Activity 2 page 2

Explore

As a citizen in Canada, you have employment rights. Government decisions and labour groups have strengthened your rights to ensure that you work in a safe and fair environment.

How did the protection of these rights in Canada come to be?

Early in Canada's nationhood, unions became part of working culture. Unions negotiated with employers in a process called collective bargaining to improve aspects of employment such as wages and working conditions.

union: a group of employees that have united as a formal entity to work towards the improvement of workers' rights through collective bargaining

collective bargaining: the process of negotiating as a group

 Vocabulary

Retrieve your Issues for Canadians Definitions handout and add the terms union and collective bargaining. Write your own definition for the words.

Place the updated handout back into your Activities folder.

©Thinkstock

©Thinkstock

Read the following sections of the textbook, Issues for Canadians:

• "What's a Labour Union?" on page 231
• "Did You Know?" on page 231
• "Did You Know?" on page 232
• "Letters to the Editor" on page 233
• "How has the recognition of workers' rights in Canada changed over time?" on page 234
• "What was the Winnipeg General Strike?" on page 234
• "Supreme Court Rules that Charter protects collective bargaining" on page 235

Use the Labour Unions Graphic Organizer to record the main points for each topic as you read through pages 231 - 235 of the textbook. 

Click on one of the links below to access the activity.

Labour Unions Graphic Organizer (Word)
Labour Unions Graphic Organizer (pdf)
Labour Unions Graphic Organizer (Google Doc)

When you have completed the organizer, respond to the other questions on the handout.

Place your completed handout into your Activities folder.