This study begins with a review of economic and industrial relations literature to identify changes to the workplace that will make industry more productive and competitive. It identifies the measures necessary for industry to take advantage of technological development and to make the workplace more flexible. Specifically it focuses on variable or flexible compensation plans. After identifying the key features of various forms of flexible compensation, it examines approximately 30 plans being used in British Columbia. The case studies assist in identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each type of plan, from the perspectives of the employer, the employees and the trade union. Finally it suggests steps that can be taken by government to encourage variable compensation. / Law, Peter A. Allard School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to explore, analyze and attempt to answer a series of questions involving changes in the negotiated base wage rates in three British Columbia Industries during the 1958-1969 time period. The three industries were the lumber and logging industry, the pulp and paper industry and the construction industry. Changes in the industry base wage rates were examined from the point of view of the bargaining units. In total seven bargaining units were included. One of the units represented the lumber and logging industry, another unit represented the pulp and paper industry and the remaining five units represented the construction industry. The first question upon which the paper focused was how did the changes in the base wage rates compare with one another? After explaining the nature of the bargaining units and presenting the base rates, the base rates were then compared in both absolute and percentage terms. Among other results, it was found that the absolute base rate rankings remained unchanged during the 1958-1966 time period. But since that time the rankings and the relative positions of the construction industry bargaining units have changed quite markedly. It was also found that there was a positive correlation between the mean percentage increase in the base rate and the standard deviation of the base rates when all the industries were considered. The second question of concern was how did the changes in the base wage rates move in relation to one another? The statistical tool of correlation analysis was employed to find an answer to this question. The results of the analysis substantiated the often made assumption that the base rates in the lumber and logging and the pulp and paper bargaining units are closely related to one another. However the often made assumption that the base rates in the construction industry bargaining units are very closely related was not substantiated by the results of the correlation analysis. The third question the paper focused on was how did the changes in the base wage rates move in relation to changes in select economic variables? The economic variables studied were the consumer price index, employment, unemployment, profits and productivity. As in the previous question, correlation analysis was employed to measure the relationships. In general the results of the analysis indicated that base rate changes move in close relation to changes in unemployment. The lumber and logging and the pulp and paper units correlated well with the equivalent year changes in unemployment. The construction industry units, on the other hand, correlated well with the one year lag changes in the unemployment variable. The results also indicated that the consumer price index variable correlated quite closely with most of the bargaining units. The other economic variables, in the majority of cases, showed weak or nonexistent relationships with base rate changes. The final question upon which the paper focused was what was the explanation for the differences in the interindustry base wage rate changes? Five explanatory variables were considered. These were market or competitive conditions, productivity differences, differences in the degree of concentration and unionization and differences in the proportion of labour costs to total costs. After a discussion of each of these explanatory variables it was concluded that the market or competitive conditions explain the differences in the interindustry base wage rate changes. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

This thesis is an attempt to combine two opposing arguments which have appeared in the literature of labour economics for nearly 25 years. The analysis deals with the formulation of a collective bargaining model which yields some insight into the wage-determining process. The economic criteria for a wage settlement proposed by J. T. Dunlop in his book, Wage Determination Under Trade Unions, are combined with the 'political' or 'power' variables which A. M. Ross had advocated as the most important determinants of wages in his book, Trade Union Wage Policy. The result is an analysis very similar to that of recent bargaining theory studies. Six industries from the British Columbia economy are examined within the concept of the model developed. These industries produce a major part of the output of this region. The examination of these industries, therefore, provides a key to the comprehension of the general trends and forces at work in the British Columbia labour market. The model attempts to discover the variables most significant in explaining the movement of wages in each industry from 1948 to 1968. The variables examined represent a combination of the economic and political forces which are hypothesized to act upon the wage determination process. In addition, the thesis examines those industries in the-context of a general wage structure. It is hypothesized that the existence of such a structure plays a large role in the wage determining process and has a significant influence upon trends in the economic activity of the province. The end result will be an explanation of the single and collective wage movements of these six industries. The findings generally support the theoretical hypothesis that the wage determining process is subject to both political and economic forces. Economic variables are able to confine wage settlements within a range. The size of this range also depends upon economic forces. Within the range, however, bargaining may involve a multiplicity of criteria. Both the union and the firm will often choose some easily observable criteria upon which to base wage settlements. This study attempts to determine the main criteria chosen within each industry. The conclusions reached show that wage comparisons made among industries by both workers and employers are able to explain the largest part of wage movements. A bargaining theory model is supported and ample evidence of a wage structure which plays an important role in the wage determining process is found. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

This thesis attempts to analyse the influences of changes in demand for British Columbia's mining labour upon the wage rates and employment of British Columbia's mining industry. The competitive elements of British Columbia's mining industry suggests that changes of wage rates and employment will be sharply affected by changes of metal prices. The theoretical effects of a change of metal prices indicate that the industry's output varies in the same direction as metal price changes. Furthermore, it is expected that employment will vary directly with output changes. Therefore, the number of labourers employed should vary directly with metal price changes. The trends of employment of British Columbia's mining labour and metal prices are studied to evaluate these theoretical expectancies. As an element of demand for British Columbia mining labour, the level of metal prices is expected to influence wage rates of British Columbia's mining labour. Wage rates have increased in every year of the twelve year period but one, while metal prices have fluctuated over the period. These phenomena provide questions for further analysis. The second major topic of the thesis is concerned with influences of changes of productivity of British Columbia's mining labour upon wage rates and employment. The first task is to describe concepts of productivity of mining labour and then to determine the meaning of a productivity index. Following this, the meaning of a change in the productivity index must be described as the productivity of mining labour has varied considerably over the twelve year period. The trends of the differentials of employment and the differentials of labour's productivity suggest that an inverse relationship exists between these variables. This relationship is evaluated and its similarity to a theoretical average product curve is described. However, the relationship between the trends of wage rates and mining labour's productivity provides little evidence of any association of these variables. It is suggested that if the changes of mining labour's productivity have influenced wage rates, then this influence has been hidden by other factors of wage determination. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate