Convergence in International Unionism, etc. The Case of Canada and the USA

Abstract

Industrial relations systems differ across countries, yet their outputs converge. Canada and the USA are a striking example. Over the past two decades, private and public membership and density, employer opposition, and bargaining have converged. These findings contradict the conventional wisdom and invalidate the recommendation that the USA emulate Canadian policy.

Bargaining Structure, Wage Determination, and Wage Dispersion in 6 OECD Countries

“…Because of the progressivity of the tax system we will underestimate true wage inequality. Third, results from 4 This is especially true for the private sector in the U.S.. Troy (1992) shows that unionism in the Canadian private sector follows the U.S. developments very closely. 5 Davidson and Reich (1987) find that the U.S. industry structure varies considerably over time, Pollan (1990) shows similar evidence for Austria.…”

Why statutory union recognition is bad labour policy:the North American experience

“…Despite these favourable conditions, much cherished by American unions, bargaining coverage in the Canadian private sector has fallen from a peak of about 35 per cent to about 20 per cent, Troy (1992). The most common policy of unorganised Canadian employers is to 'manage in such a way as to make unions unnecessary' (Thompson, 1995).…”

“…Some of the provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act considered by US analysts as being causal of US union decline such as the availability of de-certification and the right of employers to express their opinions were included in Canadian legislation (Woods, 1973;Adams, 1995a). However, Canadian policy was generally viewed as being pro-bargaining and the practice of collective bargaining in the private sector continued to expand until about 1960 when it too entered a period of decline (Troy, 1992).…”

Private sector union density and the wage premium: Past, present, and future

“…These authors emphasize that the U.S. experience is unique, focusing in particular on management opposition, the rise in unfair labor practices, and organizing difficulties faced by unions given U.S. labor law. Troy (1992Troy ( , 2000, however, has emphasized that the comparison to Canada is misleading given the importance and growth of the public and quasi-public sectors (e.g., health care) in Canada. If one could isolate Canada's unregulated private sector one would also see a decline in union density, although at a slower rate than in the U.S.…”