Question

Which features of Canada's labor relations system would you transfer to the United States? Why?

Answer 1

Canada’s economy is centered on resource extraction industries of mining and timber, rather than manufacturing. This inhibited the growth of a large urban-based, wage-earning labor force. And because of Canada’s reliance on a few key industries, its economy was more vulnerable to the disruptive effects of strikes and labor conflict. For these reasons, Canada’s labor relations developed so as to discourage the adversarial scheme of trade unionism and collective bargaining and to encourage cooperation and unity of interest between employers and employees to promote efficiency in production and peace in labor relations. This strategy combined British-style voluntarism in union recognition, American-style welfare capitalism -mandated mediation and fact-finding. Canadian law mirrored the protections found in the U.S. National Labor Relation Act. Workers have the right to form unions and to elect exclusive bargaining agents, employers must meet with unions for the purpose of collective bargaining, grievance procedures and arbitration are mandated, and strikes during the term of a contract are prohibited. Canadian labor boards have the authority to (1) certify unions without formal elections; (2) make quick, final decisions on unfair labor practice cases; and (3) impose first contracts when employers refuse to bargain with a new union. Canadian labor laws have also provided public sector unions a stronger position by giving them the right to strike (in most instances) and the right to compulsory arbitration

Organized labor seems to have a much stronger and better appeal in Canada than in the United States. I think, however, that the U.S. could benefit from this level of union participation. It would help to normalize pay rates, as well as help, get better benefits for a larger number of workers. It would also then help stimulate the economy, as the middle class would have more money to spend and keep it moving to a better position. This is a well-known concept, yet we here in the U.S. do not seem to understand it on a larger scale. With the corporations receiving huge tax breaks, unions could help move some of that money back into the hands of the workers and make them more empowered

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