Industrial Relations (IDRL) 309

Overview

Industrial Relations 309/Legal Studies 310: Human Rights, the Charter and Labour Relations examines the discourse and operation of human rights in Canada. We begin from the premise that the "human" rights codified in constitutional documents, statutory and case law, and international agreements reflect the particular political and economic system from which they have emerged. In this way, the balance of power between labour and capital (as well as between men and women) has shaped what rights we recognize as "human rights".

Our focus on employment relationships reflects that almost everyone has experienced employment and thus it is a useful window into the specific political and economic context within which human rights exist. Similarly, the most accessible interaction between human rights and employment is in litigation about the application of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For this reason, we will spend a significant amount of time examining this repository of human rights and how it impacts both employment legislation as well as the legislative and administrative actions of government.

Outline

• Unit 1: Capitalism, Employment, and Political Economy
• Unit 2: Human Rights: Origins and Contradictions
• Unit 3: Human Rights and The Charter
• Unit 4: Worker Rights or Human Rights?

Evaluation

To receive credit for IDRL 309, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the IDRL 309 challenge registration, you must achieve an overall grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on a 3000-word essay.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form