Deck 10: Unionmanagement Relations and Grievances

Question 1

A(n) _____ is a formal association of workers that promotes the interests of its members primarily through collective action.

A) employment contract
B) union
C) trade fair
D) cartel

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Why are unions considered to be victims of their own successes?

A) Unions have managed to earn several benefits for workers but this has resulted in
A general perception by firms that dealing with unions is expensive.
B) Workers are strongly intimidated by union activities despite the efforts unions have put in for the benefit of workers.
C) Unions have succeeded in passing several laws successfully for the welfare of workers, but mostly through illegal means.
D) Unions have passed most of the important issues that affect workers into law and are no longer considered necessary.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The most highly unionized part of the U.S. workforce is the:

A) agricultural sector.
B) manufacturing sector.
C) government sector.
D) mining sector.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

_____ deal with unionized employees in organizations where human resource professionals have limited involvement with labor relations.

A) Top managements
B) Board of directors
C) Operating managers
D) Labor-law consulting firms

Question 5

Union membership, as a percentage of the U.S. civilian workforce, has:

A) remained constant over the years.
B) decreased over the years.
C) mostly remained steady with slight increases during certain time periods.
D) steadily decreased till the mid-90's and then increased considerably.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of an industrial union?

A) The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
B) The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
C) International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers
D) National Labor Relations

Question 7

Monica, an active member of a local union, runs the local headquarters and provides assistance to all union members. She helps employees negotiate contracts with their managements and actively works toward increasing the union's strength. Monica plays the role of a(n) _____.

A) business agent
B) administrative consultant
C) union steward
D) lobbyist

Question 8

Which of the following represents a group of autonomous unions?

A) Craft unions
B) Industrial unions
C) Congresses
D) Federations

Question 9

One of the primary reasons for the unionization of employees in the United States is the:

A) dissatisfaction with how they are treated by their employers.
B) lack of performance-linked bonuses in organizations.
C) economic cycles that determine the profitability in an organization.
D) promotion of unionization by the federal government.

Question 10

The Railway Labor Act (RLA) of 1926 was the result of a joint effort between railroad management and unions to:

A) regulate the wages and benefits of railroad workers.
B) reduce the number of transportation strikes.
C) break the monopoly of railroad "barons" who controlled the railway industry.
D) allow the President to federalize railroads in case of emergencies.

Question 11

Which of the following is an advantage of union representation in organizations?

A) High productivity due to increasing compensation
B) Consistent increase in profitability of organizations
C) Efficient allocation of organizational resources
D) Opportunity to provide feedback to employers

Question 12

The long-term decline in the U.S. union membership has been attributed to the:

A) shift in jobs from service industries to manufacturing industries.
B) perception by firms that dealing with unions is expensive.
C) increase in blue-collar jobs in manufacturing.
D) increase in economic prosperity.

Question 13

How has the North American Free Trade Agreement affected U.S. unions?

A) Mexican organizations have increased wages so that U.S. firms no longer have a cost advantage while moving low-skill jobs to Mexico.
B) Mexico has moved several manufacturing industries to the United States, thus providing employment opportunities to unionized workers.
C) U.S. firms with unionized workforces have moved low-skill jobs to Mexico, thus reducing union membership.
D) Low tariffs and restrictions have allowed U.S. firms to sell more products to Mexico, thus increasing employment for union members.

Question 14

Gloria, an active member of a local union and an employee of Bargello Inc., is elected as the first-line representative of Bargello's unionized workers. She discusses the grievances of the employees with their supervisors and represents employees at the workplace. Gloria plays the role of an elected _____.

A) union leader
B) union officer
C) union steward
D) business agent

Question 15

In an organization, which of the following strategies can be employed to prevent unionization?

A) Warning those employees who talk to union officials
B) Providing incentives to dissuade employees from forming unions
C) HR professionals and operating managers being attentive and responsive to employees
D) Monitoring the interactions of employees with union representatives and acting accordingly

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true of the wages of employees in the United States?

A) Union members always receive more benefits than nonunion employees.
B) The wages paid to union and nonunion members differ in the private sector.
C) Union wages equaled nonunion wages only after the global recession of 2009.
D) Union workers frequently get compensated better in terms of pay than do nonunion workers.

Question 17

A(n) _____ is a union in which all members do the same type of work, often using specialized skills and training.

A) craft union
B) federation
C) industrial union
D) international union

Question 18

Which of the following U.S. unions founded in 1938 focused on semiskilled and unskilled workers?

A) The American Federation of Labor
B) The AFL-CIO
C) The Congress of Industrial Organizations
D) The Change to Win association

Question 19

Which of the following is true of the view that white-collar workers have about unions?

A) Most union members belong to minority groups.
B) Unions prefer women in low-skill jobs as members.
C) Union members frequently encounter unfair and inequitable treatment.
D) Unions are not in touch with the concerns of the more educated workers.

Question 20

Which of the following is true of unions in the United States?

A) They typically try to improve working conditions.
B) They typically avoid interfering with workplace rules.
C) They typically try to decrease compensation.
D) They typically avoid taking decisions through collective action.

Question 21

Which of the following laws has been called the Magna Carta of labor and was pro-union?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Landrum-Griffin Act
C) The Railway Labor Act
D) The Taft-Hartley Act

Question 22

The process by which union members vote to accept the terms of a negotiated labor agreement is called:

A) authorization.
B) certification.
C) acceptance.
D) ratification.

Question 23

After a series of failed negotiations with its union, Sinclair Processing Inc. shuts down its manufacturing unit in order to prevent union members from working. Sinclair Processing is using a _____ to put pressure on the union.

A) pre-emptive strike
B) counter strike
C) vandalism
D) lockout

Question 24

Which of the following can be considered as a union security provision?

A) Closed union shops
B) Right-to-work laws
C) No-solicitation policy
D) No-layoff policy

Question 25

In 1936 in the United States, airlines and their employees were added to those covered by the:

A) Wagner Act.
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Airline Employment Act.
D) Railway Labor Act.

Question 26

In 1932, the U.S. Congress passed the _____ which guaranteed workers some rights to organize and restricted the issuance of court injunctions in labor disputes.

A) Landrum-Griffin Act
B) Railway Labor Act
C) Norris-LaGuardia Act
D) Wagner Act

Question 27

A union is removed as the representative of a group of employees by the process of:

A) union busting.
B) delisting.
C) deunionization.
D) decertification.

Question 28

The process whereby representatives of management and workers negotiate over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment is called:

A) joint decision making.
B) collective bargaining.
C) contract arbitration.
D) bipartite negotiation.

Question 29

During a contract negotiation, the management of RMS, Inc. and its employee union fail to reach an agreement on an issue related to night shift pay scales. A neutral third party is called in to actively work with both sides and help them reach a settlement. This party suggests several ideas that could help in solving the issue. The process used by the third party in the given scenario is referred to as:

A) arbitration.
B) mediation.
C) fact finding.
D) conciliation.

Question 30

Before a union election can be called, _____ of the employees in the targeted employee group must sign authorization cards of the union.

A) a majority
B) two-thirds
C) more than 40 percent
D) at least 30 percent

Question 31

The Landrum-Griffin Act was passed in 1959 to:

A) give workers the right to engage in union activities at any time except work hours.
B) reduce strikes by developing third-party arbitration and mediation tools.
C) prohibit unfair labor practices by employers and union officials.
D) ensure that the federal government protects the democratic rights of union members.

Question 32

Which of the following is a result of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978?

A) Federal contractors cannot hire replacement workers during a strike.
B) Pension funds of federal unions have been guaranteed by the government.
C) Federal employees in all agencies are guaranteed the right to strike.
D) It established the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).

Question 33

During a contract negotiation, the management of Wild Mist Inc. and its employee union fail to reach an agreement on an issue related to retirement benefits. A neutral third party is called in to come up with a solution, make the necessary decisions, and reach a settlement. The process used by the third party in the given scenario is referred to as:

A) fact finding.
B) conciliation.
C) arbitration.
D) mediation.

Question 34

The responsibilities of a human resources unit while handling grievances in a unionized company include:

A) operating within provisions of the grievance procedure.
B) documenting grievance cases for grievance procedures.
C) engaging in grievance prevention efforts.
D) monitoring the trends in grievance rates.

Question 35

During a contract negotiation, the negotiator for a union brings up the issue of changing the manner in which work is scheduled. Which of the following is true of this situation?

A) The management need not negotiate on this issue because it is a permissive issue.
B) The management needs to negotiate on this issue as it is a mandatory issue.
C) This is a non-negotiable issue because scheduling is part of the management's rights.
D) This is an illegal issue and the management may refuse to negotiate.

Question 36

Which of the following is true in the context of a union representation election?

A) The Railway Labor Act places certain restrictions on the activities of the unions and managements before an election.
B) Supervisors cannot be included in bargaining units for unionization purposes, except in industries covered by the Railway Labor Act.
C) A union should gain 50% of the votes to be named as the representative of all the employees.
D) The larger is the number of employees in a bargaining unit, the higher is the likelihood that the union will win.

Question 37

Which of the following laws passed in 1947 is considered to be pro-management?

A) The Norris-LaGuardia Act
B) The Railway Labor Act
C) The Taft-Hartley Act
D) The Wagner Act

Question 38

The _____, which prohibited employers from using unfair labor practices, declared that the official policy of the U.S. government was to encourage collective bargaining.

A) Railway Labor Act
B) Landrum-Griffin Act
C) Wagner Act
D) Taft-Hartley Act

Question 39

Right-to-work laws:

A) promote full-employment in unionized industries.
B) restrict compulsory union membership.
C) require that all union members have legal visas.
D) prohibit unions' organizing efforts during work hours.

Question 40

Amanda is suspended by her manager for refusing to work on night shifts. She decides to file a grievance with the human resources unit in her company. Which of the following should be Amanda's first step?

A) Contacting the grievance division of the company's national union
B) Filing a written complaint with the national union of the company
C) Discussing the grievance with her union steward and supervisor
D) Applying for arbitration to settle the grievance

Question 41

Issues pertaining to safety rules and profit-sharing plans are mandatory subjects for bargaining.

Question 42

A union steward is a full-time union official who operates the union office and assists union members.

Question 43

Right-to-work laws allow a person the right to work without having to join a union.

Question 44

The Wagner Act established the National Labor Relations Board as an independent entity to enforce the provisions of the act.

Question 45

The process of conciliation is intended to resolve collective bargaining impasses by proposing potential solutions to the involved parties.

Question 46

Presenting employees with information about unions is an unfair labor practice.

Question 47

At least two-thirds of the employees in the targeted group in a company must sign authorization cards before an election can be called.

Question 48

The Landrum-Griffin Act appointed the U.S. Secretary of Labor to act as a watchdog of union conduct.

Question 49

The Taft-Hartley Act allows the U.S. Senate to declare that a strike presents a national emergency.

Question 50

A major reason for employee unionization in the United States is the hiring of immigrant workers for low wages by employers.

Question 51

Hiring "union busters" during the organizing campaign of a union is an unfair labor practice.

Question 52

Which of the following is true regarding international union membership?

A) In Europe, workers use technology to reform the way work gets done in factories.
B) Child labor is one of the major labor concerns in the Unites States.
C) The highest percentage of union membership is in the Scandinavian countries.
D) Codetermination is increasingly being practiced in developing countries.

Question 53

It is common for wages and benefits to be higher in unionized firms.

Question 54

The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 prohibits postal workers from striking and has established a dispute-resolution process for them to follow.

Question 55

The retirement of union members in older manufacturing firms has led to union membership decline.

Question 56

_____ is a means by which a third party settles disputes arising from different interpretations of a labor contract.

A) Interest arbitration
B) Grievance mediation
C) Grievance arbitration
D) Contract mediation

Question 57

Mailing antiunion letters to employees' homes is an illegal union prevention method.

Question 58

In the United States, employees in the public sector are more likely to be union members than employees in the private sector.

Question 59

It is illegal for employers to forbid distribution of union literature during work hours in work areas.

Question 60

The practice whereby union or worker representatives are given positions on a company's board of directors is called:

A) collusion.
B) cooperation.
C) codetermination.
D) tripartite negotiation.

Question 61

What is the current state of labor union activity in the United States?

Question 62

What was the significance of the Railway Labor Act of 1926?

Question 63

How have unions attempted to counteract the overall decline in the U.S. union membership?

Question 64

Codetermination refers to the practice whereby union or worker representatives are given positions on a company's board of directors.

Question 65

An employee is given a union leaflet that asks employees to sign a card while leaving the company premises after work. Discuss the significance of the card that the employee has been asked to sign. Is the distribution of such leaflets by a union is legal?

Question 66

Describe two union security provisions that organizations commonly provide.

Question 67

Unions in some situations have encouraged workers to become partial or complete owners of the companies that employ them.

Question 68

How do national and international unions differ from local unions in their structures and functions?

Question 69

Explain a few strategies that employers use to prevent unionization from occurring in their organizations.

Question 70

What is a "community of interest"? What are the different areas in which employees should have mutual interests in so as to constitute a bargaining unit?

Question 71

The National Labor Relations Board has defined collective bargaining issues by dividing them into three categories. Explain these three categories.

Question 72

Describe the major national laws of the United States. What has been their impact on labor-management relations?

Question 73

In most European countries, employee wages are set by government negotiations with employers rather than through collective bargaining between unions and management.

Question 74

Describe the two basic types of unions that have developed over time in the United States.

Question 75

Describe why employees want to unionize.

Question 76

"Interest" arbitration is used extensively in the private sector in the United States.

Question 77

What is the role of collective bargaining in union/management relations? Describe the collective bargaining process.

Question 78

What is codetermination?

Question 79

The Wagner Act does not contain prohibitions against employer-dominated labor organizations.

Question 80

It is the responsibility of an operating manager, and not the human resources unit, to engage in grievance prevention efforts in a company.