Exam 12: Dealing With Union and Employeemanagement Issues

During an interview with Zytex company representative, Hillary was told that Zytex faces intense competition and management believes that the only way the company can survive is to have a nonunion workforce. Therefore, all workers Zytex hires must sign an employment contract stating that they agree not to join a union while they work for Zytex. This requirement by Zytex is illegal in the United States.

As the workforce of the U.S. ages, a greater percentage of workers will have to concern themselves with:

Samuel Gompers was the most important leader of the American Federation of Labor during its early years.

The growth and strength of organized labor has always depended on one thing: the state of the economy.

Today labor unions have seen a revitalization of support and union membership has increased significantly.

A yellow-dog contract required workers to agree not to join a union as a condition of their employment.

The "blue flu" refers to a situation in which union members (like firefighters) who are not allowed to strike refuse to work by calling in sick.

are workers a company hires to replace workers who are out on strike.

At one time, as a condition of employment, the employer could make the employee sign a statement prohibiting the worker from joining a union. This was called a(n):

In recent years federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid have greatly reduced the financial burden on families faced with caring for elderly adults.

Steven is part of a team of union members that is meeting with representatives of his company's management in an effort to negotiate a labor contract for the workers his union represents. Steven is participating in a process known as:

The presence of formal labor organizations in the United States dates back to the:

Mini-Case The workers at Endrun Corporation are not affiliated with a union. Until recently, the workers felt they were well paid and treated fairly by the company, so they had little interest in seeking union representation. However, worker morale at Endrun has declined steadily since the board of directors fired the old CEO last year and replaced him with Ty Runt, a no-nonsense, autocratic manager with a reputation for cutting costs. As soon as he took over, Ty fired other members of the old top management team and replaced them with people who shared his views. Together, the new management team made a series of moves that did not sit well with Endrun's workers. First, they announced changes in work procedures designed to speed up the production line. Many workers complained that the new methods cut corners and were unsafe, but management refused to listen. A few months after changing work methods, the company told workers that it was reducing their health benefits. This led to even greater worker unrest. Finally, just a few weeks ago, workers received word that the wages of all production line employees would be cut by 6 percent. Many employees felt this was the last straw, especially since the company's board of directors recently approved big salary increases and more lucrative stock option plans for Ty and his management team. A spokesperson for the board explained that the raises were justified because of the management team's "outstanding efforts to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve the company's profits." Several disgruntled employees, led by Ima Striker and Boyd Cotter, now believe it is time to obtain union representation. Top managers at the company have hinted that workers who actively participate in the union campaign may be among the first workers laid off if the company decides to downsize. Ima and Boyd are not intimidated by these management threats. "I wish we didn't have to do this," Ima recently told many of her fellow workers at the plant. "But someone has to stop Ty Runt and his team from ruining our jobs." -Ty Runt has always taken a hard line against unionization efforts. Two years ago, when workers at his previous company tried to obtain union representation, the company closed down the plant and refused to let employees work until they abandoned their efforts to form a union. This management tactic is called a(n):

A labor dispute between the AFL-CIO and Gainesville Brewery is into its eighth month. The AFL-CIO has called on its membership and the general public to refuse to purchase Gainesville products. The AFL-CIO is calling for a:

Union representatives currently prefer secret ballot voting because they do not want to intimidate employees into voting for a union by asking them to outwardly sign a card check in favor of unions.

Because of the need to cut costs, fewer large U.S. companies now provide some sort of child-care for their employees than ten years ago.

In its early years, the AFL (American Federation of Labor) limited its membership to skilled workers.

During the 1970s, the primary objective of most labor unions was to:

Today, a woman usually receives a salary that is equal to approximately 79% of her male counterpart.

The primary purpose of collective bargaining is to: