Exam 15: Working With Organized Labor

Union membership is increasing in the public sector while declining among private employers.

A company's overall plan for dealing with labor relations is its ________.

________ is bargaining that focuses on convincing the other party that the benefits of agreeing with the proposed terms would be very high.

In Japan, workers at large corporations are represented by:

Which of the following is NOT a mandatory bargaining topic?

What is the first step in the union grievance procedure?

Approximately ________ of union grievances reach the arbitration stage.

Once a union gains the right to hold an election, management and the union are restricted in the actions they can take. However, management is permitted to:

Additional Case 15.4 Demetry is the president of a candle manufacturing company. He has heard that employees are considering trying to unionize. He is concerned about this and calls a meeting of upper-level managers and the HR department. Demetry wants to know what can be done in order to discourage a union. He is also concerned about the steps employees will take in unionizing. Demetry knows relatively little about unions. He started the company in his workshop for fun, and it grew into a business that he feels he can no longer control. Kaia, a production manager, strongly believes that the employees will manage to unionize and wants to identify areas where the company would be able to give-and-take during the bargaining. She suggests that the company discuss benefits for retired union workers. Karsten, an HR employee, also believes that the union will take hold. He suggests that Demetry not fight unionization and not coerce employees out of their support for the union. Karsten claims that showing such restraint may lead to a more harmonious and cooperative relationship between management and the union. -Refer to Additional Case 15.4. Karsten most likely believes in a strategy of:

The ________ is a federal law designed to limit some of the power acquired by unions under the Wagner Act by adjusting the regulation on labor-management relations to ensure a level playing field for both parties.

In a unionized company, managers would most likely need to:

In nonunionized firms:

In order for a company to hold a union certification election, the National Labor Relations Board requires a union to show that at least ________ of a company's employees want to be represented by a given union.

The National Labor Relations Board:

What are some reasons that workers join unions in both the U.S. and other countries? How do labor unions and labor relations differ around the world?

Discuss at least two types of strikes and explain the costs that management and employees may face during a strike. What is the significance of the Railway Labor Act as it relates to strikes?

Additional Case 15.4 Demetry is the president of a candle manufacturing company. He has heard that employees are considering trying to unionize. He is concerned about this and calls a meeting of upper-level managers and the HR department. Demetry wants to know what can be done in order to discourage a union. He is also concerned about the steps employees will take in unionizing. Demetry knows relatively little about unions. He started the company in his workshop for fun, and it grew into a business that he feels he can no longer control. Kaia, a production manager, strongly believes that the employees will manage to unionize and wants to identify areas where the company would be able to give-and-take during the bargaining. She suggests that the company discuss benefits for retired union workers. Karsten, an HR employee, also believes that the union will take hold. He suggests that Demetry not fight unionization and not coerce employees out of their support for the union. Karsten claims that showing such restraint may lead to a more harmonious and cooperative relationship between management and the union. -Refer to Additional Case 15.4. Which of the following is a true assessment of Kaia's benefits proposal?

Unionized companies face a competitive disadvantage against nonunionized rivals because of wage constraints.

A firm with an employee involvement group led by a manager is in violation of the Wagner Act.

Additional Case 15.1 Billiards, Inc. makes collapsible pool cues and other billiard products. Tegau, the general manager, has called a management team meeting with Tammy, the director of HR; Gary, the VP of operations; Ramonia, the employee relations specialist; and Ryan, a labor relations consultant. Tegau wants ideas from her management team about what to do concerning the possible unionization of their workers. Tammy suggests that they do nothing, let the union conduct its vote, and if certified, treat it as a legitimate worker representative of the workers. Gary says the firm should begin aggressively opposing union organization. He thinks first-line supervisors should be brought in and told that if workers in their areas vote for the union, the supervisors will lose their jobs and the company might sell off the unionized part of the business. Ramonia suggests that Billiards, Inc. tell the employees about their current plans to upgrade employee benefits and working conditions-a project she's worked on for the last six months. Management decides to mildly oppose the union but the union is certified anyway. Tegau is now in her first contract negotiation. Ryan explains to the union that if they will accept flexible work rules, the employees can have more fulfilling jobs, the company will save money which it can spend on benefits, and the union will start with a positive relationship with the company. The union representative says "No way. We go on strike in ten days." -Refer to Additional Case 15.1. Tammy's suggestion is most likely a(n)________ strategy.