Exam 15: Working With Organized Labor

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.Gary's suggestion:

The Landrum-Griffin Act includes which of the following provisions?

Which country has the highest per capita union representation?

Additional Case 15.2 TimeTable, Inc. plans to expand its manufacturing facilities. It is considering expansion either here in the United States or in Europe-Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, or France. It may also look at Japan or China, but those are currently second-tier choices. In selecting a country, the CEO wants to avoid political involvement. While friendly toward unions, he doesn't want a union that is politically oriented. In fact, the CEO of TimeTable was once a union official. He went through a career change, earned an MBA, and moved into the executive management ranks about ten years ago. TimeTable has a strong positive working relationship with its union. Management feels the NLRB is wrong in its ruling about the Wagner Act and is aggressively building labor-management teams. The CEO of TimeTable is even considering giving the union a seat on the board of directors. -Refer to Additional Case 15.2.TimeTable's CEO's career experiences are similar to the CEOs of major corporations in which country?

At a certification election at General Car Automotive,a majority of employees vote for unionization.Alicia,a radio installer,did not vote for the union.Which of the following is true about this situation?

The independent federal agency created by the Wagner Act to administer U.S.labor law is the ________.

Which issue primarily led to the breakdown in negotiations between the UAW and General Motors in 2007?

Additional Case 15.3 Wear and Tear is a large manufacturer with about 250 employees. At the moment, they are in new contract negotiations with their union. Cole, the firm's labor relations specialist, is heading the negotiations for management. Natalie is labor's representative. Cole doesn't know if he likes working with Natalie. He was able to make her predecessor agree to his terms whenever they negotiated contracts. Natalie is tougher to deal with. She tends to emphasize what bad things can happen to Wear and Tear and to him if her point isn't granted. Negotiations have been going on for several days. Cole tells Natalie that if they will accept wage concessions, the company will give employees stock to compensate for the loss in wages. Natalie declines the offer and is unwilling to negotiate further. She reminds him that the contract expires in two days and that the workers will strike if they don't have a new contract by that time. -Refer to Additional Case 15.3.Cole's offer of stock for wage concessions is an example of what type of bargaining topic?

Lian had worked for International Resources for 12 years when he and other workers decided to form a union.When International Resources found out about his plan,the company began intercepting his phone calls and e-mails in order to limit the dissemination of union-based information.In addition,Lian was told that his position at the company was in danger of being eliminated,but that if he "reconsidered" his recent behavior,his job would be secure.International Resources' tactics were made illegal under the:

With a collective bargaining system,the U.S.government typically:

A union arrangement that requires new employees to join the union 30 to 60 days after their date of hire is referred to as a(n)________.

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.

What is the first step in the union grievance procedure?

A(n)________ makes it illegal within a state for a union to include a union shop clause in its contract.

Under a ________,unions and management negotiate with each other in good faith to develop work rules for union members for a specific period of time.

When an employer shuts down a business before a labor dispute gets to a strike,the employer is:

In ________,one party attempts to convince its counterpart that the benefits of agreeing with its terms are very high.It is similar to a large-scale problem-solving session.

The replacement of striking workers by employers was legal but rarely used until the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike.

By the Bay,Inc.is a large company with over 500 employees and a massive employee involvement program.One of the labor-management teams deals with employee complaints.The team consists of six workers and two managers and is led by the HR director.This group is most likely:

What was the first attempt to equalize power between labor and employer?