GOVERNMENT AGENCY

1. aka
• Labour Board
2. What it is
• an agency of the state, provincial or federal government that regulates labour organizations in its jurisdiction

LABOR ORGANIZATION

1. What it is
• an organization, composed of union members, elected officials, paid representatives and other office staff

UNION SERVICES

1. aka
• what the dues and fees pay for


2. Common labour services
• bargaining unit organizing services,
• benefit plan administration services,
• employment contract (collective agreement) administration services,
• employment contract negotiation (collective bargaining) services,
• grievance arbitration services,
• grievance processing services,
• labour organization affiliate co-ordination services,
• labour organization conference and convention services,
• labour education services,
• labour representation development services,
• pension plan administration services,
• union dues processing services,

WORKERS

1. aka:
• general workers
2. Who are they
• any employees that are appropriate for representation by a union for purposes of collective bargaining

SKILLED WORKERS

1. Who are they
• workers that possesses a specific skill, trade, craft status regulated by a government agency

SEMI-SKILLED

1. Who are they
• workers that posseses skills for a particular job at their place of employment

UNION MEMBERS

1. aka
• rank and file
2. Who are they
• employees, retirees, potential employees of some enterprise
3. What they do
• participate and pay dues in a labour organization
4. Purpose for membership
• to permit the local union to deal with their grievances and conditions of employment on their behalf

BARGAINING UNIT

1. aka
• shop
2. What it is
• the basic unit that makes up a union local
3. Who it is
• the group of workers in a plant, firm, industry or occupation, determined by the government agency having jurisdiction, as appropriate for representation by a union for purposes of collective bargaining
4. Size
• a few members to many thousands
5. Scope
• based on geographic or geo-political subdivisions
6. Legal Requirement
• a membership ratified collective agreement
7. Elected officials
• steward, chief steward, committee persons, representatives, chairpersons

SHOPS

1. aka
• bargaining unit

Variations


2. CLOSED SHOP
• all employees are supplied by the labour union exclusively, typically through the hiring hall, and are required to maintain union membership in order to maintain employment
3. OPEN SHOP
• any employee can be procured from any source and once hired, the empolyee is required to maintain union membership in order to maintain employment
4. AGENCY SHOP
• any employee may or may not belong to the union organization, yet all employees are required to pay dues and other fees for the package of services supplied by union organization
5. OPEN SHOP
• any employee voluntarily belong to the union and may voluntarily pay dues and other fees to the union organization

LOCAL

1. aka
• chapter, division, guild, local, branch, lodge, unit
2. What it is
• the basic unit that make up a union, consisting of one or more bargaining units
3. Who it is
• elected officials, full-time business agent, union representatives and office staff
4. Purpose
• to regulate relations between its membership and their employers
5. Size
• a few members to many thousands
6. Scope
• based on geographic or geo-political subdivisions
7. Legal Requirement
• constitution, bylaws, elected officers
8. Function
• negotiate and administer collective agreements for their local members
9. Revenue
• a portion of the dues collected from its bargaining unit members
10. Elected officials
• president, vice president, treasurer, recording secretary, corresponding secretary

BUSINESS AGENT

1. aka
• business manager
2. Who it is
• a full-time paid official who works for one or more locals on contract negotiations, employee grievances, and other related matters

LOCAL OFFICE STAFF

1. Who it is:
• employees of the local union who assist the business agent in carrying out official duties
• local office staff are not members of the union they work for
• sometimes these workers belong to a different union and negotiate an employment contract with their employer

UNION

1. aka
• headquarters, the union, trade union
2. What it is
• a labour organization
3. Legal requirement
• constituion, bylaws, elected officials
4. Powers
• establishes, charters and dissolves locals in the industries or trades that are specified in the constitution
5. Function
• sets general policies for its locals
• assists locals in the negotiation and administration of collective agreements
• coordinates inter-local activities
• provides strike assistance to locals
6. Revenue
• obtained from the locals through per capita dues
7. Governance
• holds regular conventions during which delegates from the locals vote on policy questions and elect executive officers for the union
8. Scope
• based on geographic or geo-political subdivisions
9. Elected officials
• president, vice president, treasurer, recording secretary, corresponding secretary

BARGAINING AGENT

1. What it is
• a union designated by the government agency as the exclusive representative of all employees in a bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining

LOCAL JURISDICTION

1. What it is
• the geographic or geo-political subdivision, certified by the government agency, that the local union can operate within to organize and represent workers as specified in their constitution
2. Who it is
• only those employed in the subdivision can become members of the local

Variations


3. IN-PLANT LOCAL
• a union local restricting membership to one specific workplace, working for one particular employer
4. CITY-WIDE LOCAL
• a union local whose jurisdiction is the named city
5. COUNTY-WIDE LOCAL
• a union local whose jurisdiction is the named county
6. STATE-WIDE LOCAL
• a union local whose jurisdiction is the named state
7. PROVINCE-WIDE LOCAL
• a union local whose jurisdiction is the named province
8. REGIONAL-LOCAL
• a union local whose jurisdiction is the named region

TRADE JURISDICTION

1. What it is
• the geographic or geo-political subdivision certified by the government agency, that the union can operate within to organize and represent workers as specified in their constitution along construction trade lines, eg masons, electricians, carpenters

COMPOSITE LOCAL

1. aka
• aggregate local, mixed local
2. What it is
• a union local of both craft bargaining units and general worker bargaining units

CRAFT LOCAL

1. aka
• vocation-based local
2. What it is
• a local restricting membership to workers of a specific craft, skill or occupation, such as teachers, electricians, carpenters

GENERAL LOCAL

1. What it is
• a local open to all workers

INDUSTRIAL LOCAL

1. What it is
• a local restricting membership to workers from one industry regardless of their craft, or whether they are skilled or unskilled

ENTERPRISE-BASED LOCAL

1. What it is
• a local restricting membership to workers from one enterprise regardless of their craft, or whether they are skilled or unskilled

COMPANY UNION

1. What it is
• an employee association organized, controlled, and financed by the employers
• outlawed by legislation in progressive jurisdictions

FEDERAL UNION

1. What it is
• union that comes under federal government jurisdiction

INTERNATIONAL UNION

1. What it is
• a union which charters locals internationally

NATIONAL UNION

1. What it is
• a union which charters locals in only one country

COUNCIL

1. aka
• conference, district council, district lodge, joint council, labour council, regional council, state lodge, system council
2. What it is
• an organization of locals in a particular jurisdiction which coordinates the activities of these locals
• a council holds regular meetings of delegates from its constituent locals during which matters of interest to the locals are addressed
3. Variations
• BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
• DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL
• REGIONAL LABOUR COUNCIL

COMPOSITE UNION

1. aka
• aggregate union, mixed union
2. What it is
• a union of both craft locals and general worker locals

CRAFT UNION

1. aka
• vocation-based union
2. What it is
• a union restricting membership to workers of a specific craft, skill or occupation, such as teachers, electricians, carpenters

GENERAL UNION

1. What it is
• a union open to all workers

INDUSTRIAL UNION

1. What it is
• a union restricting membership to workers from one industry regardless of their craft, or whether they are skilled or unskilled

ENTERPRISE-BASED UNION

1. What it is
• a union restricting membership to workers from one enterprise regardless of their craft, or whether they are skilled or unskilled

LABOUR FEDERATION

• see CENTRAL LABOUR CONGRESS

CENTRAL LABOUR CONGRESS

1. What it is
• a national federation of unions
2. What it is composed of
• district labour councils, local labour councils, provincial federations of labour, state federations of labour, directly chartered locals, national unions, international unions
3. Purpose
• to engage in legislative lobbying at the national level
• to conduct training sessions for union officials,
• to participate in international trade union activities

AFFILIATED UNION

1. What it is
• a union that is affiliated with a central labour congress

DIRECTLY CHARTERED LOCAL

1. What it is
• a local that pays dues directly a labour congress in return for advice and assistance
• these locals are not part of a geo-politically subdivided union

INDEPENDENT UNION

1. What it is
• a union that is not affiliated with a central labour congress

INDEPENDENT LOCAL ORGANIZATION

1. What it is
• a non-affiliated union confined to a specific workplace or locality
• see LOCAL JURISDICTION