BUEC 280
Summer 1999
D. Maki
Final Examination

Instructions:  There are 18 questions on this examination,
all equally weighted.  Answer all questions.  For each
question, define the concept(s) underlined, and answer the
question asked.

1.  Why is it sometimes claimed that interest arbitration
does not work well?  Why is it more used in the public
sector than in the private sector?

2.  Explain how the distinction between craft unions and
industrial unions led to problems in the historical
development of trade unions in Canada.

3.  If the union is a wage maximizer, will efficient
bargains all occur on the demand curve?  Explain.

4.  Explain what the main terms are in implicit contracts.
Would it be expected that enforcement of implicit contracts
would differ between union and non-union settings?  Explain.

5.  Explain how wage discrimination against women could
result if male workers are unionized but female workers are
not.  Would it be expected that this form of discrimination
would eventually disappear?  Explain.

6.  Explain why equal pay legislation is easier to enforce
than pay equity legislation.

7.  Statistics Canada's Low Income Cut-offs as of a point in
time vary for different people based on two characteristics.
What are these characteristics, and how do they affect the
LICO?

8.  What is the difference in the incentive effects of a
negative income tax as opposed to welfare?

9.  If Statistics Canada were to publish only one measure of
unemployment, which do you think it should be?  Explain and
justify your choice.

10.  With regard to the earnings of immigrants versus the
native born, what are the entry effect, assimilation effect
and cohort effect?

11.  Discuss the dynamics of unemployment, including
incidence versus duration, and by reason for becoming
unemployed.

12.  In the labour dispute involving workers at Coca-Cola in
Vancouver, what was the main issue?  What tactics were used
by the union?  What tactics were used by management?
Explain.

13.  Discuss the ways in which unemployment insurance might
affect the rate of unemployment.  What is the impact of
moral hazard and experience rating on this?

14.  What were the issues involved and the outcome of the
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919?  What impact did this event
have on syndicalism in Canada?

15.  Is there a reason why one would expect equilibrium job
vacancies to be equal to equilibrium unemployment?  Explain.
Does frictional unemployment depend on employer fussiness?
Again, explain.

16.  Give two reasons why customer discrimination might
exist.  Would competition be expected to eliminate this type
of discrimination?  Explain.

17.  What were the apparent effects of the reserve clause
system and the free agent system on the degree of
exploitation of baseball players?

18.  Explain how unions can affect productivity using the
exit-voice model, featherbedding, and through a shock
effect.  Does it matter for your answer whether productivity
is defined as output per worker versus total factor
productivity?  Explain.