Industrial Peace in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Industrial Peace in Canada - Research Paper Example Either is sometimes painful and destructive. The right of laborers to organize themselves into an association or union is warranted in Canada by its laws on labor. One exceptional character present in the trade union environment in the country is the so-called Rand formula named after its creator, Justice Ivan Rand of the Supreme Court of Canada. The principle arose in the midst of a labor strike against the Ford Motor company. Under it, all workers are obliged to pay union dues on the justification that they are benefited from the efforts which the union undertakes in their favor. In order to make sure that union dues are collected, the employer concerned is authorized by the union to deduct the same from the payroll money of the laborers. (A History of Labor Unions in Canada. registered-nurse-canada.com. [internet]). It is worth to note that on some reasonable grounds, like in the case of religious or faith orientations that do not allow followers to participate in a labor union or movement, a worker or employee may not be f orced to join the union or bargaining representative. In that case, an agency fee equivalent to the sum of the union dues has still to be paid by the worker or employee who does not wish to so join. For around forty years, union membership population in Canada has fared better than in the United States. Post-depression figures show that only about thirteen percent of workers in the U.S. have stayed as union members from the old average of thirty per cent. On the other hand, the statistics in Canada has remained strong and steady at thirty one per cent for non-agriculture manpower. For the whole public and private sectors, union membership in Canada is twice as much than the U.S. counterparts. (How "anti-union" laws saved Canadian labour: certification and striker replacements in post-war industrial relations. Industrial Relations (Canadian). GOLIATH. BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE ON DEMAND. [internet]) There are now more than four million Canadians in the list of union members. Organized labor in plants and other workplaces has its advantages. Honest and sincere union leaders can very well link the rank and file workers with management such that problems of each side are immediately addressed. Rapport is enhanced when the union and the management are in constant communication. Labor-management cooperation boosts the morale of the workers and therefore increases productivity. On another note, labor unions which are duly certified bargaining representatives have certain rights under the law. If collective bargaining negotiations bog down, the certified union can petition or apply an application to go on strike. In such a deadlock, management can also declare a lockout but it will do more harm than good to the company which has a lot of capital, investments and resources to lose during the shutdown. Industrial relations in Canada Historically, strikes usually were resorted to when laborers tried to organize in order to achieve union recognition. This was so