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HRIR 3450 Test 1 Questions
and Verified Answers
Question: T or F? A non-union employee might file a complaint with the appropriate
labour relations board, and the Board might order the employer to reinstate the
employee.
Ans: False: the non-union employees can sue the employer in the court of law and
the court of law in most jurisdictions does not have the power to force the employer
to give the employee the job back.
Question: T or F? A collective agreement provides that any work done on a Sunday will
be paid at the overtime rate. A union might be required to waive this term of the
agreement to meet its obligations under human rights legislation. That is, the union might
be required to agree to an employee working on Sunday and not be paid overtime if the
employee cannot work on Saturday because of his or her religious belief.
Ans: True, due to the duty to accommodate
Question: T or F? Some employers attempt to avoid unionization by paying non-union
employees wages that are equivalent to the wages of unionized employees.
Ans: True: to threaten the effect of the union
Question: T or F? A government may pass back-to-work legislation ordering an end to a
strike in the public sector; however, strikes in the private sector cannot be ended by
back-to-work legislation.
Ans: False: the government can ask the private sector employees to also go back to
work in the name of public inconvenience.
Question: T or F? Over the past 30 years the percentage of employees who are represented
by Unions has dramatically declined in both Canada and the US.
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Ans: False: the percentage of union members has drastically declined in the US but
not that much in Canada
Question: T or F? When a union attempts to organize employees, there is always a vote
held to determine if the employees wish to be represented by a union.
Ans: False: it depends on jurisdiction, for example in Alberta there is a need for
representation vote.
Question: T or F? Collective agreements can provide that employees are required to
become union members. Accordingly, an employer could be forced to terminate an
employee who refused to join the union.
Ans: True: under the concept of union shop, the employer can hire anyone but upon
joining the employee has to become a union member or else relinquish the job. The
U of M follows the union shop philosophy (student workers and for sessional
employee)
Question: T of F? When an employee takes a complaint to his or her union— for example,
the employee alleges termination without cause— the union is required to pursue the
matter with the employer.
Ans: False: the ownership of the grievance lies with the union, not the employee.
Question: T or F? In the course of negotiation of a collective agreement, the employer
may be required to reveal information to the union even though the union has not
requested it.
Ans: True: known as the duty of bargaining in good faith
Question: T or F? When a vote is held to authorize a strike, all employees in the group
that would be on strike are entitled to vote. That is, both union members and employees
who are not union members are entitled to vote.
Ans: True: as long as the job of all employees are being impacted they are all
entitled to vote
, Page | 3
Question: T or F? Some public sector employees have the right to strike, provided
essential services are maintained for the public by having some employees continue to
work.
Ans: True: maximum number of union members in Canada work for the public
sector.
Question: T or F: unions reduce profitability and productivity
Ans: False: it is known that unionized firms are less profitable than non-unionized
firms, but that does not mean the cause of low profitability are the unions. In fact,
the responsibility of making profit belongs to management. Maybe the
management is weak, that is why they are unable to make a profit. After all, they
succumbed to being unionized whereas other aggressive managements like those of
Amazon, Walmart, McDonald's never allow unions to be formed (Apple, Facebook,
Google)
Question: Industrial relations
Ans: the study of unionized and non-unionized organizations, employee
relationships
Question: Labour relations
Ans: a sub part of industrial relations, deals with unions, and management of the
unionized employees
Question: Legal basis of the relationship- No union
Ans: individual contract of employment
Question: Legal basis of the relationship- Union
Ans: Collective agreement
Question: Terms of employment negotiated by- No union
HRIR 3450 Test 1 Questions
and Verified Answers
Question: T or F? A non-union employee might file a complaint with the appropriate
labour relations board, and the Board might order the employer to reinstate the
employee.
Ans: False: the non-union employees can sue the employer in the court of law and
the court of law in most jurisdictions does not have the power to force the employer
to give the employee the job back.
Question: T or F? A collective agreement provides that any work done on a Sunday will
be paid at the overtime rate. A union might be required to waive this term of the
agreement to meet its obligations under human rights legislation. That is, the union might
be required to agree to an employee working on Sunday and not be paid overtime if the
employee cannot work on Saturday because of his or her religious belief.
Ans: True, due to the duty to accommodate
Question: T or F? Some employers attempt to avoid unionization by paying non-union
employees wages that are equivalent to the wages of unionized employees.
Ans: True: to threaten the effect of the union
Question: T or F? A government may pass back-to-work legislation ordering an end to a
strike in the public sector; however, strikes in the private sector cannot be ended by
back-to-work legislation.
Ans: False: the government can ask the private sector employees to also go back to
work in the name of public inconvenience.
Question: T or F? Over the past 30 years the percentage of employees who are represented
by Unions has dramatically declined in both Canada and the US.
, Page | 2
Ans: False: the percentage of union members has drastically declined in the US but
not that much in Canada
Question: T or F? When a union attempts to organize employees, there is always a vote
held to determine if the employees wish to be represented by a union.
Ans: False: it depends on jurisdiction, for example in Alberta there is a need for
representation vote.
Question: T or F? Collective agreements can provide that employees are required to
become union members. Accordingly, an employer could be forced to terminate an
employee who refused to join the union.
Ans: True: under the concept of union shop, the employer can hire anyone but upon
joining the employee has to become a union member or else relinquish the job. The
U of M follows the union shop philosophy (student workers and for sessional
employee)
Question: T of F? When an employee takes a complaint to his or her union— for example,
the employee alleges termination without cause— the union is required to pursue the
matter with the employer.
Ans: False: the ownership of the grievance lies with the union, not the employee.
Question: T or F? In the course of negotiation of a collective agreement, the employer
may be required to reveal information to the union even though the union has not
requested it.
Ans: True: known as the duty of bargaining in good faith
Question: T or F? When a vote is held to authorize a strike, all employees in the group
that would be on strike are entitled to vote. That is, both union members and employees
who are not union members are entitled to vote.
Ans: True: as long as the job of all employees are being impacted they are all
entitled to vote
, Page | 3
Question: T or F? Some public sector employees have the right to strike, provided
essential services are maintained for the public by having some employees continue to
work.
Ans: True: maximum number of union members in Canada work for the public
sector.
Question: T or F: unions reduce profitability and productivity
Ans: False: it is known that unionized firms are less profitable than non-unionized
firms, but that does not mean the cause of low profitability are the unions. In fact,
the responsibility of making profit belongs to management. Maybe the
management is weak, that is why they are unable to make a profit. After all, they
succumbed to being unionized whereas other aggressive managements like those of
Amazon, Walmart, McDonald's never allow unions to be formed (Apple, Facebook,
Google)
Question: Industrial relations
Ans: the study of unionized and non-unionized organizations, employee
relationships
Question: Labour relations
Ans: a sub part of industrial relations, deals with unions, and management of the
unionized employees
Question: Legal basis of the relationship- No union
Ans: individual contract of employment
Question: Legal basis of the relationship- Union
Ans: Collective agreement
Question: Terms of employment negotiated by- No union
