Exam 8: Impasses, Strikes, and Dispute Resolution

According to standard economic thought, strikes are irrational because it is rare for a union to "win" in a strike.

The key difference between whole or total package final offer arbitration and issue-by-issue final offer arbitration is that:

The Mackay doctrine holds that employers can hire permanent strike replacements as well as temporary strike replacements in an economic strike.

What is the difference between an economic strike and an unfair labor practice strike? Describe the rights of strikers and strike replacements in both economic and unfair labor practice strikes. (20 minutes)

In med-arb, the same neutral third party first tries to get the parties to reach an agreement as the mediator and, if that fails, will deliver a final and binding arbitration decision.

Workers who cross a picket line to work during a strike but are then discharged at the end of the strike are known as _______________________________.

Mediators are typically more concerned with getting the parties to reach an agreement than they are with helping the parties to improve their relationship so as to avoid future conflict.

Bayfield & Berry's, a large retail company, enters into negotiations with a union in September. With the holiday season a mere 3 months away, the company is fearful of a strike. To preempt such a strike and pressure the union into a favorable settlement, they decide to stage a lockout in October. This is an example of a defensive lockout.

According to economists, a key reason that strikes occur is that the parties to a dispute do not have perfect information.

Preston Beverages is engaged in a labor dispute with its manufacturing employees. To show their support for the employees, Preston's drivers generate a campaign to boycott Preston's sodas and flavored waters. The drivers are engaged in a secondary boycott.

Describe the arguments for and against the use of permanent strike replacements in economic strikes. (10 minutes)

In the 1980s, black female workers at Delta Pride, a catfish processing plant in Mississippi, embarked on a union organizing drive. As part of this effort, the union was aggressive in publicizing wrongdoings by the employer, pressuring members of the board of directors to disassociate from the company, and sending postcards to over 100,000 Mississippi residents seeking their support for unionization. As a result of these tactics, the union won recognition. The tactics used in this organizing drive can best be described as:

A recognition strike occurs when a union strikes to force an employer to assign work to its members.

The goal of an intermittent strike is to:

Boycotts, work slowdowns, and corporate campaigns have increased since the 1980s because:

The purpose of a strike is to increase the employer's cost of disagreeing with the union's demands by depriving the employer of its profit-generating ability.

What is the difference between conventional arbitration and final offer arbitration and why might a state choose one over the other as its compulsory dispute resolution system? (10 minutes)

Another method for pressuring an employer to concede to union demands is to repeat a series of quick strikes, also known as an _______________________________ strike.

Corporate campaigns, while highly successful tools against management, are considered illegal activity under the NLRA.

Which of the following is not a key difference between permanent and temporary strike replacements?