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The purpose of this book is to satisfy the need for a collection of "authentic Canadian cases" in labor relations. While focusing primarily on the negotiation and administration of collective agreements, the author deals with broader issues such as certification and management cooperation. Case materials are almost exclusively drawn from labor board proceedings, conciliation reports, arbitration hearings, and, to a lesser extent, Jain's own interviews with labor, management, and government officials. Herein lies a major problem: the overreliance on secondary sources deprives the reader of sufficient detail and precludes presenting a variety of perspectives on the issues involved in the cases. In addition, the book suffers from poor organization and inconsistencies in the qualitative analysis of the subject matter. The volume, nevertheless, does provide the flavor of the Canadian industrial relations system. In his introduction to the first section, which deals with establishment of the bargaining relationship, the author emphasizes the importance of establishing the bargaining unit. It is surprising, therefore, to find that none of the three cases presented have anything to do with determining bargaining units. Indeed, two of the cases have nothing to do with determining bargaining rights; the first involves a decertification election (there is no evidence of union rivalry), and the second concerns the legality of a strike prior to the completion of the conciliation process. On the whole, this section is poorly conceived and organized and fails to present a coherent picture of the certification process and the legal framework governing the right to organize. From this inauspicious beginning, the author partially recovers in the sections on negotiations and contract administration; these sections form the core of the book. The cases clearly illustrate the interventionist role of government in the collective bargaining process, particularly through compulsory conciliation. Perhaps the best case involves Irving Refinery Limited and the OCAW. Here the reader is treated to an intriguing chronicle of a lengthy strike (six months) involving New Brunswick's major industrial magnate, K. C. Irving; the case graphically describes this confrontation in the sociocultural context of one of Canada's "economically deprived" provinces. Despite the value of these cases, the scope of the material on negotiations is incomplete in two respects. In the first instance, it fails to capture adequately the dynamics of the bargaining process (e.g., the tactics and strategies of negotiations) and to analyze what factors are most influential in formulating and maintaining the positions each party has taken at the bargaining table. Secondly, none of the cases deals with the public sector, an omission of significance given the thrust in union growth and the uniqueness of bargaining in this sector. The section on contract administration covers most major areas, including seniority, management rights, and union security (one important subject omitted, however, is discipline and discharge) . Again, the quality of cases varies; often they are dull and appear as a compiliation of facts lacking any sense of "intimacy." Other problems are also readily evident. The author seems to feel that more space should be devoted to issues such as ethnic differences than issues such as seniority. In addition. very little attention is paid to the resolution of disputes at various levels in the grievance procedure. This approach tends to minimize the decision-mak-

Canadian Cases in Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining, by Hem C. Jain, Don Mills (Ontario), Longman Canada Limited, 1973, 211 pp.