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IRE240H1: Introduction to Employment Relations Summer 2022 LEC0101

Course details Instructor Prof. Jenna E. Myers Email [email protected] Message me with any course-related questions within the Quercus course

inbox (normally answered within 24 hours). If you email me outside of the Quercus course, please include “IRE240” in the subject line. You are encouraged to ask non-confidential questions during class or post questions in the Q&A discussion forum so that all students may benefit from reading the answer. Note: Please check Quercus and your University of Toronto email regularly for course announcements, as important information about readings, deadlines, and assignments/tests will be distributed via these channels.

Class day/time Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-4pm EDT See Faculty of Arts & Sciences Course Timetables for updates.

Office hours Group office hours will be held following the end of our formal class sessions. Message me (through Quercus) to set up individual meetings for other times. Individual meetings will typically be scheduled on Tuesdays between 1-5pm EDT, unless otherwise requested (I will provide a Zoom meeting link directly to you when the meeting is scheduled).

Course delivery Online Synchronous. Attendance during synchronous class time is expected. See Faculty of Arts & Sciences Course Timetables for updates.

Course website Quercus T.A. Ziyi Zhao

T.A. email [email protected]

T.A. office hours TBD

Contents of this syllabus: General Course Information Course Description, Learning Objectives, Prerequisite, Class

Contributions, Technology Requirements, Evaluation Pg. 2-3

Detailed Course Schedule, Assignments, and Exams

Detailed Schedule, Readings and Other Materials, Assignments and Exams

Pg. 3-7

CIRHR and University Policies

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Accessibility Services, Course Conflicts, and Auditing, COVID-19-related Absences and Accommodations, Religious Observances, Term Work Policies, Late/Missed Work/Late Penalties, Remarking Term Work, Academic Integrity, Plagiarism Detection Tool, Copyright, Notice of Video Recording ad Sharing, IRHR Library Research Guides & Resources

Pg. 7-10

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General Course Information

Course Description From the rise of gig work and remote work, to issues of equity, sustainability, and competitiveness, to the role of work amidst new automated technologies… employment relations is constantly in flux. This course is meant to be your introduction to the complex political, social, cultural, and historical embeddedness of employment relations and your foundation in building the skills necessary to develop solutions to contemporary challenges in employment relations.

In the first half of this course, we will cover how employment relations is studied—its history, development, central theories, and concepts. In the second half of this course, we will more thoroughly examine the objectives, roles, and structures of each party to the employment relationship, and we will apply these frameworks and perspectives to contemporary issues shaping employment relations. Along the way, you will build foundational skills including comparative analysis and case analysis, as we use concepts from class to understand specific organizational and policy issues. Learning Objectives Work is one of the most important aspects of our lives. This course is aimed to help you adapt theoretical frameworks and approaches in industrial relations and human resources to better understand the issues surrounding work and employment that we face today. In class, we will apply readings and frameworks to real-life cases and current policy debates. There are three key learning objectives in this course:

1) You will develop a deeper understanding of the foundational concepts and frameworks in employment relations.

2) You will learn how to apply different theories, frameworks, and perspectives to better understand and provide insights into contemporary, real-world employment relations problems and policy issues.

3) You will develop an understanding of your own perspectives on work and employment relations, and be able to effectively communicate these perspectives, including how they may or may not have shifted as a result of your engagement in this course.

Prerequisite Enrolment in the Industrial Relations & Human Resources program (ASSPE/ASMAJ1536) or 4.0 FCEs and a minimum cgpa of 2.3.

Class Contributions You are expected to attend class regularly, prepare thoroughly, and participate fully. This course is being delivered synchronously, and you will be asked to participate in class discussions and other activities. Because students may have varying work environments, internet bandwidth, and levels of comfort, I understand that you may not be able to keep your video on at all times. However, to improve class participation, I expect that you will have your video on when possible. To enable attendance taking, please sign in to Zoom with your full name as listed on the course roster. You should feel free to also include your preferred name and pronouns.

Technology Requirements • Recommended Technology Requirements for Remote/Online Learning

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Evaluation Your overall course grade is meant to assess your academic performance inside and outside of the classroom (relative to the course materials). The assessment tools used do not measure your overall potential as a person nor do they assess your overall intelligence or worth.

I have designed a variety of assessments to build and assess your knowledge, skills, and achievement of the course objectives. They are presented in the table below, then each is described briefly in the sections that follow.

Assessment Weight (%) Due Date Participation 10% n/a Assignment Part 1 – Topic Selection 10% Class 3, May 16 Assignment Part 2 – Essay Outline 15% Class 6, May 30 Midterm Exam 20% Published after Class 7, June 1 Assignment Part 3 – Final Essay 25% Class 10, June 13 Final Exam 20% Published at 12pm ET on June 22

Last day to cancel course without academic penalty: June 6, 2022

Detailed Course Schedule, Assignments, and Exams

Detailed Schedule: Number Date Key Topics and In-class Activities Readings and Notes Class 1 Monday,

May 9 • Nature and Meaning of Work • Key Definitions and Terms Small group analysis of worker quotes Course overview and structure

Pre-reading: • Review entire syllabus • Budd (2011), Introduction,

pg. 1-18

Class 2 Wednesday, May 11

• Conflict in Employment Relations Citation practices and library resources for assignments Small group discussion of conflict in the Lorr reading

Pre-reading: • Lorr (2021), Part II:

Distribution of Responsibility Optional: • Jaffe and Chen, Dissent

magazine (2022), (podcast; Viscelli interview: 17:11 - 1:01:51)

Class 3 Monday, May 16

• Micro-theories of the Employment Relationship: Understanding Human and Organizational Behaviour

• History and Development of Employment Relations

Assignment Part 1 due

Class 4 Wednesday, May 18

• Macro-theories of the Employment Relationship: Understanding Labour Market Institutions and Institutional Outcomes

• Four Perspectives on the Employment Relationship

Flash presentations on the four perspectives

None

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Informal course evaluation No class on Monday, May 23 in observance of Victoria Day Class 5 Wednesday,

May 25 • The Concepts of Equity, Efficiency and

Voice • The Balance Principle

Pre-reading: • Budd (2004), pg. 13-31 • Dealbook, New York Times

(2020)

Class 6 Monday,

May 30 • The Role of the State: Policy and Civil

Society Guest speaker: AJ Tibando, Palette Skills

Pre-reading: • Palette Skills article

Assignment Part 2 due

Class 7 Wednesday, June 1

Midterm exam review

Optional: • Practice midterm (on

Quercus) Midterm Exam – Posted on Quercus after class. You may start the exam any time (prior to 11:59pm EDT on Friday, June 3) and will have 2.5 hours to complete it. Class 8 Monday,

June 6 • The Role of Management: Human

Resources Systems and Organizational Objectives

Small group discussion of HRM systems or MetalWorks case

Pre-reading: • Workforce Training at

MetalWorks case

Class 9 Wednesday, June 8

• The Role of Unions: Collective Bargaining and Worker Voice

None

Class 10

Monday, June 13

• Contemporary Issues: Technological Change

Guest speaker: Kaylee Plaut, MachineMetrics

Pre-reading: • Gray & Suri (2019),

Introduction: Ghosts in the Machine, pg. ix-xxxi

• Winick, MIT Technology Review (2018).

• Shin and McCarty Carino, Marketplace Tech (2022) (podcast)

Assignment Part 3 due

Class 11

Wednesday, June 15

• Contemporary Issues: Ownership and Governance Structures

Pre-reading: • Weil (2014), Chapter 1: The

Fissured Workplace and Its Consequences, pg. 7-27

• Bocknek, Toronto Star (2021) (podcast)

Class 12

Monday, June 20

• Contemporary Issues: Demographics Final exam review

TBD

Final Exam – Posted on Quercus at 12pm ET on June 22. You may start the exam any time and will have 2.5 hours to complete it. The exam must be completed and submitted by 11:59pm EDT on Friday, June 24.

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Readings and Other Materials (see detailed schedule above for specific chapters/sections required) Class 1:

• Budd, J. (2011). The thought of work. Cornell University Press. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/14bjeso/alma99110 5873230806196 Link to eBook IRHR Library: INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY - BUD

Class 2:

• Lorr, B. (2021). The secret life of groceries: The dark miracle of the American supermarket. Penguin.

o Advisory: this chapter contains strong language and a brief description of sexual assault

• OPTIONAL: Jaffe, S. & Chen, M. (2022, January 28). Trucker supply crisis? With Steve Viscelli/ Belabored Podcast,. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/belabored-trucker-supply-crisis

Class 3-4: None Class 5:

• Budd, J. (2004). Employment with a human face: Balancing efficiency, equity, and voice. The objectives of the employment relationship, pg. 13-31. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/14bjeso/alma99110 6591885806196 IRHR Library: LABOUR RELATIONS - THEORY - BUD

• Greed Is good. Except when it’s bad. (2020, September 13). New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/business/dealbook/milton-friedman-essay- anniversary.html

o Please contact me if you cannot access this article through the link above, and I will provide an alternative.

Class 6:

• Palette Skills. (2022). Why Canada needs an upskilling strategy. https://paletteskills.org/resources/canada-upskilling-strategy

Class 7: None Class 8:

• MetalWorks Training case (posted on Quercus) Class 9: None Class 10:

• Gray, M. L., & Suri, S. (2019). Ghost work: How to stop Silicon Valley from building a new global underclass. Eamon Dolan Books. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/14bjeso/alma99110 6687028406196 Link to eBook TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE - GRA

• Winick, E. (2018). Confessions of an accidental job destroyer. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/06/26/240466/confessions-of-an-accidental-job- destroyer/

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• Shin, D. & McCarty Carino, M. (2022, April 7). Will Amazon’s first union have something to say about surveillance tech? Marketplace Tech Podcast. https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/will-amazons-first-union-have- something-to-say-about-surveillance-tech/

Class 11:

• Weil, D. (2014). The fissured workplace. Harvard University Press. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/14bjeso/alma99110 6384034106196 Link to eBook IRHR Library: LABOUR RELATIONS - US - WEI1

• Bocknek, M. (2021, July 12). By classifying workers as contractors, do Uber and Lyft avoid millions in taxes? This Matters. Daily News Podcast. https://www.thestar.com/podcasts/thismatters/2021/07/12/by-classifying-workers-as- contractors-do-uber-and-lyft-avoid-millions-in-taxes.html

Class 12: TBD Supplementary Textbooks (not required):

• Godard, J. (2017). Industrial relations, economy, and society (5th ed.). Captus Press. ISBN 978- 1-55322-359-7.

• Budd, J. (2004). Employment with a human face: Balancing efficiency, equity, and voice. ILR Press.

Assignments and Exams Participation (10%) Regular attendance and participation is expected. Participation in an online class can include questions and contributions verbally or through the Zoom chat, as well as active participation during office hours or contributions to the Quercus discussion boards. We will complete several in-class activities, including mini presentations and small group discussions, where there will be ample opportunities to actively participate. In general, I value quality over quantity in participation.

Assignment The main assignment for this course is an essay that is focused on helping you develop a deeper understanding of key concepts in the study of employment relations and on helping you apply these concepts to contemporary issues. To do this, you will select an organization that is currently facing an issue related to work and employment. Examples from the past several years might have included: the unionization effort in Amazon’s U.S. warehouses, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike, the British Royal Family’s recent diversity and publicity challenges, or a particular company’s response to governmental efforts to regulate Big Tech. You should choose a topic that is current, but not “breaking news,” and one that has been well-reported enough to generate media (articles, videos, podcasts, etc.) for you to draw on in your assignment. Content:

• Describe the organization (e.g., for a for-profit organization, you could describe the sector, industry, history, ownership structure, primary business activities, product markets, types of jobs, etc.). You may also choose a union, a government organization, or another type of organization.

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• Describe the issue this organization is currently facing (e.g., What is the problem? What aspects of the organization does this problem affect? What are the steps the organization is considering or has taken to address the issue?)

• Describe how key class concepts relate to the issue. (e.g., Which of the types of conflict that we have discussed are causing or arising from this issue? Which of the perspectives on employment relations best describes how the organization has responded to the issue so far? What assumptions about ‘why we work’ are being represented in the organization’s response?)

• Analyze the issue and its potential solution(s). In your opinion, which of the perspectives on employment relations should the organization draw on to effectively handle the issue? Consider what perspective might allow the organization to balance the objectives of efficiency, equity, and voice in the employment relationship and to incorporate the interests of its other stakeholders (e.g., customers, communities, environment).

The essay is scaffolded into three parts that are due at different points during the term to help ensure your success.

• Part 1 (10% of final grade): Identify a specific organization and issue and at least five different high-quality references (at least one academic source, plus news articles, podcasts, videos, etc. produced by reputable media sources) that you will use to build your understanding of the issue and cite in your essay. (You may identify and use additional references before handing in your final essay.) To complete Part 1, you should:

o Write a short response (between 250-350 words) identifying the organization, describing the issue, and briefly explaining how it connects to the concepts and frameworks discussed in the first two weeks of class. At this time, there is no need to address all of the specific items listed in ‘Content,’ above.

o Provide a list of your five (or more) references in APA citation style. • Part 2 (15% of final grade): Develop an outline for your essay that shows how you will address

each of the above topics and questions. You need not address them in the order they are listed above. Be sure to note in your outline which of your points are supported by your references. This will make it easier for you to incorporate in-text citations during your final essay. You may submit this outline in document or slide format (e.g., through Microsoft Word or PowerPoint).

• Part 3 (25% of final grade): Write a final essay of approximately 8 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point-font, and 1-inch margins, answering the above topics and questions (listed in ‘Content’). The written work should be clear, organized, and free of spelling and grammar errors. The use of appropriate headings is encouraged to enhance readability. Use APA citation style for in-text citations, and include full references at the end of the paper.

Assignments must be handed in electronically through Quercus. For Parts 1-3 of the Assignment, additional instructions and requirements will be provided during the first class and on Quercus. You are encouraged to submit your essay early to avoid any issues. The final submission will be considered the submission with the latest digital time stamp on Quercus. See below for the University’s policies on academic integrity. Exams The midterm exam (20% of final grade) is integrative of the material covered to that point in the course. The final exam (20% of final grade) is focused on the material covered after the midterm, though it may draw on concepts from earlier class sessions. The content for both the midterm and final exams is based on the material covered in class, which may or may not be available in posted class notes or slides. Both exams will consist mainly of short-answer questions.

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CIRHR and University Policies Equity, Diversity and Inclusion The University of Toronto is committed to equity, human rights and respect for diversity. All members of the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect where all members of our community can express themselves, engage with each other, and respect one another’s differences. U of T does not condone discrimination or harassment against any persons or communities.

Accessibility Services The University provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code. This occurs through a collaborative process that acknowledges a collective obligation to develop an accessible learning environment that both meets the needs of students and preserves the essential academic requirements of the University’s courses and programs. For more information on services and resources available to instructors and students, please see the Accessibility Services website.

Course Conflicts and Auditing It is your responsibility to enrol in a conflict free schedule. ACORN will not drop any course conflict activities on your behalf. If you are having difficulties planning your schedule, please contact your College Registrar’s office for assistance. You are expected to complete all IRE assignments on the dates listed in the evaluation section, below. If an instructor, in another course, schedules a due date outside the regular class time that conflicts with our due dates, it is the responsibility of that instructor to provide you with an accommodation. Auding IRE courses is not permitted. No exceptions will be made. COVID-19-related Absences and Accommodations If you are absent from class for any reason (e.g., COVID, other illness or injury, family situation) and need consideration for missed academic work, report your absence through the online absence declaration. The declaration is available on ACORN under the Profile and Settings menu. Advise your instructor of your absence also. Click here for more information.

Religious Observances The University also provides reasonable accommodation of the needs of students who observe religious holy days other than those already accommodated by ordinary scheduling and statutory holidays. Students have a responsibility to alert members of the teaching staff in a timely fashion to upcoming religious observances and anticipated absences, and instructors will make every reasonable effort to avoid scheduling tests, examinations, or other compulsory activities at these times. For more information, and to link to the University’s policy on accommodations for religious observances, please see the website of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students.

Term Work Policies You are expected to take responsibility for making appropriate judgments to ensure that your assignments are submitted in a timely manner. It is also your responsibility to back up your work either electronically or by photocopying the work for your own reference, as well as keeping rough and draft work and hard copies of their assignments, as these may be required by the instructor. You must keep all of your graded term work until your final grade has been released on ACORN. Any grade miscalculations or other grade-related issues may require that you provide your graded assignments to the instructor and/or the Program Office.

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Late/Missed Work/Late Penalties I appreciate that students have busy lives with multiple commitments, and that unforeseen circumstances related to family challenges or personal illness will sometimes arise. In recognition of that fact, I have created the following policies for missed/late work. Please contact me if you have additional questions or issues. Attendance Policy You may miss up to two synchronous class sessions with no penalty, although you are still expected to review the assigned materials and class recording individually for any class sessions that you miss. Late Assignment Policy The assignment instructions and deadlines are provided on the first day of the course, and assignments are submitted online, so it is your responsibility to plan your schedule ahead of time to ensure that your assignments are submitted by the due date. To ensure that short-term illness or other life events do not preclude handing in your assignments on time, please complete the assignments in advance of the due date. This also gives you the opportunity to review any issues with your work prior to final submission. A student may take a 48-hour (two-day) grace extension with no penalty. After that, a penalty of 5% per day will be applied to the grade received on the assignment (e.g., if the assignment is one day late and receives 80%, once the penalty is applied the assignment would receive 75%). No assignments will be accepted one week past the original due date. The final submission will be considered the submission with the latest digital time stamp. Additional requests for extensions will not be approved except in very extenuating life circumstances, which will require documentation. Missed Exam Policy All exams will be “take home” and “open book” exams. You will be given a specific time window to access and submit the exam on Quercus, typically 48 to 72 hours. Given this flexibility, no makeup exams will be made available except in very extenuating life circumstances, which will require documentation.

Remarking Term Work A student who believes an individual item of work has been incorrectly or unfairly marked may ask the person who marked it for a re-evaluation. The request must be submitted by email (or Quercus message) and include a detailed statement that highlights which specific questions or portions of the test/assignment you would like to be reviewed and why you feel the marks given do not reflect your answer. The statement should refer to course texts or lecture notes. Any remarking may result in the grade being raised, lowered, or unchanged.

If a TA originally marked the work, the remarking request should go first to the TA. If the work was originally marked by the instructor, they will remark the entire work. Students who wish to appeal a remarking done by the TA must forward the original request and TA response to the instructor. The instructor will remark the entire assignment/test and the student must accept the resulting mark as the new mark, whether it goes up or down or remains the same. Continuing with the remark or the appeal means the student accepts this condition. It is not to your advantage to submit a request for a second remarking unless you believe you will actually gain points. The deadline for requesting a remarking is two weeks from the date the marks were posted on Quercus; the deadline for an appeal is one week after the remark was posted. Late requests will not be accepted.

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Academic Integrity Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university, and to ensuring that a degree from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s individual academic achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously. The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters outlines the behaviours that constitute academic dishonesty and the processes for addressing academic offences. Potential offences include, but are not limited to: In papers and assignments: · Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement; · Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor; · Making up sources or facts; · Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment. On tests and exams: · Using or possessing unauthorized aids; · Looking at someone else’s answers during an exam or test; · Misrepresenting your identity; and · When you knew or ought to have known you were doing it. In academic work: · Falsifying institutional documents or grades; · Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not limited to) doctor’s notes; and · When you knew or ought to have known you were doing so. All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information on academic integrity from the instructors or from other institutional resources. See below for IRHR Library Research Guides & Resources.

Copyright “Lectures and course materials prepared by the instructor are considered by the University to be an instructor’s intellectual property covered by the Canadian Copyright Act. Students wishing to record lecture or other course material in any way are required to ask the instructor’s explicit permission, and may not do so unless permission is granted. This includes tape recording, filming, photographing PowerPoint slides, Quercus materials, etc. Such permission is only for that individual student’s own study purposes and does not include permission to “publish” them in any way. It is absolutely forbidden for a student to publish an instructor’s notes to a website or sell them in other form without formal permission.” Faculty of Arts & Science Academic Handbook for Instructors Section 4.5 Taping/Recording/Photographing Lectures etc.

Notice of Video Recording and Sharing This course, including your participation, will be recorded on video and will be available to students in the course for viewing remotely and after each session.

Course videos and materials belong to your instructor, the University, and/or other sources depending on the specific facts of each situation and are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share any course or student materials or videos without the explicit permission of the instructor.

For questions about the recording and use of videos in which you appear, please contact me.

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IRHR Library Research Guides & Resources Check out the IRHR Library website for additional resources - resources specific to this course are available on the IRE240: Introduction to Employment Relations guide, and the Research, Writing, and Citation Support guide will be useful for all your research projects.

Research help is available from the IRHR Library by email at [email protected] or book an online reference consultation. Find out more ways to connect with your library on the IRHR Library Quercus site.

Accessing UofT Library Resources Off Campus When you use licensed University of Toronto Libraries resources (online journals, articles, eBooks, and databases) off campus, you'll be asked to log in with your UTORid. Check out authentication tips at Is there an easy way for me to authenticate as a U of T user while I’m researching off-campus?

Useful Links for Citing Sources • Citing Your Sources • CIRHR courses use APA style, unless otherwise specified • Citation software, such as RefWorks, can help you quickly generate citations; you can also

copy APA citation from Google Scholar (look for the cite icon under the article link) and most journal websites.

• Legal Citations • Help with citations and bibliographies is available from the IRHR Library • Additional writing support is available from U of T Writing Centres, including the Woodsworth

College Academic Writing Centre