Managerial Opposition to Union Certification in Quebec and Ontario
Terry Thomason et Silvana Pozzebon
Volume : 53-4 (1998)
Abstract
Using data collected from a survey of union organizers, this paper is the first to examine employer behaviour during certification campaigns in Canada. It investigates the extent and impact of opposition practices used by Quebec and Ontario employers during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The authors find that the prevalence of opposition tactics is not pronounced in either Quebec or Ontario. Nevertheless, these tactics are effective in reducing the level of union support in certification campaigns, if not the probability of certification. Most tactics examined appear to decrease the proportion of employees supporting the union, while captive audience speeches have a consistent negative and significant effect on certification probability.