IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations (Rev. C1) Report a Broken Link

IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations is an introduction to the economic, legal, political, and social aspects of union-management relations and serves as a foundation for other IDRL courses. This course examines the economic, legal, political, and social aspects of union-management relations. Specifically, it examines union organization and structure, labour legislation, negotiating, and administering collective agreements and looks at contemporary issues in labour relations. It does so within the context of exploring the nature of employment and the key theoretical perspectives that inform the study of labour relations.

UNIT 1: Foundations


Godard, J. (2011). Foundations. In J. Godard, Industrial relations, The economy and society (4th ed.), (pp. 2–20). Concord, ON: Captus Press.
Godard, J. (2011). The role of the state. In J. Godard, Industrial Relations, The economy and society (4th ed.), (pp. 224–250). Concord, ON: Captus Press.

UNIT 2: Unions


Freeman, R. (2007). Do workers still want unions? More than ever. Washington: Economic Policy Institute.
Ross, S. (2012). Business unionism and social unionism in theory and practice. In S. Ross & L. Savage (Eds.), Rethinking the politics of labour in Canada (pp. 33–46). Halifax: Fernwood.
Russell, J. (2011). Collective bargaining. In J. Russell, Our union: UAW/CAW Local 27 from 1950 to 1990. (pp. 103–139), Edmonton: AU Press.  
Russell, J. (2011). Labour relations.In J. Russell, Our union: UAW/CAW Local 27 from 1950 to 1990. (pp. 141–164), Edmonton: AU Press.
VIDEO: Trade Union Congress. (June 29, 2016). What Have the Unions Ever Done for Us?
VIDEO: Novan Ng. (March 3, 2012). The Power of Union Is Strength.

UNIT 3: Labour Relations Process


Barnetson, B. (2010). Alberta’s 2002 teacher strike: The political economy of labor relations in education. Education Policy Analysis Archives 18(3), 1–26.
Phillips-Fein, K. (1998). A more perfect union buster. Mother Jones.
Rose, J. (2016). Constraints on public sector bargaining in Canada. In Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(1), 93–110.
VIDEO: World Class Delta Flight Attendants (September 22, 2010). Confessions of a Union Buster.
VIDEO: National Film Board of Canada. (1984). Final Offer.
ASSIGNMENT 4 READING: Foster, J. (2016). Solidarity on the TransCanada: The role of immigrant activism and innovative union tactics in the 2005 Lakeside Packers strike. Labour/Le Travail 78, 197–218.

UNIT 4: Labour Relations in the 21st Century


Jackson, A. (2010). Canadian workers in a changing world: The impacts of globalization and free trade. In Work and labour in Canada (pp. 247–270). Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Jackson, A. (2010). Is there a future for Canadian unions? In A. Jackson, Work & Labour in Canada: Critical Issues, (2nd ed.) Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Ross, S. et al (2015) The future of unions: Decline or renewal? In Ross et al., Building a better world, (3rd ed.), Black Point, NS: Fernwood.