Exam 1: Contemporary Labor Relations: Objectives, Practices, and Challenges

Since 1935, U.S. labor law has proved to be very adaptable to changes in the business climate including the decline of mass manufacturing, blurring distinctions between management and nonmanagement jobs, and globalization.

The labor movement in the United States is considered by experts to be very strong today.

A collective bargaining agreement negotiated between an employer and its workers is an informal agreement outlining the terms and conditions of employment.

Explain why the traditional collective bargaining process in the U.S. has been criticized for producing collective bargaining agreements (or union contracts) that are incompatible with today's business needs.

The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers' rights to act together for mutual aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to resolve workplace conflict.

The National Labor Relations Act has been criticized as an outdated piece of legislation that is hindering, rather than helping, America cope with the realities of the new global marketplace. Describe how work has changed since the NLRA was passed and discuss how these changes might conflict with the protections provided in the NLRA.

Which of the following is a major subject of collective bargaining between employers and employees?

Regardless of the impact on productivity or efficiency, it is argued that industrial democracy is important to the U.S. because:

While voice and equity are important to the employment relationship, efficiency is really the critical component. If an employer can be efficient, equity and voice will naturally follow.

Labor relations systems in other countries tend to follow a neoliberal market ideology, which sees the employment relationship as one in which balance between competing interests must be achieved.