Hiring hall
Encyclopedia
In organized labor, a hiring hall is an organization, usually under the auspices of a labor union
, which has the responsibility of furnishing new recruits for employers who have a collective bargaining
agreement with the union.
The employer's use of the hiring hall may be voluntary or it may be compulsory as per the terms of the employer's contract with the union (or, in a few cases, the labor laws of the jurisdiction in question). Compulsory use of a hiring hall effectively turns the employer into a closed shop
because an employee must join the union before (s)he can be hired. Since closed shops are illegal in the United States
, all hiring halls in that country presumably operate on a voluntary basis. By contrast, the prevalence of compulsory hiring hall arrangements in Canada
varies from trade to trade and from province
to province, since labor law there is under provincial jurisdiction. The situation in Europe
also varies from country to country.
The presence of a hiring hall places the responsibility on the union to ensure that its members are suitably qualified and responsible individuals before assigning them to an employer. The union will often enforce a basic code of conduct amongst its members to ensure smooth operation of the hiring hall (to prevent members from double booking, for example). If a hiring hall is reputable, the relationship between the union and the employer can be relatively harmonious. Many employers, particularly those who require skilled tradespeople, prefer to voluntarily use the services of a reputable hiring hall rather than attempt to find qualified, responsible recruits on their own.
Hiring halls are generally most prevalent in skilled trades and where employers need to find qualified recruits on short notice.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, which has the responsibility of furnishing new recruits for employers who have a collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreement with the union.
The employer's use of the hiring hall may be voluntary or it may be compulsory as per the terms of the employer's contract with the union (or, in a few cases, the labor laws of the jurisdiction in question). Compulsory use of a hiring hall effectively turns the employer into a closed shop
Closed shop
A closed shop is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed....
because an employee must join the union before (s)he can be hired. Since closed shops are illegal in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, all hiring halls in that country presumably operate on a voluntary basis. By contrast, the prevalence of compulsory hiring hall arrangements in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
varies from trade to trade and from province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
to province, since labor law there is under provincial jurisdiction. The situation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
also varies from country to country.
The presence of a hiring hall places the responsibility on the union to ensure that its members are suitably qualified and responsible individuals before assigning them to an employer. The union will often enforce a basic code of conduct amongst its members to ensure smooth operation of the hiring hall (to prevent members from double booking, for example). If a hiring hall is reputable, the relationship between the union and the employer can be relatively harmonious. Many employers, particularly those who require skilled tradespeople, prefer to voluntarily use the services of a reputable hiring hall rather than attempt to find qualified, responsible recruits on their own.
Hiring halls are generally most prevalent in skilled trades and where employers need to find qualified recruits on short notice.