In Toronto, in April 1975, three Canadians and one American each presented a paper at a conference on what has become the key issue in current industrial relations – collective bargaining in the essential and public service sectors.

This book presents those papers along with transcripts of the substantial and lively discussions that followed each one and involved many of the leading Canadian figures in this field. The status of government employees is one of the most prominent of the issues discussed.

The speakers, Ben Aaron, University of California, Jean Boivin, Université Laval, James Matkin, Government of British Columbia, and Paul Phillips, University of Manitoba, deal with the causes of unrest in the essential and service sectors of the economy, the interrelationship of market and political forces, the results of various forms of government intervention, and also with international comparison of procedures for dispute settlement.

There was a considerable diversity of opinion expressed, yet there emerged from the discussions a sense of agreement as to which policies should be followed and those that definitely should not. The debate on collective bargaining in the essential and public sectors is current in legislatures and elsewhere. This work will be helpful in advancing that debate and in encouraging the adoption of measures conducive to social harmony. It will interest students of industrial relations, all those involved in public and essential service negotiations and legislation, and members of the general public affected by the disputes and interested in their resolution.

The conference was organized by David Beatty and chaired by John Crispoo, and the papers edited by Morley Gunderson, all of the University of Toronto.