Name: Mikayla Turick

Course: HRMN 3841_SW2 - Employee and Labour Relations

Topic: Unionization in Canada

Date: 21/5/2021
Part A

Nurses, teachers, journalists, and professional athletes, as well as manufacturers, factory

workers, miners, electricians, and other conventional construction workers' unions, account for

nearly 30% of all workers in Canada. There are approximately four million employees in Canada

who are members of labour unions. Federal and provincial laws regulate trade unions in Canada.

They must be representative and financially responsible to their constituents, according to the

law. Both trade unions must have constitutions that are filed with the government's labour

committee. In Canada, there are over a hundred different unions, but the Canadian UFCW is the

largest private sector union (no union facts).

The trade union movement in Canada has a long and illustrious history.

A workers' union is the labour movement. They planned to work for the common good. This is

done so that workers of both private and public companies will demonstrate humanity. Certain

laws regulating their working relationships apply to these movements. Trade unions represent the

interests of workers in associations or businesses in these movements. Federal and provincial

laws regulate trade unions in Canada. They must be representative and financially responsible to

their constituents, according to the law. Both trade unions must have constitutions that are filed

with the government's labour committee. In Canada, there are over a hundred different unions,

but the UFCW Canada is the only private sector union. There were few labour unions in Canada

prior to its industrialization. It cannot be considered a "Canadian history of the labour

movement" by today's standards.

The Labor Relations Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Labor Standards Act, the

Human Rights Act, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are all examples of Canadian labour
law. Employees, for example, may form a union or join an established union under the Labor

Relations Act. Workers employed in a company should be provided with protective equipment

that is consistent with the nature of the work being done, taking into account health and safety at

work. Employees are only allowed to work a maximum of 8 hours per day under the

Employment Standards Act, in which they must pay overtime (Grundy et al., 2017). In the

workplace, all types of unfair discrimination, such as discrimination based on skin colour, are

forbidden under human rights. Workplace privileges are enshrined in the Charter of Rights and

Freedoms, and all workers have fair opportunities for jobs and advancement.

Part B

A union is a type of organisational structure that identifies the main roles and functions within a

company. The "Organizational Law" and "Charter" describe the organisational structure of

labour unions. General members, board of directors, executive director, and committee are the

four branches that make up the union organisation. Many historians credit this to the growth of

Canada's middle class and the country's overall prosperity. Unions have a primary duty to

stabilise the economy and boost economic growth by assisting more employees in earning higher

wages and having more job security. More workers can afford housing, better food, clothes,

vehicles, and other consumer goods thanks to labour unions. Canada is one of the world's five

most developed nations, with a strong union organisation. Unions earn more money, invest more

money, and use these expenses to create more jobs (unions). There are four types of unions in

Canada: (1) national unions; (2) international unions; (3) autonomous municipal organisations;

and (4) rent directly on site. The majority of donation workers (hereinafter referred to as "union

workers") were members of a national union group in 2015. International labour unions account

for around a quarter of all trade unions, with autonomous local groups (3.9 percent) and directly
working locals accounting for the rest (1.5 percent ). The number of members by form of

company has changed very little since 2014.

The Canadian Union's Structure and Functions, as well as the High Union's Legal Framework:

(STF, CUPE, UNIFOR, SUN, UFCW, etc.) Locals are affiliate members, geographic position is

not a deciding factor, partnerships, and representatives are all examples of this. The works

council is made up of several different local unions, mostly from the same region; it varies from

the union in terms of the composition of the work committee, the use of delegates and

conferences, and the funding of the work committee by the local unions. Steelworkers,

government officials, automotive workers, retailers, and service workers are all represented by

the Canadian Labor Congress (CLC), which is the country's largest central jobs agency. The

Civil Code of the Union, the Code of Organizational Practice, and the Code of Ethics are all part

of the CLC's Articles of Association.

Three key labour relations theories can help us better understand the history of labour unions.

• Marxist theory of perspective

Labor relations, according to Marx, are a struggle between employers (capitalism) and workers.

Employers aim to increase profits by paying employees as little as possible, and they battle with

monopolists in the market to keep costs under control. Staff, on the other hand, see themselves as

the most important component of production and join labour unions to protect their interests.

According to Marx, the unavoidable outcome of this struggle is a workers' revolt that takes

control of society and completely kills capitalism. While Marxism was controversial after the fall
of the Soviet Union, it became common in the first half of the twentieth century, when workers

had a minimum standard of living.

• Pluralist Industrial Relations Theory

Labor relations are also one of the contradictions in the pluralism theory, but they do not fall

within the Marxist context. Employers want to save as much money as possible for profit, while

workers are fighting for higher pay, better healthcare, and better working conditions through

unions. Rather than resorting to aggression, both parties reached an agreement on a compromise

or balance. Employees are conscious that the company's growth is in their best interests, but in

addition to being loyal to trade unions, they are still loyal to the employer, which is an integral

aspect of the model.

• Unitary Industrial Relations Theory

Cooperation is the best way to approach workers relationships. Employers and workers are

regarded as a single unit, if not a single family. They share the same passions, ideals, and

objectives. In this model, the dispute is despised, even bad, and both parties aim to reach an

agreement. Trade unions are despised by those who accept this ideology (both employers and

workers). The union is represented as an outside force that can exert pressure on employers and

trigger tensions between workers and management. Many small businesses, as well as any

organisation that opposes the idea of labour unions, use this principle. Governments that endorse

this principle will limit, if not outright ban, labour unions.

Understanding these theories, which mostly concentrate on the relationship between employer

and employee, is one aspect of the Canadian labour union. The Marxist theory of labour relations

outlines how to optimise the benefits of workers' wages, and helps to better understand the union.
All the more so that they can put in more effort and maintain price stability. In terms of

pluralism, I find it fascinating that in this situation, the union is fighting for the interests of

workers and requesting that employers pay them more benefits while avoiding abuse.

Canada's trade unions share a number of features. They are in the best interests of workers as a

whole. Employers and trade unions negotiate to increase salaries, benefits, and working

conditions (Zhang, 2019). Trade unions, like democracies, are divided into sectors. Union

employees have more bargaining power than non-union workers. Union workers are assuming a

leadership position that has the potential to escalate the fight for justice. In the battle for workers'

rights, trade unions play a critical role. Employers and labour unions also agreed to strengthen

working conditions. The union also works to provide its members and staff with the best benefits

and incentives possible. The main aim is to improve members' and staff's working conditions

while preventing individual victimisation. To meet the basic needs of employees, the union has

increased its bargaining power. Employees profit from the partnership because their efforts are

pooled. Employees are more equipped for squad fights than they are for solo battles (Zhang,

2019). Trade unions have more bargaining power, allowing them to offer employers better pay,

benefits, and working conditions.

 References

Riddell, W. C. (1993). Unionization in Canada and the United States: a tale of two countries. In Small

differences that matter: Labor markets and income maintenance in Canada and the United States (pp.

109-148). University of Chicago Press.

Uppal, S. (2011). Unionization 2011. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 23(4), 3.

Card, D., Lemieux, T., & Riddell, W. C. (2003). Unionization and wage inequality: a comparative study of

the US, the UK, and Canada (No. w9473). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Gomez, R., Gunderson, M., & Meltz, N. (2002). Comparing youth and adult desire for unionization in

Canada. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 40(3), 542-519.