Deck 15: Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining

Question 1

Which type of union security was outlawed by Congress?

A)agency shop
B)closed shop
C)union shop
D)maintenance of membership

Answer 1

B
Explanation: B)Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members. Congress outlawed closed shops in interstate commerce in 1947, but they still exist in some states for particular industries.

Question 2

About ________% of people working in the United States belong to unions.

A)5
B)11
C)20
D)34

Answer 2

B
Explanation: B)About 14 million U.S. workers belong to unions-around 11% of the total number of men and women working in this country.

Question 3

All states give unions the right to require union membership as a condition of employment.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Not all states give unions the right to require union membership as a condition of employment. Right to work laws in some states make such requirements illegal.

Question 4

Which of the following is most likely a false statement about union membership?

A)Union members work in both blue-collar and white-collar industries.
B)Insurance plan benefits are better for union workers than for nonunion workers.
C)Union workers receive more holidays and unpaid leave than nonunion workers do.
D)Employers prefer nonunion workers, so they pay them higher wages than union members.

Question 5

Which of the following best defines the preferential shop form of union security?

A)A company can hire nonunion people, but they must then join the union.
B)Union members must maintain membership for the contract period.
C)Employees who do not belong to the union must still pay dues.
D)A company gives hiring advantages to union members.

Question 6

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire only union members.

A)closed shop
B)union shop
C)agency shop
D)preferential shop

Question 7

Right to work refers to state statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.

Question 8

Which of the following best explains a major reason why union membership in the United States has fallen in the last 50 years?

A)Legislation provides workers with protections that were once exclusive to unions.
B)Union members earn less on average compared to non-union members.
C)Union membership is too expensive for most blue-collar workers.
D)Foreign-owned manufacturers will not hire union members.

Question 9

The term ________ describes statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.

A)termination at will
B)right to work
C)open shop
D)free labor

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the closed shop form of union security?

A)A company can hire nonunion people if they agree to join the union.
B)Union members receive higher wages than nonunion employees.
C)Union members receive preferential treatment in hiring.
D)A company can hire only union members.

Question 11

With the maintenance of membership arrangement of union security, how long must union members employed by a firm maintain union membership?

A)until the union disbands
B)until negotiations are over
C)for the contract period
D)for at least one year

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the AFL-CIO?

A)voluntary federation of national and international labor unions
B)local union for automobile workers in Detroit, Michigan
C)federation of firms that fight unionization in their plants
D)regional branch of the National Labor Relations Board

Question 13

Which form of union security requires employees who do not belong to the union to pay union dues on the assumption that the union's efforts benefit all workers?

A)union shop
B)agency shop
C)open shop
D)maintenance of agreement

Question 14

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire nonunion people, but those people must join the union within a prescribed period of time and pay dues.

A)closed shop
B)union shop
C)agency shop
D)open shop

Question 15

In which human resource activity does a typical labor agreement NOT give the union a role?

A)recruitment
B)selection
C)dismissal
D)appraisals

Question 16

Costco is primarily known as "the anti-Walmart" because the firm ________.

A)negotiates contracts with unions
B)pays above the minimum wage
C)offers employees health benefits
D)refuses to accept union contracts

Question 17

Union membership is exclusive to blue-collar workers, such as those in the construction, manufacturing, and printing industries.

Question 18

Weekly earnings of union members are much higher than those of nonunion workers.

Question 19

Right to work laws inhibit union formation by ________.

A)banning any form of union security
B)making union membership a requirement
C)leaving the question of union affiliation up to each company
D)leaving the question of union security up to each company

Question 20

Which type of union security accounts for almost three-fourths of union contracts?

A)maintenance of membership
B)closed shop
C)union shop
D)agency shop

Question 21

The Taft-Hartley Act prohibits all of the following union labor practices EXCEPT ________.

A)forcing an employer to fire a worker for failing to attend union meetings
B)refusing to bargain in good faith with an employer about wages and hours
C)restraining or coercing employees from exercising their guaranteed bargaining rights
D)demanding an employer fire a worker who fails to pay union dues in a closed shop

Question 22

Which law sought to protect union members from possible wrongdoing on the part of their unions?

A)Norris-LaGuardia Act
B)Taft-Hartley Act
C)Wagner Act
D)Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 23

Which of the following terms refers to an unfair labor practice in which a union requires an employer to pay an employee for services not performed?

A)coercing
B)padding
C)ballooning
D)featherbedding

Question 24

The National Labor Relations Board was primarily established for the purpose of ________.

A)establishing branches in right-to-work states
B)negotiating contracts on behalf of local unions
C)investigating unfair labor practice charges
D)overseeing the establishment of local unions

Question 25

Which of the following was established by the Wagner Act?

A)Labor Management Relations Board
B)National Labor Relations Board
C)Knights of Labor
D)AFL-CIO

Question 26

Which of the following best describes a "yellow dog" contract?

A)As a condition of employment, an employee agrees not to picket.
B)Employers agree to give union members preference in hiring.
C)As a condition of employment, an employee agrees to not join a union.
D)Employers agree to abide by the guidelines of the local labor unions.

Question 27

Which of the following guaranteed each employee the right to bargain collectively without interference, restraint, or coercion?

A)National Labor Relations Act
B)Norris-LaGuardia Act
C)Davis-Bacon Act
D)Taft-Hartley Act

Question 28

In a brief essay, discuss some of the reasons for declining union membership. Do you think this is good or bad for the U.S. economy and U.S. businesses? Why?

Question 29

Which of the following bans five unfair labor practices and provides for majority rule and secret ballot elections?

A)Landrum-Griffin Act
B)Norris-LaGuardia Act
C)Taft-Hartley Act
D)Wagner Act

Question 30

You are a manager at a manufacturing facility, and you tell your subordinates that unions are dangerous to the economy. Which law protects your right to express these views?

A)Wagner Act
B)Taft-Hartley Act
C)Norris-LaGuardia Act
D)Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 31

Which of the following was passed in 1935 to amend the Norris -LaGuardia Act?

A)Taft-Hartley Act
B)New Deal Act
C)Wagner Act
D)Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 32

The Taft-Hartley Act amended the Wagner Act in all of the following ways EXCEPT by ________.

A)prohibiting unfair labor practices
B)enumerating the rights of employers
C)limiting the power of the National Labor Review Board
D)allowing the U.S. President to bar national emergency strikes

Question 33

Prior to 1930, employers attempted to limit the influence of unions using all of the following methods EXCEPT ________.

A)spying on workers
B)firing union agitators
C)requiring yellow dog contracts
D)engaging in collective bargaining

Question 34

Which of the following best describes a main purpose of the Wagner Act?

A)guaranteeing each employee the right to bargain collectively free from interference and coercion
B)banning unions from preventing employees from exercising their guaranteed bargaining rights
C)allowing secret-ballot elections for determining whether a firm's employees would unionize
D)making it illegal for a union to refuse to bargain in good faith with the employer

Question 35

Right to work legislation outlaws unions and union membership in specific states.

Question 36

What are the major reasons why workers unionize? What are some of the benefits workers can potentially gain from unionizing?

Question 37

The Change to Win Coalition was formed by several large unions that left the AFL-CIO due to concerns that the AFL-CIO was not aggressively organizing workers.

Question 38

What is union security? Explain the five types of union security.

Question 39

Which of the following was NOT designated an unfair labor practice by the Wagner Act?

A)bribing employees
B)using company spy systems
C)requiring yellow dog contracts
D)moving businesses to avoid unionization

Question 40

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act?

A)high unemployment rates
B)significant economic boom
C)major shifts in the workforce
D)numerous union strikes

Question 41

Which of the following situations would most likely improve a union's chances of winning a certification election at Apex Enterprises?

A)geographic area with low percentage of union workers
B)high unemployment in the geographic area
C)a large portion of workers voting
D)small bargaining units

Question 42

How did labor laws affect employers and employees in the post-Depression United States? What specific laws significantly affected U.S. unions?

Question 43

The Landrum-Griffin Act of 1932 encouraged union activity by guaranteeing each employee the right to bargain collectively without interference, restraint, or coercion.

Question 44

Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Hyper-Tech should contest the union's right to an election?

A)Managers believe that they may have inadvertently hired union salts, who most likely instigated the unionization movement at Hyper-Tech.
B)The process outlined at Hyper-Tech for filing employee grievances differs from the grievance procedures at other firms in the same industry.
C)Hyper-Tech management believes that if employees are provided with additional information from the firm that they will revoke their authorization cards.
D)Hyper-Tech managers will soon be conducting annual employee performance appraisals and determining what salary adjustments to make.

Question 45

Which of the following terms refers to the group of employees the union will be authorized to represent?

A)bargaining unit
B)mediating group
C)negotiating team
D)grievance committee

Question 46

What is the first step in the union drive process?

A)obtaining authorization cards from employees
B)making initial contact with employees
C)holding an initial organization hearing
D)campaigning for employee votes

Question 47

Union authorization cards serve all of the following functions EXCEPT ________.

A)subjecting the employee to union rules
B)stating that the employee has applied for membership
C)enabling employers to modify employment conditions
D)designating the union as a bargaining representative

Question 48

The Taft-Hartley Act amended the National Labor Relations Act by prohibiting unfair union labor practices and specifying the rights of both employers and employees.

Question 49

What are the five unfair employer labor practices that the Wagner Act deemed unfair and considered "statutory wrongs"?

Question 50

Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, supports the argument by the NLRB that Hyper-Tech has conducted unfair labor practices?

A)Hyper-Tech managers prohibited union representatives from soliciting employees who were on duty.
B)Hyper-Tech managers intervened when pro-union employees solicited other employees while both were on duty.
C)Hyper-Tech managers barred nonemployee union representatives from entering the firm's building.
D)Hyper-Tech managers prohibited distribution of union literature in the company cafeteria.

Question 51

________ is the process of legally terminating a union's right to represent employees.

A)Union salting
B)Featherbedding
C)Decertification
D)Collective bargaining

Question 52

Which of the following is a union organizing tactic by which union members are placed on nonunion job sites?

A)featherbedding
B)union salting
C)logrolling
D)picketing

Question 53

It is acceptable for an employer to refuse to hire union members even if they are qualified for the position because they might be union salts.

Question 54

It is legal for union organizers to solicit employees for membership as long as the effort does not endanger the performance or safety of the employees.

Question 55

Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to the decision by Hyper-Tech to fight unionization efforts?

A)How many Hyper-Tech employees were hired within the last year?
B)What percentage of Hyper-Tech employees signed authorization cards?
C)What is the opinion of Hyper-Tech's shareholders and creditors regarding unionization?
D)What are the laws regarding what Hyper-Tech managers can and cannot do during a campaign?

Question 56

According to the Landrum-Griffin Act, national and international unions must elect officers at least once every ________ years.

A)two
B)three
C)four
D)five

Question 57

The union becomes the employees' representative if it receives ________.

A)a majority of the votes cast by the bargaining unit
B)signed authorization cards from 30% of employees
C)written approval from the employer
D)a majority of the votes cast

Question 58

Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, best supports the suggestion that Hyper-Tech will lose an NLRB election?

A)Hyper-Tech recently distributed employee surveys that indicated overall job satisfaction.
B)Hyper-Tech executives have decided that a committee should manage the campaign.
C)Hyper-Tech managers have been told to share their opinions about unions with subordinates.
D)Hyper-Tech managers have been told to avoid making promises to their subordinates.

Question 59

All of the following increase the likelihood that an employer will lose an NLRB election EXCEPT ________.

A)focusing primarily on wage and benefits issues
B)appointing a committee to manage the campaign
C)distributing employee need and attitude surveys
D)delegating personnel relations issues to plant managers

Question 60

What percentage of eligible employees in a bargaining unit must sign authorization cards in order for the union to petition the NLRB for an election?

A)20
B)30
C)40
D)50

Question 61

In the majority of NLRB elections, the employer loses because top management fails to focus enough attention on money and benefits.

Question 62

A union campaign during an NLRB election will usually focus on issues such as respect, dignity, and fairness, in addition to job security.

Question 63

Most employers decide to contest the union's right to represent their employees.

Question 64

All of the following are examples of mandatory bargaining items EXCEPT ________.

A)employee security
B)profit-sharing plans
C)indemnity bonds
D)employee drug testing

Question 65

Decertification campaigns to end union representation are in principle very similar to the initial certification campaign that brought the union into power.

Question 66

What are the ways that an employer can lose an NLRB election?

Question 67

Which of the following terms refers to a collective bargaining situation that occurs when the parties are not able to move further toward settlement?

A)impasse
B)picketing
C)arbitration
D)wildcat strike

Question 68

List and describe the five steps involved in planning a union drive and election.

Question 69

Which of the following terms refers to items in collective bargaining over which bargaining is neither illegal nor mandatory?

A)group bargaining items
B)permissible bargaining items
C)conditional bargaining items
D)benefits-related bargaining items

Question 70

Which third-party intervention uses a neutral third party to assist the principals in reaching agreement?

A)fact finding
B)mediation
C)binding arbitration
D)non-binding arbitration

Question 71

During an NLRB election, HR managers should help their firm by becoming closely involved in the details of the election.

Question 72

Which intervention method listed below is the most definitive of all third-party interventions?

A)fact finding
B)mediation
C)binding arbitration
D)picketing

Question 73

You are a supervisor at a large manufacturing firm. What should and shouldn't you do during organizing and preelection campaigns?

Question 74

Negotiators use all of the following types of third-party interventions to overcome an impasse EXCEPT ________.

A)binding arbitration
B)mediation
C)fact finding
D)picketing

Question 75

Managers from Ford and representatives from United Auto Workers are in the first stage of collective bargaining over benefits and wages. Which of the following is most likely occurring?

A)Subcommittees are forming to create alternatives.
B)Each side is trading some of its demands.
C)Each side is checking terms with superiors.
D)Each side is presenting its demands.

Question 76

When representatives of Ford's management and the autoworkers' union meet to negotiate a labor agreement, which of the following is most likely occurring?

A)certification
B)union salting
C)featherbedding
D)collective bargaining

Question 77

Which of the following is an illegal bargaining item?

A)membership of bargaining team
B)discriminatory treatment
C)continuance of past contract
D)employment of strikebreaker

Question 78

All of the following are examples of permissible bargaining items EXCEPT ________.

A)cafeteria prices
B)severance pay
C)scope of bargaining unit
D)pension benefits for retired employees

Question 79

As a manager, you are legally prohibited from discussing union membership with employees and from distributing information regarding how employees can revoke their cards.

Question 80

Which of the following is a characteristic of good faith bargaining?

A)overlooking bargaining items
B)making counterproposals
C)bypassing the union representative
D)imposing unreasonable conditions