Exam 8: Impasses, Strikes, and Dispute Resolution

A union representing hotel workers goes out on strike to force the hotel to allow it to staff the restaurant rather than the current outsourced workers. This strike would be considered a _______________________________ strike.

Med-arb is a third party dispute resolution system that allows the parties to choose between a mediation or arbitration to settle a dispute.

In 2007-2008, more than 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went out on strike after contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came to impasse. The strike started in November, 2007 and concluded in February, 2008 and, by some estimates, cost the industry around $2 billion. Given the expense of the strike to the industry and lost income to the writers, what other alternatives might the writers have considered in their quest to pressure the AMPTP to make concessions? Why do you think the Writers Guild decided to strike instead of pursuing these less costly alternatives?

When unions and management in the railway and airline industries are unable to reach an agreement, the employer is allowed to implement any terms it wants as long as the contract has expired.

It is an unfair labor practice for unions to fine or otherwise punish workers (union or nonunion) who cross a picket line.

The Supreme Court case that established the rights of strike replacements to remain employed after a strike has ended is known as NLRB vs. __________________________________.

Bargaining impasse occurs when:

Banning the use of ____________________ is one of the labor movement's top legislative priorities.

In the U.S., employers have the right to hire permanent strike replacements in:

Regardless of whether workers strike over "mandatory" or "permissive" bargaining issues, the NLRA protects their right to strike and they cannot be discharged or disciplined for their strike activity.

Negotiators sometimes begin to rely too heavily on arbitration as a means of settling their contract disputes, rather than working hard to come to their own agreement. This is known as the chilling effect.

Explain what a boycott is and discuss the limitations of the boycott as a tactic to pressure employers to agree to a union's terms in contract negotiations.

If the primary goal of a dispute resolution system is to create pressure that will encourage the negotiators to settle their differences, arbitration is the best option.

In the public sector where striking is often illegal, a(n) ____________________ often triggers a mandatory dispute resolution mechanism such as mediation, arbitration, or fact-finding.

Which of the following is True regarding the bargaining process?

Throughout U.S. history, the President's authority to invoke national emergency strike procedures has been used frequently to keep commerce flowing.

Which of the following is likely to decrease an employer's bargaining power?

During the 1984 negotiations between General Motors Canada and the UAW, there was a spontaneous work stoppage at the Ottawa plant before the authorized strike date. This is:

Annually, only around 1 percent of the contracts that are opened for negotiations end up in a strike.

Companies have tried to challenge corporate campaigns by charging unions with blackmail, extortion, and other illegal interference in business relations, primarily under the same law used to prosecute the mafia, the _______________________________ Act.