Unions and Labour Relations

This is an introductory course which focuses on the key factors which shape work and employment relations in Canada. Topics covered include aspects of labour and employment law, labour relations, human resources management, human behaviour in organizations, and labour markets and labour policies that govern workplace relations.

This course is part of the Queen’s Undergraduate Certificate in Employment Relations. The Certificate focuses on core elements of the field of work and employee-management relations, while taking account of social science perspectives from economics, law, management, and history. The Certificate provides a broad foundation in the field of employment relations, including the areas of labour/employment law, labour-management relations, conflict management and negotiations, human resources management, and labour policy. Taken together, these courses and the resulting Certificate form the basis for a recognized university credential that will support students who are seeking entry level jobs in labour relations and human resources management after leaving Queen’s.

This course involves teamwork, which strengthens sought-after transferable skills, including communication, relationship building, adaptability, conflict resolution, and more. Students will be asked to work with peers on activities contributing to graded assessments, with synchronous and asynchronous collaboration and engagement. Students can expect to be graded as Individually on their submission and individually on a peer evaluation of their teamwork skills. Queen’s University and the teaching team are committed to supporting students with strategies to succeed in a team-based setting.  

Please note: This course is typically offered in the winter term

Unions currently represent roughly thirty percent of the Canadian workforce, but the labour movement has a profound impact on all workplaces, both union and non-union. Studying unions involves a very different perspective from other disciplinary fields in employment relations, such as human resource management. For scholars and practitioners of labour relations, conflict is a natural feature of the employment relationship. While employees share some interests with employers, there are also diverging and conflicting interests between the parties. To study unions and labour relations, this course uses this pluralist perspective to analyze why workers form unions, how unions advocate for and represent employees, and what skills employers need to manage unionized workplaces.  

Course Topics