Solutions For Industrial Relations In
Canada, 4th Edition Hebdon (All Chapters
Included)
Job Satisfaction Is Lower Among Unionized Workers. Do You Agree Or Disagree With This
Statement? Explain Why?
I Agree With This Statement But I Also Want To Say That I Think It Depends On Which Union
Worker Are We Talking About It. There Are Newly Hired Union Workers Who Are Down At The
Bottom Of The Seniority List And There Are Those Union Workers Who Are Up On The Top Of The
Seniority List With Full Job Security And Better Benefits.
I Work In A Unionized Organization. All Our Non-Managerial And Non-Administrative Positions Are
Unionized. Most Of The Unionized Staff Seem To Be Less Satisfied With Their Jobs. One Of The Issues
Is That They Do Not Have The Flexibility To Negotiate About Pay Or Benefits Including Vacation Or
Sick Time.
Everyone Has To Follow The Collective Agreement. If They Start From Step 1 Of The Collective
Agreement As Most Junior Union Worker, Then They Have To Work Their Way Up To The Next Step
Even If They Have More Education Or Skills Than Their Senior Co-Workers. What I Have Noticed Is
That Most Junior Staff Are More Dissatisfied With Their Jobs Than Most Senior Once When It Comes
To Benefits And Flexibility To Negotiate An Issue.
Another Issue That Could Lead To Lower Job Satisfaction Is Lack Of Career Advancement Or Limited
Career Growth. In Most Unionized Environments, Promotions Are Based On Seniority Rather Than
Merit. When A Position Is Announced And Two Employees Apply For The Position The Most Senior
Gets The Job Even If The Junior Is More Skillful. This Has Happened In The Organizations That I Have
Worked At And I Have Seen People Feeling Frustrated And Shown Less Interest In Their Jobs. It Is
More Frustrating For Them Because They Have To Work For Years And Years Until They Get Job
Security And Promotion. I Think One Will Be Satisfied With Their Jobs If They Know That There Is A
Career Advancement For Them And That They Are Not Going To Stay In The Same Position Doing The
Same Work For Years. According To The Theory Of Motivation, Once The Basic Needs Are Satisfied
People Will Be Looking For Growth And Advancement Re: Self-Esteem. If Employees Know That Their
Hard Work Will Pay Off One Day And They Will Get Some Sort Of Promotion Or Career Advancement,
They Will Be Motivated Which Then Will Lead To Job Dissatisfaction.
We Do Not Have Any Incentive Pay For Our Union Staff. They Only Get Their Benefits And Salaries
Based On Their Seniority Re: Steps/Levels In CA. Their Pay Is Not Affected By Their Performance So
Whether They Have A Good Performance Or Not It Doesn’t Affect Their Pay. Thus, There Isn’t An
Incentive To Motivate Them To Perform Better And Get A Reward In Response. Everything Is Already
Set For Them. They Know How Much They Could Receive Based On Years Worked, How Much
Vacation Time Do They Have, Where In The Seniority List They Are, Etc. Whether They Perform Their
Best Or Not Nothing Is Going To Change. According Hertzberg’s Hygiene And Motivation Theory,
Recognition Of A Job Well Done Leads To Job Satisfaction And Vice Versa.
,Another Reason Could Be Lack Of Meaningful Work. Union Employees Do The Same Work Repeatedly
With No Or Very Less Innovation. The Organization Has To Follow The Collective Agreement And Job
Descriptions Stated In CA. Adding Or Removing Some Responsibilities Could Lead To A Negotiation
Between The Employer And The Union So It Is Better For Employers To Follow The Negotiated CA And
Offer No Changes In The Way Work Is Done. If There Is No Challenge In The Work, The Employees
Will Lose Interest In The Work And Lack Of Interest In Work Can Play A Big Part In Job
Dissatisfaction.
According To Hertzberg’s Hygiene And Motivation Theory, Lack Of Interpersonal Relationships Can
Also Lead To Job Dissatisfaction. In A Unionized Environment, There Seems To Be A Lack Of
Interpersonal Relationships Between Supervisors And Workers. It Is Because In One Way Or Another
The Two Want To Influence The Other In Order To Balance The Power. It Could As A Result Lead To
Tension Between The Worker And The Supervisor And Prevent Them From Having A Healthy
Professional Relationship. Having Challenges With Supervisors Or Co-Workers Would Lead To Job
Dissatisfaction.
While I Agree With The Statement That Job Satisfaction Is Lower Among The Union Workers, I Also
Think It Is Equally Important To Mention That The Retention Rate Among Union Workers Is Higher
Than Non-Union Workers. Union Employees Have Job Security, Their Rights Are Preserved By The
CA And Union, They Have Better Benefits, And They Have The Union Support And Resources When
They Have An Issue At The Workplace. They Understand The Benefits Of Being Unionized And That
Is Why They Stick To Their Jobs And Are Faithful To Their Unions. Whether The Employer Has The
Means To Keep Them Motivated And Satisfied With Their Jobs Or Not, The Union For Sure Has The
Means To Keep Them Devoted To Their Union And Jobs.
What Is Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB)? Provide An Example Currently In The Media Or One From
Your Own Experience That Would Be Ideal For IBB. Using Your Example Explain In Detail Steps You
Would Take Towards Negotiation.
Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) Uses A Negation Strategy That Is Centred Around The Involved Parties
To Come A Mutually Agreeable Outcome When All Parties Have Something To Gain From The
Negotiation. This Form Of Bargaining Strives To Achieve A “Win-Win" For All Parties And Based On
Each Party's Individual Interests.
Interest Based Bargaining Uses A More Cooperative Bargaining Approach In Contrast To Positional
Bargaining Which Focuses On Compromise Where A Win For One Party Means A Loss For The Other.
IBB Allows For The Opportunity For The Potential For Both Parties To Achieve Outcomes That Satisfy
Their True Interests. Interest Based Bargaining Requires Understanding From The Involved Parties In
Order To Achieve Desired Outcome And Include Open Exchange Of Information, A Desire To Use A
Problem Solving Approach, An Understanding Of Each Other's Interests And Trust On Both Sides.
,IBB Strives To Get To The Root Of Each Party's Interests In An Attempt To Get Both Parties Their
Desired Outcomes To Some Degree. Interest Based Bargaining Has The Following Main Components:
Identifying The Problem
Searching For Alternative Solutions
Systematically Comparing Alternatives
An Example Where Interest Based Bargaining Recently Occurred At My Organization With One Of Our
Bargaining Units. The Issue Surrounded Summer Vacation Time Booking By Seniority As Part Of
Collective Agreement Negotiations.
When Applying An Interest Based Bargaining Approach To This Scenario, The First Step Was To
Identify The Problem. The Main Issue Surrounded More Senior Staff Being Able To Book Majority Of
The Summer Off For Vacation Based On Seniority And Leaving No Option For More Junior Staff To
Have Any Time Off During The Summer Months. Due To Staff Vacation Time Ultimately Being Denied
In Some Cases, The Union Organized Pickets In Support Of Members Being Denied Vacation.
Management Continued To Receive Complaints And The Issue Was Beginning To Affect The Workplace
Culture.
When Discussing Alternative Solutions, Several Approaches Were Discussed. Examples Of Informally
Proposed Solutions Gave A Range Of Options Including Limiting The Number Of Weeks That Could Be
Booked Of During The Summer, Negotiating Language For Situations Where Employees Were Taking
Off Every Weekend In The Summer And Even A More Random Approach Where All Submitted
Requests Would Be Randomly Assigned. The Pros And Cons Of Each Of The Proposed Solutions Were
Discussed At Length Informally Before A Proposed Solution Was Brought To The Table.
Following Informal Discussions About The Alternative Options, Limiting The Number Of Weeks That
Could Be Booked Off By An Individual Employee During The Months Of July And August Was
Proposed. The Policy Change Proposed Allowing Up To Half 2 Weeks Of The Maximum Six Weeks
Entitlement. This Proposal Still Gave The Unionized Members Opportunity To Book Vacation Time
Based On Seniority But Parameters Allowed More Staff To Receive Time Off During The Summer
Months. Ultimately, The Parties Settled On A Policy Change That Allowed A Maximum Of 3 Weeks Per
Employee To Be Booked Off During The Summer Months.
Some Workers Are Inclined To Seek Out Union Jobs. Discuss ONE Reason Why Workers Join Unions.
You May Support Your Response With Examples.
According To Hebdon & Brown, There Are Three Major Reasons As To Why Workers Join Unions,
They Include Collective Voice, Utility And Ideology[1]. I Will Focus On One Of These Three, Namely
The Utility Theory, Where People Would Be Inclined To Join Unions If The Union Is Able To Fulfill
Certain Economic
, Expectations Such As Wages, Benefits Or Protection Of Their Job Role. Being In A Unionized
Environment Does Not Guarantee All Employee Requests With Respect To These Areas However It
Does Provide Additional Security Of Those Areas Being Maintained Once Negotiated. An Example Of
How Unions Can Provide This Utility Function To Attract And Retain Employees Is Through The Lens
Of The Current Covid-19 Global Pandemic With Respect To Wages And Job Security. In Recent Media
Coverage, Employees Working At Certain Grocery Store Chains During This Pandemic Have Been
Represented By Canada's Largest Private-Sector Union Unifor. This Union Is Petitioning For Not Only A
Temporary Wage Hike, But A Permanent Wage Increases For Their Employees, This Petition Has Been
Titled “Fair Pay Forever"[2]. Employees In These Roles Would Normally Be Low-Earning Positions Yet
Have Been An Integral Role Serving The Public And Putting Their Health In A Precarious Situation. As
Stated, “Unifor, Which Represents Workers At Metro, Sobeys, And Loblaw In Some Regions, Has
Established A "Fair Pay Forever" Campaign. It Is Currently Circulating A Petition To "Encourage"
Canada's Largest Retailers To Make COVID-19 Wage Premiums Permanent." By Being A Part Of A
Union In This Type Of Role, Having An Increase In Your Wages From One Source Of Employment Is
Important To Retaining Employees Considered Essential And Providing Them With Job Security As
There Are Other Intersecting Regulations Introduced By The Government Banning Workers From
Working At Multiple Facilities[3]. The Other Aspect Of This Utility Theory Comes In The Form Of
Employees Looking For Job Security. I Personally Am Employed By A Public Serving Non-Profit
Agency That Is Unionized. When Covid-19 Started Impacting Workplaces And Employers Were Laying
Employees Off, I Had A Stronger Sense Of Security For My Employment Versus My Partner Who Is
Employed By A Non-Union Private Sector Company, Where They Have Already Reduced His Working
Hours, A Pay Reduction And Their Office Location May Not Reopen As They Cannot Guarantee Certain
Positions Remaining Once They “Reopen". In Contrast, My Unionized Position Has Simply Transitioned
To Working From Home, Remained Full Time, No Reduction In Wages, I Have Been Provided With
Skills Training Opportunities, Wellness Supports Through Our EAP Provider, Continuously Provided
With Updates From Management On Pertinent Changes. Recognizing The Contrasts Between These Two
Examples When It Comes To Job Security And Peace Of Mind In The Two Different Environments Is
Another Factor As To Why One Would Want To Join A Union.
[1] Hebdon R. & Brown, T.C., Industrial Relations In Canada, 3rd Edition, Nelson Series In HRM,
Toronto 2016. Pg. 153.
[2] Rabble. Temporary Wage Increase For Grocery Store Workers Should Be Permanent, Say Unions.
Chelsea Nash. May 28, 2020. Retrieved From Https://Rabble.Ca/News/2020/05/Temporary-Wage-
Increase-Grocery-Store-Workers-Should-Be-Permanent-Say-Unions
[3] The Globe And Mail. Wage Boosts For Essential Workers Should Last Beyond COVID-19
Pandemic: Union Leaders. Beatrice Britneff. May 7, 2020. Retrieved From
Https://Globalnews.Ca/News/6915382/Wage-Boosts-Essential-Workers-Coronavirus-Union-Leaders/
Canada, 4th Edition Hebdon (All Chapters
Included)
Job Satisfaction Is Lower Among Unionized Workers. Do You Agree Or Disagree With This
Statement? Explain Why?
I Agree With This Statement But I Also Want To Say That I Think It Depends On Which Union
Worker Are We Talking About It. There Are Newly Hired Union Workers Who Are Down At The
Bottom Of The Seniority List And There Are Those Union Workers Who Are Up On The Top Of The
Seniority List With Full Job Security And Better Benefits.
I Work In A Unionized Organization. All Our Non-Managerial And Non-Administrative Positions Are
Unionized. Most Of The Unionized Staff Seem To Be Less Satisfied With Their Jobs. One Of The Issues
Is That They Do Not Have The Flexibility To Negotiate About Pay Or Benefits Including Vacation Or
Sick Time.
Everyone Has To Follow The Collective Agreement. If They Start From Step 1 Of The Collective
Agreement As Most Junior Union Worker, Then They Have To Work Their Way Up To The Next Step
Even If They Have More Education Or Skills Than Their Senior Co-Workers. What I Have Noticed Is
That Most Junior Staff Are More Dissatisfied With Their Jobs Than Most Senior Once When It Comes
To Benefits And Flexibility To Negotiate An Issue.
Another Issue That Could Lead To Lower Job Satisfaction Is Lack Of Career Advancement Or Limited
Career Growth. In Most Unionized Environments, Promotions Are Based On Seniority Rather Than
Merit. When A Position Is Announced And Two Employees Apply For The Position The Most Senior
Gets The Job Even If The Junior Is More Skillful. This Has Happened In The Organizations That I Have
Worked At And I Have Seen People Feeling Frustrated And Shown Less Interest In Their Jobs. It Is
More Frustrating For Them Because They Have To Work For Years And Years Until They Get Job
Security And Promotion. I Think One Will Be Satisfied With Their Jobs If They Know That There Is A
Career Advancement For Them And That They Are Not Going To Stay In The Same Position Doing The
Same Work For Years. According To The Theory Of Motivation, Once The Basic Needs Are Satisfied
People Will Be Looking For Growth And Advancement Re: Self-Esteem. If Employees Know That Their
Hard Work Will Pay Off One Day And They Will Get Some Sort Of Promotion Or Career Advancement,
They Will Be Motivated Which Then Will Lead To Job Dissatisfaction.
We Do Not Have Any Incentive Pay For Our Union Staff. They Only Get Their Benefits And Salaries
Based On Their Seniority Re: Steps/Levels In CA. Their Pay Is Not Affected By Their Performance So
Whether They Have A Good Performance Or Not It Doesn’t Affect Their Pay. Thus, There Isn’t An
Incentive To Motivate Them To Perform Better And Get A Reward In Response. Everything Is Already
Set For Them. They Know How Much They Could Receive Based On Years Worked, How Much
Vacation Time Do They Have, Where In The Seniority List They Are, Etc. Whether They Perform Their
Best Or Not Nothing Is Going To Change. According Hertzberg’s Hygiene And Motivation Theory,
Recognition Of A Job Well Done Leads To Job Satisfaction And Vice Versa.
,Another Reason Could Be Lack Of Meaningful Work. Union Employees Do The Same Work Repeatedly
With No Or Very Less Innovation. The Organization Has To Follow The Collective Agreement And Job
Descriptions Stated In CA. Adding Or Removing Some Responsibilities Could Lead To A Negotiation
Between The Employer And The Union So It Is Better For Employers To Follow The Negotiated CA And
Offer No Changes In The Way Work Is Done. If There Is No Challenge In The Work, The Employees
Will Lose Interest In The Work And Lack Of Interest In Work Can Play A Big Part In Job
Dissatisfaction.
According To Hertzberg’s Hygiene And Motivation Theory, Lack Of Interpersonal Relationships Can
Also Lead To Job Dissatisfaction. In A Unionized Environment, There Seems To Be A Lack Of
Interpersonal Relationships Between Supervisors And Workers. It Is Because In One Way Or Another
The Two Want To Influence The Other In Order To Balance The Power. It Could As A Result Lead To
Tension Between The Worker And The Supervisor And Prevent Them From Having A Healthy
Professional Relationship. Having Challenges With Supervisors Or Co-Workers Would Lead To Job
Dissatisfaction.
While I Agree With The Statement That Job Satisfaction Is Lower Among The Union Workers, I Also
Think It Is Equally Important To Mention That The Retention Rate Among Union Workers Is Higher
Than Non-Union Workers. Union Employees Have Job Security, Their Rights Are Preserved By The
CA And Union, They Have Better Benefits, And They Have The Union Support And Resources When
They Have An Issue At The Workplace. They Understand The Benefits Of Being Unionized And That
Is Why They Stick To Their Jobs And Are Faithful To Their Unions. Whether The Employer Has The
Means To Keep Them Motivated And Satisfied With Their Jobs Or Not, The Union For Sure Has The
Means To Keep Them Devoted To Their Union And Jobs.
What Is Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB)? Provide An Example Currently In The Media Or One From
Your Own Experience That Would Be Ideal For IBB. Using Your Example Explain In Detail Steps You
Would Take Towards Negotiation.
Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) Uses A Negation Strategy That Is Centred Around The Involved Parties
To Come A Mutually Agreeable Outcome When All Parties Have Something To Gain From The
Negotiation. This Form Of Bargaining Strives To Achieve A “Win-Win" For All Parties And Based On
Each Party's Individual Interests.
Interest Based Bargaining Uses A More Cooperative Bargaining Approach In Contrast To Positional
Bargaining Which Focuses On Compromise Where A Win For One Party Means A Loss For The Other.
IBB Allows For The Opportunity For The Potential For Both Parties To Achieve Outcomes That Satisfy
Their True Interests. Interest Based Bargaining Requires Understanding From The Involved Parties In
Order To Achieve Desired Outcome And Include Open Exchange Of Information, A Desire To Use A
Problem Solving Approach, An Understanding Of Each Other's Interests And Trust On Both Sides.
,IBB Strives To Get To The Root Of Each Party's Interests In An Attempt To Get Both Parties Their
Desired Outcomes To Some Degree. Interest Based Bargaining Has The Following Main Components:
Identifying The Problem
Searching For Alternative Solutions
Systematically Comparing Alternatives
An Example Where Interest Based Bargaining Recently Occurred At My Organization With One Of Our
Bargaining Units. The Issue Surrounded Summer Vacation Time Booking By Seniority As Part Of
Collective Agreement Negotiations.
When Applying An Interest Based Bargaining Approach To This Scenario, The First Step Was To
Identify The Problem. The Main Issue Surrounded More Senior Staff Being Able To Book Majority Of
The Summer Off For Vacation Based On Seniority And Leaving No Option For More Junior Staff To
Have Any Time Off During The Summer Months. Due To Staff Vacation Time Ultimately Being Denied
In Some Cases, The Union Organized Pickets In Support Of Members Being Denied Vacation.
Management Continued To Receive Complaints And The Issue Was Beginning To Affect The Workplace
Culture.
When Discussing Alternative Solutions, Several Approaches Were Discussed. Examples Of Informally
Proposed Solutions Gave A Range Of Options Including Limiting The Number Of Weeks That Could Be
Booked Of During The Summer, Negotiating Language For Situations Where Employees Were Taking
Off Every Weekend In The Summer And Even A More Random Approach Where All Submitted
Requests Would Be Randomly Assigned. The Pros And Cons Of Each Of The Proposed Solutions Were
Discussed At Length Informally Before A Proposed Solution Was Brought To The Table.
Following Informal Discussions About The Alternative Options, Limiting The Number Of Weeks That
Could Be Booked Off By An Individual Employee During The Months Of July And August Was
Proposed. The Policy Change Proposed Allowing Up To Half 2 Weeks Of The Maximum Six Weeks
Entitlement. This Proposal Still Gave The Unionized Members Opportunity To Book Vacation Time
Based On Seniority But Parameters Allowed More Staff To Receive Time Off During The Summer
Months. Ultimately, The Parties Settled On A Policy Change That Allowed A Maximum Of 3 Weeks Per
Employee To Be Booked Off During The Summer Months.
Some Workers Are Inclined To Seek Out Union Jobs. Discuss ONE Reason Why Workers Join Unions.
You May Support Your Response With Examples.
According To Hebdon & Brown, There Are Three Major Reasons As To Why Workers Join Unions,
They Include Collective Voice, Utility And Ideology[1]. I Will Focus On One Of These Three, Namely
The Utility Theory, Where People Would Be Inclined To Join Unions If The Union Is Able To Fulfill
Certain Economic
, Expectations Such As Wages, Benefits Or Protection Of Their Job Role. Being In A Unionized
Environment Does Not Guarantee All Employee Requests With Respect To These Areas However It
Does Provide Additional Security Of Those Areas Being Maintained Once Negotiated. An Example Of
How Unions Can Provide This Utility Function To Attract And Retain Employees Is Through The Lens
Of The Current Covid-19 Global Pandemic With Respect To Wages And Job Security. In Recent Media
Coverage, Employees Working At Certain Grocery Store Chains During This Pandemic Have Been
Represented By Canada's Largest Private-Sector Union Unifor. This Union Is Petitioning For Not Only A
Temporary Wage Hike, But A Permanent Wage Increases For Their Employees, This Petition Has Been
Titled “Fair Pay Forever"[2]. Employees In These Roles Would Normally Be Low-Earning Positions Yet
Have Been An Integral Role Serving The Public And Putting Their Health In A Precarious Situation. As
Stated, “Unifor, Which Represents Workers At Metro, Sobeys, And Loblaw In Some Regions, Has
Established A "Fair Pay Forever" Campaign. It Is Currently Circulating A Petition To "Encourage"
Canada's Largest Retailers To Make COVID-19 Wage Premiums Permanent." By Being A Part Of A
Union In This Type Of Role, Having An Increase In Your Wages From One Source Of Employment Is
Important To Retaining Employees Considered Essential And Providing Them With Job Security As
There Are Other Intersecting Regulations Introduced By The Government Banning Workers From
Working At Multiple Facilities[3]. The Other Aspect Of This Utility Theory Comes In The Form Of
Employees Looking For Job Security. I Personally Am Employed By A Public Serving Non-Profit
Agency That Is Unionized. When Covid-19 Started Impacting Workplaces And Employers Were Laying
Employees Off, I Had A Stronger Sense Of Security For My Employment Versus My Partner Who Is
Employed By A Non-Union Private Sector Company, Where They Have Already Reduced His Working
Hours, A Pay Reduction And Their Office Location May Not Reopen As They Cannot Guarantee Certain
Positions Remaining Once They “Reopen". In Contrast, My Unionized Position Has Simply Transitioned
To Working From Home, Remained Full Time, No Reduction In Wages, I Have Been Provided With
Skills Training Opportunities, Wellness Supports Through Our EAP Provider, Continuously Provided
With Updates From Management On Pertinent Changes. Recognizing The Contrasts Between These Two
Examples When It Comes To Job Security And Peace Of Mind In The Two Different Environments Is
Another Factor As To Why One Would Want To Join A Union.
[1] Hebdon R. & Brown, T.C., Industrial Relations In Canada, 3rd Edition, Nelson Series In HRM,
Toronto 2016. Pg. 153.
[2] Rabble. Temporary Wage Increase For Grocery Store Workers Should Be Permanent, Say Unions.
Chelsea Nash. May 28, 2020. Retrieved From Https://Rabble.Ca/News/2020/05/Temporary-Wage-
Increase-Grocery-Store-Workers-Should-Be-Permanent-Say-Unions
[3] The Globe And Mail. Wage Boosts For Essential Workers Should Last Beyond COVID-19
Pandemic: Union Leaders. Beatrice Britneff. May 7, 2020. Retrieved From
Https://Globalnews.Ca/News/6915382/Wage-Boosts-Essential-Workers-Coronavirus-Union-Leaders/
