IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations (Rev. C1)

IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations is an introduction to the economic, legal, political, and social aspects of union-management relations, and serves as a foundation for other IDRL courses. Specifically, it looks at contemporary issues in labour relations and examines union organization and structure, labour legislation, and how collective agreements are negotiated and administered. It does so within the context of exploring the nature of employment and the key theoretical perspectives that inform the study of labour relations.

IDRL 308: Occupational Health and Safety (Rev. C6)

Industrial Relations 308: Occupational Health and Safety is a three-credit, senior-level course that examines issues of worker health and safety (and life and death) within their political and economic contexts and in the workplace. Over the past three decades, the field of occupational health and safety has grown and developed, and an extensive amount scientific and technical knowledge on the subject has accumulated. Nevertheless, conflicts among practitioners and scholars, on even the most basic questions, still persist. These disagreements are driven by inherent differences in interest and power between workers and employers (or labour and capital, if you will), which together form the conditions of industrial relations. Scientific arguments often disguise the real debate, which concerns the value attached to preserving the life and health of workers in the workplace. Occupational health and safety cannot be examined without also considering the power dynamics that operate both within and around the job.

IDRL 309/LGST 310: Human Rights, the Charter, and Labour Relations (Rev. C2)

Industrial Relations 309/ Legal Studies 310: Human Rights, the Charter and Labour Relations examines the discourse and operation of human rights in Canada. Although our focus in this course is predominantly on “what is” (i.e., how human rights presently operate), we will also consider what “could be” through reference to natural law theory and proposals for minority unionism.

IDRL 316: The Practice of Labour Relations (Rev. C1)

Industrial Relations 316: The Practice of Labour Relations is a three-credit, senior-level course that builds upon the foundations introduced in IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations and examines the topics of bargaining and arbitration in greater detail. It looks at both the formal rules and procedures involved in these processes as well as the informal dynamics that arise. It aims to provide a solid grounding in these two rather technical areas of labour relations. It provides insight into the practice of bargaining and arbitration by offering tips on how to navigate the processes. The course also examines how bargaining and arbitration fit into the broader context of labour relations and conflict between workers and employers.

IDRL 316: The Practice of Labour Relations (Rev. C1_CHA)

Industrial Relations 316: The Practice of Labour Relations is a three-credit, senior-level course that builds upon the foundations introduced in IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations and examines the topics of bargaining and arbitration in greater detail.

IDRL 320: The Law of Work (Rev. C7)

IDRL 320 examines the legal frameworks related to work and employment in Canada. It covers all aspects of work law in an integrated and accessible fashion, including common law, employment law affecting all workplaces, and labour law addressing unionized workplaces. 

IDRL 496: Comparative Labour Education (Rev. C3)

Welcome to IDRL 496: Comparative Labour Education, a three-credit, senior-level course about learning in, and for, the labour movement. It showcases the efforts that unions and other organizations have made to educate workers about their role in society and about the opportunities they have had to improve their working conditions and lives through collective action throughout the 20th century.