Talk the talk

Talk the talk Have you ever gone to a union meeting or even a union function and you have no idea what anyone's talking about?

Here's a list of terms that are frequently used that relate to unions:

Collective Agreement:
A contract (agreement and contract are used interchangeably) between union(s) acting as bargaining agents, and employer(s) covering wages, hours working conditions, fringe benefits, rights of workers and union, and procedures to be followed in settling disputes and grievances.

Blue-Collar Workers
Production and maintenance workers, as contrasted to office and professional personnel.

White-Collar Workers
Workers in offices and other non-production phases of industry

Lockout
A labour dispute in which management refuses work to employees or closes its establishment in order to force a settlement on its terms.

Strike
A refusal to work by employees in combination or in accordance with a common understanding for the purpose of compelling an employer to agree to terms or conditions of employment. Usually the last stage of collective bargaining when all other means have failed.

Work to Rule
A practice where workers obey all laws and rules pertaining to their work, thereby affecting a slow-down; a refusal to perform duties that are not explicitly included in a job description.

Bargaining Unit
Group of workers in a craft, department, plant, firm industry, or occupation, determined by a labour relations board or similar body as appropriate for representation by a union. Defines which employees are members of the union(s).

Shop Steward
A union official who represents a group of members and the union in union duties, grievance matters, and other employment conditions. Stewards are usually part of the work force they represent.

Grievance Complaint
against management by one or more employees, or a union, concerning alleged breach of the collective agreement or injustice. The last step of the procedure is usually arbitration. By law, every collective agreement must have a grievance procedure, to be used without disruption of work.

Raiding
An attempt by one union to induce members of another union to defect and join its ranks.

Fringe Benefits
Non-wage benefits, such as paid vacations, pensions, health and welfare provisions, life insurance, etc., the cost of which is borne in whole or in part by employer. Also called perquisites, thus the term perks.

Picketing
Patrolling near employer's place of business by union members - pickets - to publicize the existence of a labour dispute, persuade workers to join or support a strike or join the union, discourage customers from buying or using employer goods or service, etc.

Scab / Strikebreaker
A person who continues to work or who accepts employment to replace workers who are on strike. By filling jobs, scabs may weaken or break a strike.

Source: Youth, Unions, and You - A secondary teacher's guide to labour studies for B.C. Schools. , May 2001 by BC Teacher's Federation