Deck 14: Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations

Question 1

The duty of fair representation is mandated by the National Labor Relations Act.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: The duty of fair representation is mandated by the NLRA and requires that all bargaining unit members, whether union members or not, have equal access to and representation by the union in the grievance procedure.

Question 2

Enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act rests with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Enforcement of the NLRA rests with the National Labor Relations Board, which is composed of a five-member board, the general counsel, and 33 regional offices.

Question 3

Associate union membership is linked to an employee's workplace and provides representation in collective bargaining.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Associate union membership is not linked to an employee's workplace and does not provide representation in collective bargaining. Instead the union provides other services, such as discounts on health and life insurance or credit cards.

Question 4

The United States generally has more regulations and higher levels of union membership than the western European countries.

Question 5

A craft union's bargaining power depends greatly on the control it can exercise over the supply of its workers.

Question 6

A critical factor in determining the success of a strike (actual or threatened)is the size of union membership.

Question 7

Mediation is the most formal and least used impasse resolution procedure.

Question 8

Intraorganizational bargaining is a part of the labor-management negotiation process that has a win-win focus, as it seeks solutions beneficial to both sides.

Question 9

Management is less able to afford a strike when products are of a non-perishable nature.

Question 10

Unionized workers receive, on average, 10 to 15 percent higher pay (excluding benefits)than their nonunion counterparts.

Question 11

In 1994, the Dunlop Commission recommended that Congress give employers more freedom to use employee involvement programs without risking legal challenges.

Question 12

The National Labor Relations Board holds a union representation election if at least 30% of employees in the bargaining unit sign authorization cards.

Question 13

The National Labor Relations Board's two major functions are to conduct and certify representation elections and prevent unfair labor practices.

Question 14

The right-to-work laws make union shops, maintenance of membership, and agency shops legal.

Question 15

The traditional approach to labor relations was characterized by better conflict resolution and greater worker autonomy and feedback in decision making.

Question 16

According to John Dunlop, the three participants of the industrial relations system must have a common ideology and must accept the roles of the other participants. This acceptance always translates into convergence of interests.

Question 17

A neutrality provision is an agreement that if a certain percentage-by law, at least a majority-of employees sign an authorization card, the employer will recognize their union representation.

Question 18

According to Katz and Kochan, contract negotiations and union organizing occur at the strategic level.

Question 19

Generally, more people are present during the later stages of a negotiation than at the initial stages.

Question 20

Employee groups and economic sectors with the fastest growth rates tend to have the highest rates of unionization.

Question 21

In human resource management, the process of resolving disputes through discussion is known as:

A)benchmarking.
B)delayering.
C)downsizing.
D)collective bargaining.
E)exempting.

Question 22

The shop steward:

A)is also known as the arbitrator.
B)represents the management in contract grievances.
C)represents employees in contract grievances.
D)is a neutral party who assists in negotiations and conflict resolution.
E)is the person who reports on the reasons for the labor-management dispute.

Question 23

Which of the following acts sought to provide an environment conducive to collective bargaining?

A)Norris-La Guardia Act
B)Adamson Act
C)Davis-Bacon Act
D)Erdman Act
E)National Labor Relations Act

Question 24

A(n)_____ is a union security provision that requires an employee to pay union membership dues, but not to join the union.

A)checkoff provision
B)closed shop
C)agency shop
D)open shop
E)union shop

Question 25

Which of the following is true of craft unions?

A)Typically, the members of a craft union represent many different occupations.
B)Membership in the union is a result of working for a particular employer in the industry.
C)Changing employers is very common.
D)All the members of a craft union have a particular skill or occupation.
E)All the members of a craft union are linked by their work in a particular industry.

Question 26

Codetermination is more common in the United States than in western European countries.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of a craft union employee?

A)A steelworker
B)An autoworker
C)A carpenter
D)A flight attendant
E)A mineworker

Question 28

What type of union security arrangement requires a person to join the union within a certain amount of time after beginning employment?

A)Agency shop
B)Maintenance of membership
C)Open shop
D)Union shop
E)Closed shop

Question 29

Under which of the following acts is a closed shop held to be illegal?

A)National Labor Relations Act
B)Adamson Act
C)Davis-Bacon Act
D)Erdman Act
E)Norris-La Guardia Act

Question 30

On average, union members have higher wages, benefits, and job satisfaction.

Question 31

The United States has a strong history of deep class-based divisions in society.

Question 32

The union pay advantage causes employers to use more labor and less capital per worker than they would otherwise, which increases efficiency across society.

Question 33

Which of the following is true of local unions?

A)The local of an industrial-based union covers a city or a region.
B)In a craft-oriented union, the local corresponds to a single large facility or to a number of small facilities.
C)Typically the local union provides assistance, like background data about other settlements and technical advice, etc.
D)The bulk of day-to-day interaction between labor and management takes place at the local union level.
E)Administration of the collective bargaining contract is largely carried out at the national union level.

Question 34

Which of the following is true of John Dunlop's industrial relations system?

A)According to Dunlop, for the industrial relations system to operate properly, all the participants should have a common ideology.
B)According to Dunlop, a successful industrial relations system consists of five elements.
C)According to Dunlop, the industrial relations system is independent of the environmental context.
D)According to Dunlop, acceptance always translates into convergence of interests.
E)According to Dunlop, an effective industrial relations system completely eliminates conflict.

Question 35

According to the Katz and Kochan, at which level does the management make basic choices such as whether to work with its unions or to devote its efforts to developing nonunion operations?

A)Strategic level
B)Corporate level
C)Functional level
D)Production level
E)Business unit level

Question 36

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

A)A carpenter
B)A plasterer
C)A painter
D)A shoemaker
E)A steelworker

Question 37

Much of the public-sector union growth has occurred in the service industry and among white-collar employees.

Question 38

Which of the following is a characteristic of an industrial union?

A)All the members of an industrial union have a particular occupation.
B)An industrial union restricts the number of its members in order to maintain high wages.
C)The members an industrial union are linked by their work in a particular industry.
D)The members of industrial unions change employers more frequently compared to other types of unions.
E)All the members of an industrial union have a particular skill.

Question 39

Under a(n)_____, the employer, on behalf of the union, automatically deducts union dues from employees' paychecks.

A)union shop
B)agency shop
C)fair share provision
D)checkoff provision
E)closed shop

Question 40

The strongest union security arrangement is a(n)_____, under which a person must be a union member (and thus pay dues)before being hired.

A)agency shop
B)checkoff provision
C)fair share provision
D)union shop
E)closed shop

Question 41

Which of the following is true of union activities?

A)Employee groups and economic sectors with the fastest growth rates tend to have the highest rates of unionization.
B)Unions have perfectly adapted themselves to recent changes in the economic structure.
C)One reason for the smaller union presence in southern states is the existence of right-to-work laws.
D)Nonmanufacturing industries such as finance, insurance, and real estate have a higher union representation than manufacturing industries.
E)Women and men have equal representation in unions.

Question 42

The Taft-Hartley Act:

A)actively supports collective bargaining rather than impeding it.
B)prohibits certain activities by both employers and labor unions.
C)prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.
D)outlaws unfair union labor practices.
E)prohibits employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in exercising their rights to join or assist a labor organization.

Question 43

_____ rules do not require union membership but do require that employees who choose to join must remain members for a certain period of time.

A)Agency shop
B)Maintenance of membership
C)Closed shop
D)Union shop
E)Checkoff provision

Question 44

From the union perspective, free riders refers to the:

A)employees who benefit from union activities without belonging to a union.
B)persons who act as facilitators in the negotiation processes.
C)management's representatives in the contract grievance processes.
D)neutral parties who assist in negotiations and conflict resolution.
E)persons who report on the reasons for the labor-management dispute.

Question 45

Section 8(a)(4)of the National Labor Relations Act prohibits:

A)employers from restraining employees in exercising their rights to join a labor organization.
B)discrimination against employees for providing testimony relevant to enforcement of the act.
C)discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.
D)employer domination of or interference with the formation or activities of a labor union.
E)employers from refusing to bargain collectively with a labor organization that has standing under the act.

Question 46

Section 8(a)(2)of the National Labor Relations Act prohibits:

A)employers from restraining employees in exercising their rights to join a labor organization.
B)employers from refusing to bargain collectively with a labor organization that has standing under the act.
C)discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.
D)discrimination against employees for providing testimony relevant to enforcement of the NLRA act.
E)employer domination of or interference with the formation or activities of a labor union.

Question 47

Which of the following is true of Section 8(a)(1)of the National Labor Relations Act?

A)It prohibits discrimination against employees for providing testimony relevant to enforcement of the act.
B)It prohibits employer domination of or interference with the formation or activities of a labor union.
C)It prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.
D)It prohibits employers from restraining employees in exercising their rights to join a labor organization.
E)It prohibits employers from refusing to bargain collectively with a labor organization that has standing under the act.

Question 48

Which of the following is an unfair labor practice by the employer?

A)Fining or expelling members for crossing a picket line that is unlawful.
B)Threatening to close down a plant if organized by a union.
C)Mass picketing in such numbers that nonstriking employees are physically barred from entering the plant.
D)Acts of force or violence on the picket line or in connection with a strike.
E)Threats to employees of bodily injury or that they will lose their jobs unless they support the union's activities.

Question 49

Over half of all unfair labor practice cases against employers are based on the charge that the employer:

A)refused to bargain.
B)retaliated against employees who filed unfair-labor practices charges.
C)interfered with union activities.
D)bribed the union negotiators.
E)fired employees for union organizing.

Question 50

The Wagner Act:

A)banned yellow-dog contracts.
B)barred federal courts from issuing injunctions against nonviolent labor disputes.
C)created a positive right of noninterference by employers against workers joining trade unions.
D)established an eight-hour workday, with additional pay for overtime work.
E)actively supported collective bargaining.

Question 51

The _____ enshrined the collective bargaining as the preferred mechanism for settling labor-management disputes.

A)Adamson Act
B)National Labor Relations Act
C)Davis-Bacon Act
D)Landrum-Griffin Act
E)Walsh-Healey Act

Question 52

Which of the following Acts allows states to pass the right-to-work laws?

A)Labor Standards Act
B)Walsh-Healey Act
C)Smith-Connally Act
D)Taft-Hartley Act
E)Norris-La Guardia Act

Question 53

Which of the following is true of union membership and bargaining power?

A)Unions have traditionally been stronger in urban workplaces that employ women and youth.
B)Employers are actively resisting unionization in an attempt to control costs and maintain their flexibility.
C)Since the 1950s, union membership has consistently increased as a percentage of employment.
D)Unions have successfully organized the women and youth in the private sectors.
E)Competitive threats have contributed to decreased employer resistance to union organizing.

Question 54

Which of the following is true of Section 8(a)(3)of the National Labor Relations Act?

A)It prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.
B)It prohibits employer domination of or interference with the formation or activities of a labor union.
C)It prohibits employers from restraining employees in exercising their rights to join a labor organization.
D)It prohibits discrimination against employees for providing testimony relevant to enforcement of the act.
E)It prohibits employers from refusing to bargain collectively with a labor organization that has standing under the act.

Question 55

Which of the following is true of Section 8(a)(5)of the National Labor Relations Act?

A)It prohibits employers from restraining employees in exercising their rights to join a labor organization.
B)It prohibits employer domination of or interference with the formation or activities of a labor union.
C)It prohibits employers from refusing to bargain collectively with a labor organization that has standing under the act.
D)It prohibits discrimination against employees for providing testimony relevant to enforcement of the act.
E)It prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment that attempts to encourage or discourage union-related activity.

Question 56

Section 8(a)(3)of the National Labor Relations Act prohibits employers from:

A)retaliating against employees who file unfair-labor practices.
B)refusing to bargain in good faith with union representatives.
C)firing employees for union organizing.
D)interfering with union activities.
E)bribing union representatives.

Question 57

Which of the following is true of union membership and bargaining power?

A)Unions have perfectly adapted themselves to recent changes in the economic structure.
B)For nonunion employers, union avoidance is an important employee relations objective.
C)Since the 1960s, regulation of many employment areas has decreased.
D)Western European countries generally have lesser regulations and lower levels of union membership than the United States.
E)The absence in the United States of a history of feudalism has contributed to a more class-conscious unionism.

Question 58

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act:

A)prohibits employers to discriminate against employees who file charges.
B)permits employers to refuse to bargain collectively with union representatives.
C)permits employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations and to bargain collectively.
D)prohibits employers from dominating the formation of any labor organization.
E)prohibits employers from discriminating against employees who support a labor organization.

Question 59

Which of the following union security arrangements are illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act?

A)Union shops and checkoff provisions
B)Maintenance of memberships and checkoff provisions
C)Agency shops and checkoff provisions
D)Fair share provisions and checkoff provisions
E)Union shops and agency shops

Question 60

The National Labor Relations Act is also known as the:

A)Landrum-Griffin Act.
B)Davis-Bacon Act.
C)Walsh-Healey Act.
D)Wagner Act.
E)Taft-Hartley Act.

Question 61

What can supervisors do to stay union-free?

A)They can report any direct or indirect signs of union activity to a core management group.
B)They can impose with harsher terms and conditions of employment.
C)They can interrogate employees about pro-union or anti-union sentiments that they have.
D)They can promise employees that they will receive favorable terms of employment if they forgo union activity.
E)They can spy on employees known to be engaged in pro-union activities.

Question 62

Which of the following is true of the National Labor Relations Board?

A)It is composed of a nine-member board, the general counsel, and 40 regional offices.
B)It covers retail businesses that have more than $100,000 in annual business.
C)Its jurisdiction is limited to employers whose operations affect commerce generally.
D)In practice, only purely local firms fall within its jurisdiction.
E)It not only responds to requests for actions but also initiates actions.

Question 63

Integrative bargaining is the part of the labor-management negotiation process that:

A)refers to the relationship and level of trust between the negotiators.
B)focuses on the conflicting objectives of factions within labor and management.
C)focuses on dividing a fixed economic "pie."
D)allows a person with no formal authority to act as a facilitator in the negotiations.
E)seeks solutions beneficial to both sides.

Question 64

Which of the following is true of a mediator?

A)She has no formal authority but, rather, acts as a facilitator and go-between in negotiations.
B)She provides inside information about the employees to the management.
C)She provides a solution that is binding on the parties.
D)She is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the collective bargaining are enforced.
E)She represents the management during the collective bargaining procedure.

Question 65

Which of the following allows a union to receive dues in exchange for services (e.g., health insurance, credit cards)but does not provide any representation in collective bargaining?

A)Arbitration
B)Associate union membership
C)Corporate campaigns
D)Distributive bargaining
E)Mediation

Question 66

The part of the labor-management negotiation process that focuses on dividing a fixed economic "pie" is known as:

A)attitudinal structuring.
B)intraorganizational bargaining.
C)mediation.
D)distributive bargaining.
E)integrative bargaining.

Question 67

A person who reports on the reasons for the labor-management dispute, the views and arguments of both sides, and a nonbinding recommendation for settling the dispute is known as the _____.

A)mediator.
B)fact finder.
C)arbitrator.
D)shop steward.
E)associate union member.

Question 68

The ability of one party to achieve its goals when faced with opposition from some other party to the bargaining process is known as the:

A)inequality of bargaining power.
B)reverse bargaining power.
C)conditional bargaining power.
D)relative bargaining power of each party.
E)collective bargaining power of each party.

Question 69

Which of the following is true of the various stages in negotiations?

A)Less people are present in the early stages of negotiations whereas more people join in at the later stages.
B)Union negotiators often present an extensive list of proposals during the middle stages of the negotiations.
C)In the final stages, negotiators and neutral third parties enter the process.
D)During the final stages, each side must make a series of decisions, even though the outcome is uncertain.
E)In the initial stage, negotiators from each side may have one-on-one meetings or small-group meetings where public relations pressures are reduced.

Question 70

The aspect of the labor-management negotiation process that refers to the relationship and level of trust between the negotiators is known as:

A)attitudinal structuring.
B)distributive bargaining.
C)integrative bargaining.
D)intraorganizational bargaining.
E)mediation.

Question 71

Section 8(b)(1)(a)of the NLRA:

A)states that a labor organization is not to "restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7."
B)states that employees shall have the right to self-organization and to form, join, or assist labor organizations.
C)protects employees who take part in grievances, on-the-job protests, picketing, and strikes.
D)provides that unions, if certified or recognized, are the exclusive representatives of bargaining unit members.
E)prohibits the adjustment of employee grievances unless a union representative is given an opportunity to be present.

Question 72

Which of the following acts gave the union members' the right to vote an existing union out-that is, to decertify it?

A)Bagley-Keene Act
B)Chamberlain-Ferris Act
C)Keating-Owen Act
D)Taft-Hartley Act
E)Taylor Act

Question 73

Which of the following is true of the National Law Relations Board's process and legal framework of organizing?

A)The National Law Relations Board holds a union representation election if at least 10% of employees in the bargaining unit sign authorization cards.
B)If more than 30% of the employees sign authorization cards, the union may request that the employer voluntarily recognize it.
C)If more than one union appears on the ballot and neither gains a simple majority, a runoff election is held.
D)If the employer recognizes the union voluntarily, the National Law Relations Board conducts a secret-ballot election.
E)If more than 30% of employees vote for the union, the union is certified by the National Law Relations Board as the exclusive representative of employees.

Question 74

Which of the following acts was an addition to the Taft-Hartley Act that further regulated unions' actions and their internal affairs like financial disclosure and conduct of elections?

A)Taylor Act
B)Chamberlain-Ferris Act
C)Keating-Owen Act
D)Bagley-Keene Act
E)Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 75

Which of the following activities should the supervisors avoid if they want to stay union-free?

A)They should avoid accommodating special circumstances, even where appropriate.
B)They should not spy on employees who are suspected of being engaged in pro-union activities.
C)They should not report any direct or indirect signs of union activity to a core management group.
D)They should not inform the employees about the company's response to pro-union arguments.
E)They should avoid providing employees business-related information.

Question 76

Under a _____, the employer pledges not to oppose organizing attempts elsewhere in the company.

A)fair share provision
B)union shop provision
C)neutrality provision
D)card-check provision
E)checkoff provision

Question 77

Which of the following is a union unfair labor practice?

A)Taking an active part in organizing a union or committee to represent employees.
B)Insisting on the inclusion of illegal provisions in a contract.
C)Announcing a wage increase without consulting the employees' representative.
D)Failing to bargain about the effects of a decision to close one of employer's plants.
E)Refusing to meet with employees' representatives because the employees are on strike.

Question 78

Union activity designed to exert public, financial, or political pressure on employers during the union-organizing process is known as:

A)arbitration.
B)checkoff provision.
C)corporate campaign.
D)integrative bargaining.
E)mediation.

Question 79

Intraorganizational bargaining is the part of the labor-management negotiation process that:

A)focuses on dividing a fixed economic "pie."
B)focuses on the conflicting objectives of factions within labor and management.
C)allows a person with no formal authority to act as a facilitator in the negotiations.
D)refers to the relationship and level of trust between the negotiators.
E)seeks solutions beneficial to both sides.

Question 80

Management is less able to afford a strike when the:

A)product is non-perishable in nature.
B)organization is capital intensive.
C)replacement workers are scarce.
D)company has a single production site.
E)demand for its product is strong.