Chapter 19: Nursing Unions as a Social Force in Canada: Advocating for Nurses, Patients, and Health Care

How does the Rand formula in Canadian labour law apply to nurses in a unionized setting?

a. Any nurse covered under the union contract must pay dues.

b. Any nurse covered under the union contract is eligible for legal counsel.

c. Any nurse covered under the union contract is guaranteed employment.

d. Any nurse covered under the union contract cannot grieve.

A

In Canada, even if nurses choose not to belong to a union, they will still be covered by all

of the provisions of the collective agreement, including which of the following?

a. A duty of proper care to patients

b. A salary increase negotiated by the union

c. A duty of fair representation by the union

d. A duty to register complaints from the unit

C

In which province did a legal case serve as a catalyst for the development of nursing

unions?

a. Alberta

b. Nova Scotia

c. Saskatchewan

d. British Columbia

C

Why did the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) indicate, in 1973, that the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA) should not be permitted to act as a

trade union?

a. The SEIU did not want to lose members.

b. The SRNA did not have bargaining skills.

c. The SEIU would have to alter its mandate.

d. The SRNA’s board of directors included nursing managers.

D

During which decade did the Canadian Nurses Association approve the principle of

collective bargaining for nurses?

a. 1930s

b. 1940s

c. 1950s

d. 1960s

B

Which stipulation was included as part of the Canadian Nurses Association endorsement of collective bargaining in the 1940s but subsequently repealed decades later?

a. Endorsing a no-strike policy

b. Prohibiting associations from engaging in collective bargaining

c. Creating a bargaining unit at the national level

d. Limiting memberships to nurses only

A

Which province had the first professional association certified as a bargaining agent?

a. Ontario

b. Manitoba

c. Newfoundland

d. British Columbia

D

Why did the “personnel policies” approach to modifying working conditions for nurses not

work as it was intended?

a. The policies were too vague for implementation.

b. There was widespread disagreement about policies.

c. The policies were not binding nor implemented

d. The policies were mandatory and had to be implemented.

C

In which year did the completion of the process that entailed the separation of professional nursing associations from nursing unions take place?

a. 1985

b. 1987

c. 1989

d. 1992

B

Which province was the last to develop and establish separate organizations for collective bargaining?

a. Quebec

b. New Brunswick

c. Newfoundland

d. Prince Edward Island

D

In which year did the Alberta government ban all strikes by hospital employees?

a. 1981

b. 1982

c. 1983

d. 1984

C

The Saskatchewan nurses’ strike in 1999 resulted in which of the following outcomes?

a. Higher wages for nurses

b. A shortened work week for nurses

c. Inclusion of a professional responsibility clause

d. The addition of dental benefits to nurses’ current medical benefits

C

The Canadian Nursing Federation of Unions (CNFU) has identified that the foundation of any safe staffing program includes which of the following?

a. Adequate overtime stipend for nurses

b. Ward clerks to do the paperwork

c. Appropriate policies to monitor staffing trends

d. Accurate real-time data to identify the acuity of patients

D

Which of the following is a common goal for professional nursing associations and nursing unions?

a. Overtime pay

b. Staff nurse salary scales

c. Disability application procedures

d. Working conditions

D

What is one of the reasons nursing unions separated from their professional nursing associations?

a. Unions represent nurse managers

b. Associations discipline staff nurses

c. Unions discipline staff nurses

d. Associations represent nurse managers

D