a legal position to strike late Thursday night, the two sides in the dispute met Wednesday, June 1 to seek a solution.
Source: The Canadian Press
Date: 06/01/2011
Related links:
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think the strike notice deadline will make it more or less likely that the two sides will reach an agreement without job action?
- Why?
- What impact would a postal strike have on you and your friends and family?
- Who would be hurt most by a postal strike?
- Who would benefit?
Nova Scotia appoints chair of reorganized labour board
June 1, 2011 by tbarrett
Filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction
Description: The Nova Scotia government has named a former provincial ombudsman to head up its reorganized labour board.
Source: The Canadian Press
Date: 05/31/2011
Related links:
- Government press release
- Nova Scotia Labour Board
- Summary of board activity (pdf)
- Nova Scotia “Plain Language Guide” to industrial relations (pdf)
Questions for discussion:
- What is the role of a labour relations board?
- What are its powers?
- What does “quasi-judicial status” mean?
- Give an example of an employment matter the Nova Scotia board does not deal with.
- Give a brief description of Nova Scotia’s recent labour tribunal reorganization. Why do you think this was done?
Fiona McQuarrie's Industrial Relations in Canada received wide praise for helping students to understand the complex and sometimes controversial field of Industrial Relations, by using just the right blend of practice, process and theory. The text engages business students with diverse backgrounds and teaches them how an understanding of this field will help them become better managers.