Tuesday, November 08, 2005
[IWS] CANADA: Weekly Work Report 7 November 2005
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).
Weekly Work Report for the Week of November 7, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
TORONTO POLICE REACH AGREEMENT: On November 8th the Toronto Police Association and the City of Toronto reached an agreement in their contract dispute. A ratification vote will be held this week, at which time details will be made public. The police had been without a contract since December 2004 and have been engaged in job actions for the past several weeks. On Nov. 2, more than 1,500 officers participated in a demonstration at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Torontos City Hall, with an estimated 150 officers wearing police uniforms and guns in defiance of the Police Chiefs order.
LINKS:
Deal reached in police dispute in the Toronto Star (November 8) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1131447754816&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 >
Law and disorder in the Toronto Star (Nov. 6) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1131230997487 >
----------
SECOND TELUS AGREEMENT GOES TO RATIFICATION: On November 6th, a second tentative agreement was reached between Telus Corporation and the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU). A previous agreement reached on October 9th was rejected by only 50.3 % of the 9,027 votes cast on October 30. As with the previous agreement, the union is recommending acceptance, but the results wont be known until November 16, when the mail-in balloting is complete.
LINKS:
Second tentative agreement reached at Telus in the Globe and Mail (Nov. 8) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051108.gtrtelus08/BNStory/Technology/?query=telus >
TWU website: < http://www.twu-canada.ca/home.shtml> including a summary of amendments to the October tentative agreement at < http://www.twu-canada.ca/cgi-bin/news/fullnews.cgi?newsid1131350400,49753 >
Telus press release at the Telus website at < http://about.telus.com/media_centre/labour/>
----------
CAW TAKES A POSITION ON THE FALCONBRIDGE INCO MERGER: On November 4, the Canadian Auto Workers union released a statement supporting the proposed merger of Canadas mining giants, Inco and Falconbridge on the condition that the companies negotiate a mutually acceptable merger plan with affected unions, communities, and other stakeholders. The proposed merger, announced on October 11, will create the worlds biggest nickel company and the worlds fifth biggest copper producer and will employ approximately 25,000 people worldwide.
The CAW statement, Two Sides of the Coin: The Opportunities, and Risks, of Creating the Worlds Largest Nickel Producer, outlines an 8-point process to guide the merger and calls for a moratorium on facility closures or layoffs until a merger plan is mutually negotiated between the two companies, their unions, and other affected stakeholders; clear targets for Canadian re-investments and supply purchases by the merged company; downsizing through attrition only; and the full recognition of existing pension and post-retirement benefit commitments by the merged company.
The CAW represents almost 2,000 members at Falconbridge operations in Sudbury and Timmins. The United Steelworkers (USW) hasn't set conditions for endorsing Inco's takeover bid; it represents 4,750 Inco employees and 2,800 workers at Falconbridge.
LINKS:
CAW press release at < http://www.caw.ca/news/newsnow/news.asp?artID=954>
Two Sides of the Coin: The Opportunities, and Risks, of Creating the Worlds Largest Nickel Producer (6 pages, PDF) at the CAW website at < http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/bargaining/bycompany/falconbridge/CAWJointStatementIncoFalconbridge.pdf >
Inco in mega deal to take over Falconbridge, creating biggest nickel firm (Oct. 11 2005) at the Yahoo Canada news site at < http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20051011/ca_pr_on_bu/inco_falconbridge >
----------
AIR CANADA PILOTS DISPUTE NEW TEPLITSKY MEDIATION AWARD: A recent decision by mediator Martin Teplitsky upheld the tentative agreement reached by the Air Canada Pilots' Association (ACPA) and Air Canada in June 2005, prompting Air Canada to announce on November 1 that it will re-open its negotiations to buy new fuel efficient planes from Boeing.
The former Canadian Airlines pilots had refused to participate in the mediation process, and on November 3rd they filed a complaint with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), alleging that the ACPA and Air Canada were not entitled to retain Teplitsky as a mediator. The former Canadian Airline pilots argue that the Teplitsky award has the potential to change the current seniority list arrived at in June 2003 through the Keller award, and that the ACPA and Air Canada have failed to honour signed agreements, and refused to accept decisions of arbitrators, the CIRB, and the courts. This long-running seniority battle has been underway since the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Air Lines in 2000.
LINKS:
Air Canada says arbitrator clears way for new Boeing talks at CBC website at < http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2005/11/01/aircan-051101.html >
Air Canada Pilots Association at < https://secure.acpa.ca/press_news/2005/pressseniorityaircraft59n.htm >
Former Canadian Airline Pilots website at < http://www.formercanadianpilots.ca/> ith links to major court and CIRB decisions.
---------
REVIEW OF ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CALLS FOR MORE CONSULTATION: On October 13, outgoing Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Keith Norton tabled the Consultation Report from a review of Ontarios human rights system. The review, begun in August 2005, was intended to clarify the principles and issues to be considered in any reform of the system, and consisted of 3 focus groups and 56 submissions made in response to a government questionnaire and discussion paper. Strengthening Ontarios human rights system: what we heard states that there was general convergence around 13 principles of an effective human rights system, but there was relatively little consensus on how these principles and elements could best be achieved. The report calls for further consultation on a number of key issues for future reform, including independence, adequate resources, accessibility, systemic approaches, and timely resolution of complaints.
It will likely fall to Barbara Hall, former mayor of Toronto, to carry forward any further consultation. Ms. Hall was nominated as the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission on October 31; her appointment awaits review and approval by Ontarios Standing Committee on Government Agencies.
LINKS:
Strengthening Ontarios human rights system: what we heard Consultation Report (75 pages, PDF) at <or" eudora="autourl"> http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/human-rights-review-report.pdf>or in HTML at
< http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/human-rights-review-report.shtml >
Attorney General nominates former mayor of Toronto as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (October 31, 2005) at < http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051031-ohrcch.asp >
----------
96% OF DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS IN DEFICIT ACCORDING TO CGA : The State of Defined Pension Plans in Canada: an Update released by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada on November 8 reports that the percentage of Canadian defined benefit pension programs in deficit has grown to 96% in 2004, from from 95% in 2003. It estimates that the additional funding required to fully fund deficit plans has grown from $160 billion to $190 billion between 2003 and 2004. Together with an earlier CGA report, Addressing the Pensions Dilemma in Canada, this update provides an overview of the issues and trends of DB pensions plans, and outlines the predicted risks and the proposed actions for transformation.
LINKS:
The State of Defined Pension Plans in Canada: an Update (November 2005) (48 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cga-online.org/servlet/portal/serve/Library/Advocacy+and+Research/CGA-Canada+Key+Areas+of+Interest/Pensions/ca_pensions_report_update2005_e.pdf >
Addressing the pensions dilemma in Canada (June 2004) (69 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cga-online.org/servlet/portal/serve/Library/Advocacy+and+Research/CGA-Canada+Key+Areas+of+Interest/Pensions/ca_pensions_report.pdf >
----------
CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE FUTURE, SEE TRAINING AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR: Of the 942 companies across Canada participating in the 2005 Management Issues Survey by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association, only 32% reported an improvement in overall business conditions in 2005, and more than 75% expect employment and investment to decline or remain the same in 2006. A series of questions on skills and human resources (pages 26 to 28) reveal the respondents views on trends in training budgets, skills shortages, and the effectiveness of external and internal training and education programs. Problem-solving skills were the least satisfactory skill set among current employees, and the most frequently cited skill in need of improvement in primary and secondary education. Other skills ranked as least satisfactory among current employees: teamwork, supervisory and management skills, and basic employability skills such as timeliness, work ethic and personal responsibility. More than half of employers spend more than 3% of payroll on informal skills training; more than one third spend 3% or more on formal training programs.
LINKS:
CME 2005 Management Issues Survey (30 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cme-mec.ca/pdf/SURVEY FINAL.pdf>
----------
WHERE HR NEEDS TO GO: Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in conjunction with Harvard Business School Publishing recently conducted a series of roundtable discussions with 65 senior human resource executives in the United States. The executives, from large multinational firms, discussed the issues that are facing them and what they anticipate in the future. Their comments, summarized in Tempered by Fire: Were HR Is. Where It Needs to Go, focus on the need to manage the HR function efficiently while paying attention to three more strategic roles: talent management, change management, and HR metrics.
LINK:
Tempered by Fire: Were HR Is. Where It Needs to Go (20 pages, PDF) from a link at the Mercer website at < http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1199965;jsessionid=4IH5N4ATJ1HCACTGOUGCHPQKMZ0QYI2C >
----------
HOW WE PAY PROFESSORS: The C.D. Howe Institute has recently published a study entitled How We Pay Professors and Why It Matters by Professor John Chant. The study concludes that universities that pay professors based on merit as opposed to seniority perform better: they attract better students, obtain more research funding and produce more widely cited research.
LINK:
How We Pay Professors and Why It Matters (32 pages, PDF) at the C.D. Howe website at < http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/commentary_221.pdf>
----------
CANADAS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE LOWEST IN THREE DECADES: According to the Labour Force Survey for October released by Statistics Canada on November 4, Canadas unemployment rate now stands at 6.6%, the lowest since 1975. Employment growth came mostly from part time work. Youth employment rose by 32,000 in October, all in part time jobs, bringing the youth unemployment rate down by 0.6 percentage points to 12.1% in October.
LINKS:
Labour Force Survey October 2005 at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Labour/LFS/lfs-en.htm>
Canadian Employment surge tightens labour market at the CIBC World Markets website (2 pages, PDF) at < http://research.cibcwm.com/economic_public/download/labourc.pdf >
Canadian job machine shifts into overdrive at the TD Bank Financial Group website at < http://www.td.com/economics/comment/cg110405.jsp>
----------
AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS REFORM: Arguing that Australias six different workplace relations systems are too complex and are bad for business, the Australian government announced major reforms in early October, and on November 2, introduced the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005. According to the government, the legislative changes will create a single, national industrial relations system based principally on the corporations power of the constitution and will cover up to 85 % of workers. The Australian Fair Pay Commission will be established to set minimum wages; The Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard will provide guaranteed legislated minimum terms and conditions for all employees on awards and new agreements. The initiative also makes changes related to work life standards, including parental leave, holidays and overtime.
LINKS:
Workchoices website, including press releases, official statements and speeches, and the text of the Bill at < https://www.workchoices.gov.au/ourplan/>
The Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005 (691 pages, PDF) at < https://www.workchoices.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/BE7CFBA5-50EE-4DD1-A395-9E93B2FA0A39/0/wrawcbill2005.pdf >
---------
SURVEYS OF EUROPEAN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE: The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has recently released three studies based on the first European quality of life survey. The three reports are entitled: Families, Work and Social Networks; Income Inequalities and Deprivation, and Life Satisfaction, Happiness and Sense of Belonging.
LINKS:
The three studies are available on the Foundations website: < http://www.eurofound.ie/>
----------
Book of the Week: Designing a Not-for-Profit Compensation System, by Joann Senger.
Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, 2005. 198 p. ISBN 047165776X
This book provides a step-by-step plan to design and manage a compensation system for not-for-profit organizations
Compensation systems in the not-for-profit sector can be complex. Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System addresses the following issues:
* Defines various types of not-for-profit and public organizations
* Identifies current types of compensation structures
* Identifies organizational characteristics influencing the usefulness of each structure, including the organization's budgeting and accounting processes and timetables
* Covers maintenance for all compensation structures and the interaction among organizational units
* Details the usefulness of each compensation structure, including midpoint calculations, rate adjustments, variable pay, and market surveys
About the Author:
JOANN SENGER is founder and President of Senger Services, a consulting firm offering services to not-for-profit organizations.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).
Weekly Work Report for the Week of November 7, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
TORONTO POLICE REACH AGREEMENT: On November 8th the Toronto Police Association and the City of Toronto reached an agreement in their contract dispute. A ratification vote will be held this week, at which time details will be made public. The police had been without a contract since December 2004 and have been engaged in job actions for the past several weeks. On Nov. 2, more than 1,500 officers participated in a demonstration at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Torontos City Hall, with an estimated 150 officers wearing police uniforms and guns in defiance of the Police Chiefs order.
LINKS:
Deal reached in police dispute in the Toronto Star (November 8) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1131447754816&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 >
Law and disorder in the Toronto Star (Nov. 6) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1131230997487 >
----------
SECOND TELUS AGREEMENT GOES TO RATIFICATION: On November 6th, a second tentative agreement was reached between Telus Corporation and the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU). A previous agreement reached on October 9th was rejected by only 50.3 % of the 9,027 votes cast on October 30. As with the previous agreement, the union is recommending acceptance, but the results wont be known until November 16, when the mail-in balloting is complete.
LINKS:
Second tentative agreement reached at Telus in the Globe and Mail (Nov. 8) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051108.gtrtelus08/BNStory/Technology/?query=telus >
TWU website: < http://www.twu-canada.ca/home.shtml> including a summary of amendments to the October tentative agreement at < http://www.twu-canada.ca/cgi-bin/news/fullnews.cgi?newsid1131350400,49753 >
Telus press release at the Telus website at < http://about.telus.com/media_centre/labour/>
----------
CAW TAKES A POSITION ON THE FALCONBRIDGE INCO MERGER: On November 4, the Canadian Auto Workers union released a statement supporting the proposed merger of Canadas mining giants, Inco and Falconbridge on the condition that the companies negotiate a mutually acceptable merger plan with affected unions, communities, and other stakeholders. The proposed merger, announced on October 11, will create the worlds biggest nickel company and the worlds fifth biggest copper producer and will employ approximately 25,000 people worldwide.
The CAW statement, Two Sides of the Coin: The Opportunities, and Risks, of Creating the Worlds Largest Nickel Producer, outlines an 8-point process to guide the merger and calls for a moratorium on facility closures or layoffs until a merger plan is mutually negotiated between the two companies, their unions, and other affected stakeholders; clear targets for Canadian re-investments and supply purchases by the merged company; downsizing through attrition only; and the full recognition of existing pension and post-retirement benefit commitments by the merged company.
The CAW represents almost 2,000 members at Falconbridge operations in Sudbury and Timmins. The United Steelworkers (USW) hasn't set conditions for endorsing Inco's takeover bid; it represents 4,750 Inco employees and 2,800 workers at Falconbridge.
LINKS:
CAW press release at < http://www.caw.ca/news/newsnow/news.asp?artID=954>
Two Sides of the Coin: The Opportunities, and Risks, of Creating the Worlds Largest Nickel Producer (6 pages, PDF) at the CAW website at < http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/bargaining/bycompany/falconbridge/CAWJointStatementIncoFalconbridge.pdf >
Inco in mega deal to take over Falconbridge, creating biggest nickel firm (Oct. 11 2005) at the Yahoo Canada news site at < http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20051011/ca_pr_on_bu/inco_falconbridge >
----------
AIR CANADA PILOTS DISPUTE NEW TEPLITSKY MEDIATION AWARD: A recent decision by mediator Martin Teplitsky upheld the tentative agreement reached by the Air Canada Pilots' Association (ACPA) and Air Canada in June 2005, prompting Air Canada to announce on November 1 that it will re-open its negotiations to buy new fuel efficient planes from Boeing.
The former Canadian Airlines pilots had refused to participate in the mediation process, and on November 3rd they filed a complaint with the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), alleging that the ACPA and Air Canada were not entitled to retain Teplitsky as a mediator. The former Canadian Airline pilots argue that the Teplitsky award has the potential to change the current seniority list arrived at in June 2003 through the Keller award, and that the ACPA and Air Canada have failed to honour signed agreements, and refused to accept decisions of arbitrators, the CIRB, and the courts. This long-running seniority battle has been underway since the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Air Lines in 2000.
LINKS:
Air Canada says arbitrator clears way for new Boeing talks at CBC website at < http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2005/11/01/aircan-051101.html >
Air Canada Pilots Association at < https://secure.acpa.ca/press_news/2005/pressseniorityaircraft59n.htm >
Former Canadian Airline Pilots website at < http://www.formercanadianpilots.ca/> ith links to major court and CIRB decisions.
---------
REVIEW OF ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CALLS FOR MORE CONSULTATION: On October 13, outgoing Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Keith Norton tabled the Consultation Report from a review of Ontarios human rights system. The review, begun in August 2005, was intended to clarify the principles and issues to be considered in any reform of the system, and consisted of 3 focus groups and 56 submissions made in response to a government questionnaire and discussion paper. Strengthening Ontarios human rights system: what we heard states that there was general convergence around 13 principles of an effective human rights system, but there was relatively little consensus on how these principles and elements could best be achieved. The report calls for further consultation on a number of key issues for future reform, including independence, adequate resources, accessibility, systemic approaches, and timely resolution of complaints.
It will likely fall to Barbara Hall, former mayor of Toronto, to carry forward any further consultation. Ms. Hall was nominated as the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission on October 31; her appointment awaits review and approval by Ontarios Standing Committee on Government Agencies.
LINKS:
Strengthening Ontarios human rights system: what we heard Consultation Report (75 pages, PDF) at <or" eudora="autourl"> http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/human-rights-review-report.pdf>or in HTML at
< http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/human-rights-review-report.shtml >
Attorney General nominates former mayor of Toronto as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (October 31, 2005) at < http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051031-ohrcch.asp >
----------
96% OF DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS IN DEFICIT ACCORDING TO CGA : The State of Defined Pension Plans in Canada: an Update released by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada on November 8 reports that the percentage of Canadian defined benefit pension programs in deficit has grown to 96% in 2004, from from 95% in 2003. It estimates that the additional funding required to fully fund deficit plans has grown from $160 billion to $190 billion between 2003 and 2004. Together with an earlier CGA report, Addressing the Pensions Dilemma in Canada, this update provides an overview of the issues and trends of DB pensions plans, and outlines the predicted risks and the proposed actions for transformation.
LINKS:
The State of Defined Pension Plans in Canada: an Update (November 2005) (48 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cga-online.org/servlet/portal/serve/Library/Advocacy+and+Research/CGA-Canada+Key+Areas+of+Interest/Pensions/ca_pensions_report_update2005_e.pdf >
Addressing the pensions dilemma in Canada (June 2004) (69 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cga-online.org/servlet/portal/serve/Library/Advocacy+and+Research/CGA-Canada+Key+Areas+of+Interest/Pensions/ca_pensions_report.pdf >
----------
CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE FUTURE, SEE TRAINING AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR: Of the 942 companies across Canada participating in the 2005 Management Issues Survey by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association, only 32% reported an improvement in overall business conditions in 2005, and more than 75% expect employment and investment to decline or remain the same in 2006. A series of questions on skills and human resources (pages 26 to 28) reveal the respondents views on trends in training budgets, skills shortages, and the effectiveness of external and internal training and education programs. Problem-solving skills were the least satisfactory skill set among current employees, and the most frequently cited skill in need of improvement in primary and secondary education. Other skills ranked as least satisfactory among current employees: teamwork, supervisory and management skills, and basic employability skills such as timeliness, work ethic and personal responsibility. More than half of employers spend more than 3% of payroll on informal skills training; more than one third spend 3% or more on formal training programs.
LINKS:
CME 2005 Management Issues Survey (30 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cme-mec.ca/pdf/SURVEY FINAL.pdf>
----------
WHERE HR NEEDS TO GO: Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in conjunction with Harvard Business School Publishing recently conducted a series of roundtable discussions with 65 senior human resource executives in the United States. The executives, from large multinational firms, discussed the issues that are facing them and what they anticipate in the future. Their comments, summarized in Tempered by Fire: Were HR Is. Where It Needs to Go, focus on the need to manage the HR function efficiently while paying attention to three more strategic roles: talent management, change management, and HR metrics.
LINK:
Tempered by Fire: Were HR Is. Where It Needs to Go (20 pages, PDF) from a link at the Mercer website at < http://www.mercerhr.com/knowledgecenter/reportsummary.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1199965;jsessionid=4IH5N4ATJ1HCACTGOUGCHPQKMZ0QYI2C >
----------
HOW WE PAY PROFESSORS: The C.D. Howe Institute has recently published a study entitled How We Pay Professors and Why It Matters by Professor John Chant. The study concludes that universities that pay professors based on merit as opposed to seniority perform better: they attract better students, obtain more research funding and produce more widely cited research.
LINK:
How We Pay Professors and Why It Matters (32 pages, PDF) at the C.D. Howe website at < http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/commentary_221.pdf>
----------
CANADAS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE LOWEST IN THREE DECADES: According to the Labour Force Survey for October released by Statistics Canada on November 4, Canadas unemployment rate now stands at 6.6%, the lowest since 1975. Employment growth came mostly from part time work. Youth employment rose by 32,000 in October, all in part time jobs, bringing the youth unemployment rate down by 0.6 percentage points to 12.1% in October.
LINKS:
Labour Force Survey October 2005 at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Labour/LFS/lfs-en.htm>
Canadian Employment surge tightens labour market at the CIBC World Markets website (2 pages, PDF) at < http://research.cibcwm.com/economic_public/download/labourc.pdf >
Canadian job machine shifts into overdrive at the TD Bank Financial Group website at < http://www.td.com/economics/comment/cg110405.jsp>
----------
AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS REFORM: Arguing that Australias six different workplace relations systems are too complex and are bad for business, the Australian government announced major reforms in early October, and on November 2, introduced the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005. According to the government, the legislative changes will create a single, national industrial relations system based principally on the corporations power of the constitution and will cover up to 85 % of workers. The Australian Fair Pay Commission will be established to set minimum wages; The Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard will provide guaranteed legislated minimum terms and conditions for all employees on awards and new agreements. The initiative also makes changes related to work life standards, including parental leave, holidays and overtime.
LINKS:
Workchoices website, including press releases, official statements and speeches, and the text of the Bill at < https://www.workchoices.gov.au/ourplan/>
The Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005 (691 pages, PDF) at < https://www.workchoices.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/BE7CFBA5-50EE-4DD1-A395-9E93B2FA0A39/0/wrawcbill2005.pdf >
---------
SURVEYS OF EUROPEAN QUALITY OF WORK LIFE: The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has recently released three studies based on the first European quality of life survey. The three reports are entitled: Families, Work and Social Networks; Income Inequalities and Deprivation, and Life Satisfaction, Happiness and Sense of Belonging.
LINKS:
The three studies are available on the Foundations website: < http://www.eurofound.ie/>
----------
Book of the Week: Designing a Not-for-Profit Compensation System, by Joann Senger.
Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, 2005. 198 p. ISBN 047165776X
This book provides a step-by-step plan to design and manage a compensation system for not-for-profit organizations
Compensation systems in the not-for-profit sector can be complex. Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System addresses the following issues:
* Defines various types of not-for-profit and public organizations
* Identifies current types of compensation structures
* Identifies organizational characteristics influencing the usefulness of each structure, including the organization's budgeting and accounting processes and timetables
* Covers maintenance for all compensation structures and the interaction among organizational units
* Details the usefulness of each compensation structure, including midpoint calculations, rate adjustments, variable pay, and market surveys
About the Author:
JOANN SENGER is founder and President of Senger Services, a consulting firm offering services to not-for-profit organizations.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
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