Labour lawLesson 1 of 2 in the course Unions and collective bargaining

Trade Unions: Organization, History, Legal Frameworks, and Effects

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces trade unions, their purpose, and how they represent workers. Understanding these organizations helps explain how workers can act collectively to improve employment conditions.

A trade union, also called a labor union or simply a union, is an organization that represents workers. A widely used historical definition describes it as a continuous association of wage earners formed to maintain or improve employment conditions. A modern definition emphasizes negotiation over pay and conditions on behalf of members.

All flashcards

What is a trade union?
An organization that represents workers and seeks to maintain or improve their employment conditions.
What is collective bargaining?
Negotiation by a union with an employer over employment terms on behalf of workers.
Who are the rank and file?
The ordinary members of a union, as distinct from its leadership.
What are union dues used for?
Members' contributions that support shared functions such as representation, administration, and legal assistance.
What is a collective bargaining agreement?
An agreement that records negotiated employment terms between a union and an employer.

Quiz questions

  1. Which union organizing approach seeks to represent workers across an industry, even when they do different jobs?Answer: Industrial unionism
  2. Which approach emphasizes building member confidence, workplace networks, and worker leaders?Answer: The organizing model
  3. What characterizes an open shop, where permitted by law?Answer: Employment does not depend on union membership or payment of union fees.
  4. What does union density measure?Answer: The percentage of workers in a location who belong to a union.
  5. How should reported associations between union strength and health outcomes be interpreted?Answer: They do not, by themselves, establish that union strength caused those outcomes.

Based on the Wikipedia article Trade union, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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