Reference no: EM132936592

Instructions:

Select a Canadian organization where there is an ongoing collective bargaining relationship. The organization can be either public sector or private sector. Then address the following:

1a. Provide a description of each of the employers in terms of:

• A brief history/ background of the company/ organization

• The industry or industrial sector in which the employer is located

• The organizations/institutions size

• The range of products/services provided or produced

• The competitive business environment (this is very important)

• Their record of performance/ success (this is very important)

• The organizational culture

• The management style

• The organizational structure (obtain or construct an organizational chart)

• Anything else you believe to be relevant

1b. Provide a description of the specific employer facility that is a party to the collective agreement in terms of:

• The specific physical location/ address of the employer's place of business

• The range of products/services provided or produced by the employer at this location 2a. Provide a description of the parent union in terms of:

• A brief history/ background of the union

• The type of union

• The type of workers it organizes

• The union's geographic scope of operations

• The union's international linkages if any

• The union's financial strength

• The union's militancy HRPD 709 W_2020: Industrial Relations - Assignment 1 2

• The type of leadership in the union - how are leaders of the union selected? - how does the union amend its constitution? - how often are conventions held? - how are decisions made between conventions?

• The union's organizational structure (please provide an organizational chart)

• The union's linkages with political parties or other political organizations if any

• The union's record of success in organizing and collective bargaining

• Anything else you believe to be relevant

2b. Provide a description of the specific union local that is that is a party to the collective agreement you are studying in terms of:

• The local number

• A brief history/ background of the local

• The composition of the bargaining unit represented in this case

• The type of leadership in the local union - how are leaders of the local union selected? - how does the local union amend its by-laws? - how often are general meetings held? - how are decisions made between general meetings?

3. Describe the legal framework for collective bargaining

• Is this employer/ industry subject to any special laws or regulations that impact their labour relations?

• If this is the case, identify the relevant laws/ regulations.

• What is the impact of these laws/ regulations on the conduct of labour relations?

4. Describe the bargaining structure

• Is it centralized or decentralized or multi-tiered?

5. Obtain and review the current collective agreements and report your findings and observations on the following items for each agreement:

• The duration of the agreement including the start and end dates

• The bargaining unit identified in the collective agreement

• Management rights

• Provisions on wage rates

• Provisions on seniority

• Provisions on union security (membership requirements, dues, union stewards, time for union business, use of employer facilities etc.)

• Provisions on discipline • Provisions on arbitration

• Provisions on downsizing/layoffs in general

• Provisions on downsizing/layoffs due to technological changes

• Provisions on downsizing/layoffs due to contracting out

• Any special provisions that you find either interesting or surprising Submit a copy the collective agreements with your assignment. This can be in pdf format or as a website link. Many collective agreements are available on-line. In addition, for more information, copies of provincially regulated collective agreements are available through the Ontario Ministry of Labour Collective Agreements e-Library Portal at:  6. Interview representatives of management and union officials to determine the state of labour relations within the organization.

The following key questions should be regarded as a minimum requirement.

• What are the key issues?

• Why are they important?

• Have there been labour conflicts/strikes (major/ minor) within the last ten years?

• If these workers are not allowed to strike, how are interest disputes resolved?

• If there have been labour/ conflicts/strikes (major/ minor) within the last ten years, what were the major issues in these conflicts?

• How common are grievances?

• What types of grievances are the most common?

• Why is this case?

• Anything else about the organization(s) of interest to your group?

THE ORGANIZATION WE CHOSE IS - Sobeys Capital Inc. (Freshco) and United Food Commercial Workers Union, Local 1518.