Employer Resistance to Union Certification: A Study of Canadian Jurisdictions

This study investigates the prevalence and impacts of employer resistance to union certification applications in 8 Canadian jurisdictions. Employer resistance was found to be the norm, with 80% of employers overtly and actively opposing union certification applications. Analysis demonstrated that employer opposition to union certification can impact upon both initial certification outcomes and on the probability the parties will establish and sustain a collective bargaining relationship. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that focusing only on the probability of certification success seriously underestimates the impact of employer opposition.