Exam 12: Dealing With Employee-Management Issues and Relationships

The Norris-LaGuardia Act made it more difficult for unions to legally recruit new members.

Many of the negotiated labor-management agreements in the United States call for the use of an arbitrator to end labor disputes.

A(n)___________ occurs when management temporarily closes a business to deny employment to workers.

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." -After gaining union representation,any workers with complaints regarding promotions,layoffs,and job assignments will file a(n)________ with their shop steward.

In Germany,there are some firms whose employees participate in the company decisions by actually serving as members of the board of directors.The policy of permitting nonmanagement employees to participate in the decision-making processes of some European companies is called _____________.

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.

Membership in labor unions has grown steadily over the past 50 years.

You've been on your lunch break for less than 45 minutes when your boss orders you to return to work immediately or be docked an hour's pay.You complain that the current labor contract specifies a full hour for your lunch break and you still have over 15 minutes left.Your boss stands firm on his order for you to return to work.Under protest,you return to work,but plan to file a grievance.The first step you should take is to contact a(n):

The AFL-CIO was a major supporter of the NAFTA agreement to expand trade and commerce among the nations of the United States,Canada,and Mexico.

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.

On-site daycare facilities:

The Making Ethical Decisions box titled,"Would You Cross the Line?" discusses:

The leadership of _____________ was instrumental in bringing about the merger between the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

CEOs only earn high salaries and bonuses when their companies earn substantial profits.

As an advisor to a company setting up its sexual harassment policy,which of the following tactics would you suggest?

Although the general public often sees the compensation of CEOs of major U.S.corporations as being much too high,the pay and benefits these top executives receive is actually quite similar to what is earned by top executives in other countries with market economies.

Comparable worth primarily is concerned with:

Unions have used givebacks as a tactic to increase membership of a culturally diverse workforce.

An assessment of elder care needs in the United States suggests that:

In 1996,the U.S.Supreme Court ruled that primary boycotts are illegal.