Unit 1 IDRL 215 Final Exam prep Questions
With Verified Answers Graded A+
How do we define Labour (industrial) relations?
Labour relations attempts to understand the day-to-day interactions that occur between worker,
union, the state, and employer as well as the legal, political, economic, and social structures that
shape the employer-worker dynamic.
How does labour relations differ from human resource management?
Compared to HR, Labour relations draws more emphasis to unions and their impact on workplaces.
Labour relations is seen as more analytical and provides a more critical perspective. LR recognizes and
studies the tensions that are part of the employment relationship. Additionally, LR ask why certain
patterns and dynamics exist.
What are some of the reasons to study labour relations?
A job may require unionization for employment and you may need to work with companies that are
unionized so it is best to be informed. It is important to remember that unionization is a viable option
to protect workers rights/conditions
What are the key pieces of legislation governing labour relations in Canada?
The federal jurisdiction is governed by the Canada Labour code. For provincial jurisdictions, each
province has it's own governing legislation. In every jurisdiction, there is a human rights legislation
and an employment standards act that establishes minimum standards for working conditions.
Does it matter whether we define the term labour relations narrowly or more broadly?
Narrowly the relationship between a union and the employer in a workplace. More broadly, the legal,
political, and economic structures that surround it. Labour relations cannot be fully understood
without reference to the balance of power in a workplace. It is important to understand the broad
definition because the narrow definition can hide important aspects of what labour relations fully is.
How would you describe the "average" unionized worker in Canada, given the information provided in
the reading?
The average unionized worker is a female, middle-aged that works in the public sector, works full
time, and is well educated. This is a large shift away from the former average worker which was
defined as a middle-aged, male blue-collar worker.
What are labour and capital? And how do their interests converge and conflict in the employment
relationship?
Labor refers to workers/employees, people that exchange time for wages and must rely on capital for
income, and capital refers to individuals that do not need to perform labor and draw money from
investments (property, businesses) and those with authority in the workplace.
The interests that converge are that both parties want the organization to succeed. The conflict often
arises from the wage-effort bargain. Capital wants max profits with the least amount of labor costs
and Labor wants maximum pay for minimum work.
How is employment a social, as well as an economic, relationship?
, Employment is a social relationship because a worker agrees to the rules and protocol of a work place
to conduct themselves in a certain way. It is economic because there is an exchange of labor for
money.
What is a labour market and how does it work?
The labor market is the supply and demand of labor. Employees provide the supply and employers
provide the demand.
Human effort/knowledge is bought and sold. Labor sells the capacity to work and employers buy this
capacity to work
What sorts of challenges and tasks face employers when trying to turn the capacity to work into
actual work?
When employers hire a worker, they have only agreed to labor's capacity to work. It is up to the
employer to turn this capacity to work into actual work. The employee that the employer has
attempted to match the job to may not actually be capable of performing the work that is expected.
Misunderstandings, disagreements and changes regarding the wage-effort bargain may present a
challenge due to employee resistance.
What are the common law duties and obligations of employers and employees?
Common-Law obligations
For employers: Required to provide work and pay, must give proper notice for termination unless, for
just cause, a safe worksite, Employers are responsible for workers' actions during job-related duties.
For employees: Worker must act in good faith and fidelity, Duty to Obey, Work must be performed
competently, resignation notice
How do these duties and obligations differ, and what do these differences tell us about the nature of
the common law employment relationship?
Common law is asymmetrical. There is a power imbalance that is present in the difference of
obligations and duties. These are structured within the confines of capitalism which tends to favor
capital. There are more restrictions put on employees to act in accordance.
Why is it important to remember that employers have purchased only a worker's capacity to work?
And how does this relate to the basic tension between the interests of employers and those of
employees?
Initially, the employer is investing in an employees potential to perform. The employer must turn this
potential into actual productivity. This relates to the basic tension between the interests of the 2
parties because of differing priorities that create conflict. Changes to the wage effort bargain can
highlight the conflicting interests of the 2.
How does government differ from the state?
We use the term state rather than government to reflect the structural nature of what it does, and to
distinguish the ongoing functions the state performs from the changing directions of specific parties
that may win elections and hold government from time to time.
What are the different roles the state plays in labour relations?
Regulative, facilitative, employer, structural, and constitutive
With Verified Answers Graded A+
How do we define Labour (industrial) relations?
Labour relations attempts to understand the day-to-day interactions that occur between worker,
union, the state, and employer as well as the legal, political, economic, and social structures that
shape the employer-worker dynamic.
How does labour relations differ from human resource management?
Compared to HR, Labour relations draws more emphasis to unions and their impact on workplaces.
Labour relations is seen as more analytical and provides a more critical perspective. LR recognizes and
studies the tensions that are part of the employment relationship. Additionally, LR ask why certain
patterns and dynamics exist.
What are some of the reasons to study labour relations?
A job may require unionization for employment and you may need to work with companies that are
unionized so it is best to be informed. It is important to remember that unionization is a viable option
to protect workers rights/conditions
What are the key pieces of legislation governing labour relations in Canada?
The federal jurisdiction is governed by the Canada Labour code. For provincial jurisdictions, each
province has it's own governing legislation. In every jurisdiction, there is a human rights legislation
and an employment standards act that establishes minimum standards for working conditions.
Does it matter whether we define the term labour relations narrowly or more broadly?
Narrowly the relationship between a union and the employer in a workplace. More broadly, the legal,
political, and economic structures that surround it. Labour relations cannot be fully understood
without reference to the balance of power in a workplace. It is important to understand the broad
definition because the narrow definition can hide important aspects of what labour relations fully is.
How would you describe the "average" unionized worker in Canada, given the information provided in
the reading?
The average unionized worker is a female, middle-aged that works in the public sector, works full
time, and is well educated. This is a large shift away from the former average worker which was
defined as a middle-aged, male blue-collar worker.
What are labour and capital? And how do their interests converge and conflict in the employment
relationship?
Labor refers to workers/employees, people that exchange time for wages and must rely on capital for
income, and capital refers to individuals that do not need to perform labor and draw money from
investments (property, businesses) and those with authority in the workplace.
The interests that converge are that both parties want the organization to succeed. The conflict often
arises from the wage-effort bargain. Capital wants max profits with the least amount of labor costs
and Labor wants maximum pay for minimum work.
How is employment a social, as well as an economic, relationship?
, Employment is a social relationship because a worker agrees to the rules and protocol of a work place
to conduct themselves in a certain way. It is economic because there is an exchange of labor for
money.
What is a labour market and how does it work?
The labor market is the supply and demand of labor. Employees provide the supply and employers
provide the demand.
Human effort/knowledge is bought and sold. Labor sells the capacity to work and employers buy this
capacity to work
What sorts of challenges and tasks face employers when trying to turn the capacity to work into
actual work?
When employers hire a worker, they have only agreed to labor's capacity to work. It is up to the
employer to turn this capacity to work into actual work. The employee that the employer has
attempted to match the job to may not actually be capable of performing the work that is expected.
Misunderstandings, disagreements and changes regarding the wage-effort bargain may present a
challenge due to employee resistance.
What are the common law duties and obligations of employers and employees?
Common-Law obligations
For employers: Required to provide work and pay, must give proper notice for termination unless, for
just cause, a safe worksite, Employers are responsible for workers' actions during job-related duties.
For employees: Worker must act in good faith and fidelity, Duty to Obey, Work must be performed
competently, resignation notice
How do these duties and obligations differ, and what do these differences tell us about the nature of
the common law employment relationship?
Common law is asymmetrical. There is a power imbalance that is present in the difference of
obligations and duties. These are structured within the confines of capitalism which tends to favor
capital. There are more restrictions put on employees to act in accordance.
Why is it important to remember that employers have purchased only a worker's capacity to work?
And how does this relate to the basic tension between the interests of employers and those of
employees?
Initially, the employer is investing in an employees potential to perform. The employer must turn this
potential into actual productivity. This relates to the basic tension between the interests of the 2
parties because of differing priorities that create conflict. Changes to the wage effort bargain can
highlight the conflicting interests of the 2.
How does government differ from the state?
We use the term state rather than government to reflect the structural nature of what it does, and to
distinguish the ongoing functions the state performs from the changing directions of specific parties
that may win elections and hold government from time to time.
What are the different roles the state plays in labour relations?
Regulative, facilitative, employer, structural, and constitutive
