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Posted January 6th, 2013 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 10 - Third-Party Intervention, Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process.

Description: The Ontario government has imposed contracts on elementary and secondary school teachers, freezing pay and reducing sick days.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: 01/03/2013

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/ontario-teachers-imposed-contract-ensures-continued-discord-unions-say/article6932573/

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

What are the main features of the contracts imposed by the Ontario government?
What reason does the government give for taking this action?
What is the teachers’ response?
Summarize the arguments made by Andrew Coyne and Thomas Walkom.
Which arguments do you find to be the most persuasive? Why?

Posted January 6th, 2013 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 10 - Third-Party Intervention, Chapter 2 - Theories of Industrial Relations, Chapter 7 - Defining and Commencing Collective Bargaining, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts.

Description: The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have reached a tentative agreement after the second-longest lockout in league history.

Source: The Toronto Star

Date: 01/06/2013

Link: http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/1311128–nhl-lockout-ends-with-tentative-deal-between-league-nhlpa

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

Read Mark Thompson’s commentary and summarize his rules for negotiators in your own words.
Do any of these rules surprise you? Explain.
How would these rules apply to the NHL lockout?
Do you think the lockout would have been ended sooner if the parties had followed these rules?
Why do you think the parties didn’t follow these rules?

Posted December 9th, 2012 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 10 - Third-Party Intervention, Chapter 2 - Theories of Industrial Relations, Chapter 3 - HIstory of the Canadian Union Movement, Chapter 7 - Defining and Commencing Collective Bargaining, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Chapter 9 - Strikes and Lockouts.

Description: Former Canadian Auto Workers head Buzz Hargrove says the NHL Players’ Association shouldn’t have agreed to meet with team owners without the association’s executive director.

Source: CBC

Date: 12/06/2012

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/ID/2313280372/

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

Why does Hargrove refer to these talks as an “amateur hour”?
What does Hargrove believe may be needed to reach a settlement?
Consult your textbook and make a list of the advantages to such an approach.
Now make a list of the disadvantages.
Based on what you have learned in this course, what do you think should be done to reach a settlement?

Posted December 9th, 2012 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 3 - HIstory of the Canadian Union Movement, Chapter 7 - Defining and Commencing Collective Bargaining.

Description: “Right-to-work” laws in Michigan could affect Ontario workers.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: 12/06/2012

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/ontario-casts-wary-eye-on-right-to-work-legislation-in-michigan/article6067165/

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

What are right-to-work laws?
What arguments do their proponents make?
What arguments do their opponents make?
Which arguments do you think are the most persuasive?
How likely do you think it is that right-to-work laws could be passed in Canada? Explain.

Posted December 4th, 2012 by tonym & filed under Communication, Environment, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Video Report.

Description: Retailers have little information on what motivates consumers to buy green products. There seems to be no consistent pattern in their shopping of green products. This increases problems for retailers in deciding how to market green products.

Source: BNN

Date: November 30 2012

Video and Text Link: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2012/11/30/The-trouble-of-green-shopping.aspx

Questions for Discussion:

Why are consumers confused about purchasing green products?
How can retailers better market green products?
Although 90% of people say they want a green product, but very few eventually buy them. What are the reasons for this?
Besides higher pricing, what are other possible reasons why consumers don’t buy green products?

Posted December 4th, 2012 by tonym & filed under Compensation & Benefits, Human Resource Management.

Description: Nadia Goodman mentions three additional things that can motivate workers just as much as money. Money alone is not sufficient to motivate workers and in some cases when not used properly, monetary rewards can also demotivate workers.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: November 29 2012

Text: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/human-resources/three-things-that-motivate-workers-just-as-much-as-money/article5767029/

Questions for Discussion:

Do you agree that these three things motivate workers just as much as money?
Can any of these things compensate for lower salary?
How would you rank these three motivators along with money in terms of their importance in motivating workers?
Should companies be focusing on other motivators apart from money?

Posted December 2nd, 2012 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 12 - Changes to the Union or the Employer, Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 3 - HIstory of the Canadian Union Movement, Chapter 4 - The Structure of Canadian Unions.

Description: Leaders of the Telecommunications Workers Union have voted to begin a merger process with the Steelworkers union.

Source: Canadian Labour Reporter

Date: 11/28/2012

Link: http://www.labour-reporter.com/articleview/16808-twu-members-to-vote-on-potential-merger-with-united-steelworkers

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

Consult the Related Links above: Who does the TWU represent?
Who does the USW represent?
What are the next steps in the merger process?
Consult your text: What are the pros and cons of such a merger?
Why do you think the TWU is taking this step at this time?
If you were a TWU member, how do you think you would vote?

Posted December 2nd, 2012 by Tom Barrett & filed under Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 13 - Future Issues, Chapter 3 - HIstory of the Canadian Union Movement, Chapter 4 - The Structure of Canadian Unions.

Description: Jim Sinclair was elected to a record seventh term as head of the B.C. Federation of Labour at the labour body’s convention in Vancouver.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: 11/29/2012

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/mulcair-assails-anti-labour-policies-of-federal-tories/article5799723/

Related links:

Questions for discussion:

Why did the Globe and Mail say this convention could be one of the most pivotal in the history of the B.C. Federation of Labour?
What was Michelle Laurie’s campaign platform?
What was Sinclair’s platform?
How close was the final result?
What do you think this suggests?