Deck 14: Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations

Question 1

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

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Under the National Labor Relations Act, the union has a duty of fair representation, which means the union must give equal representation to all members of the bargaining unit, whether or not they actually belong to the union.

Question 2

A union steward is a person hired by management to monitor union activity and report violations,if any.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Enforcement of the NLRA rests with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). It is a federal government agency that enforces the NLRA by conducting and certifying representation elections and investigating unfair labor practices.

Question 3

Joining a union,whether recognized by the employer or not,is an activity protected under the NLRA.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Mediation is a conflict resolution procedure in which a mediator hears the views of both sides and facilitates the negotiation process but has no formal authority to dictate a resolution. It is the least formal and most widely used of these procedures. A mediator hears the views of both sides and facilitates the negotiation process. The mediator has no formal authority to dictate a resolution, so a strike remains a possibility.

Question 4

Most studies have found that union workers are more productive than nonunion workers.

Question 5

Associate union membership is linked to an employee's workplace.

Question 6

Contrary to public perception,services industries such as finance,insurance,and real estate have higher union representation than manufacturing.

Question 7

Originally,the NLRA did not list any unfair labor practices by unions.

Question 8

Unlike union membership for workers in businesses,union membership among government workers has remained strong.

Question 9

Mediation is the most formal and least used method of conflict resolution.

Question 10

The AFL-CIO is by far the largest labor union in the U.S.

Question 11

Right-to-work laws grant both the employee and employer the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time with or without cause or notice.

Question 12

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

Question 13

During a strike,the union members do not receive pay from their employer,but the union may be able to make up for some of the lost pay.

Question 14

In their labor relations,managers prefer to increase wages and benefits and to give maximum control to workers over work rules and schedules.

Question 15

The relative bargaining power of labor and management during contract negotiations depends on each party's ability to withstand a strike.

Question 16

An outside party cannot be barred from holding an election for more than three years.

Question 17

Under a checkoff provision,a person must be a union member before being hired.

Question 18

Integrative bargaining focuses on establishing a relationship of trust.

Question 19

On average,unionized workers receive higher pay than their nonunionized counterparts.

Question 20

If at least 30 percent of an organization's employees sign an authorization card,the union may request that the employer voluntarily recognize the union.

Question 21

Organizations formed for the purpose of representing their members' interests in dealing with employers are known as:

A) employee guilds.
B) sororities.
C) lobbies.
D) member clubs.
E) labor unions.

Question 22

Which of the following defines labor relations?

A) It is an association that seeks to advance the shared interests of its member unions at the national level.
B) It is the election of an employee by union members to represent them in ensuring that the terms of the labor contract are enforced.
C) It is a contract provision under which the employer, on behalf of the union, automatically deducts union dues from employees' paychecks.
D) It is the field that emphasizes skills that managers and union leaders can use to minimize costly forms of conflict and seek win-win solutions to disagreements.
E) It is an alternative form of union membership in which members receive discounts on insurance and credit cards rather than representation in collective bargaining.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of the trend in union membership in the United States?

A) Union membership as a percentage of civilian employment has risen significantly.
B) Union membership is higher in the private sector than in the public sector.
C) Since the 1980s, union membership among government workers has held steady, while declines have occurred in the private sector.
D) Total union membership now stands at about 30 percent of all employment.
E) The share of employees who belong to unions has increased marginally since the 1960s.

Question 24

Which of the following is true of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)?

A) It is the largest labor union in the U.S.
B) It represents labor's interests in public policy issues.
C) It is the only association of unions existing in the U.S. today.
D) It is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
E) It consists of about seven national and international unions.

Question 25

Most national unions are affiliated with the _____,an association that seeks to advance the shared interests of its member unions at the national level.

A) NLRA
B) Change to Win
C) AFL-CIO
D) Chamber of Commerce
E) National Association of Manufacturers

Question 26

A labor union all of whose members have a particular skill or occupation is known as a(n)_____ union.

A) common
B) industrial
C) craft
D) regional
E) employer's

Question 27

How is an industrial union different from a craft union?

A) All the members of an industrial union have a particular skill or occupation.
B) An industrial union is often responsible for training its members through apprenticeships.
C) An industrial union organizes as many employees in as wide a range of skills.
D) An industrial union represents a particular occupation.
E) An industrial union's members change employers more often.

Question 28

Which of the following decisions in labor relations involves day-to-day activities in which union members and the organization's managers may have disagreements?

A) Administering contracts
B) Formulating labor relations strategy
C) Lobbying for labor law changes
D) Negotiating contracts
E) Implementing labor laws

Question 29

Which of the following is true of craft unions?

A) It represents many different occupations.
B) Membership in the union is the result of working for a particular employer in the industry.
C) Changing employers is not very common.
D) It is often responsible for training members through apprenticeships.
E) It consists of members who are linked by their work in a particular industry.

Question 30

John works at a factory of a large manufacturing company and is a member of the local chapter of a national industrial union.He believes his supervisor is not living up to the terms of the recently negotiated contract.In order to seek resolution to his grievance,John should first contact:

A) the regional office of his labor union.
B) law enforcement officials.
C) the AFL-CIO.
D) his union steward.
E) the local Chamber of Commerce.

Question 31

A union steward:

A) influences the way pay and promotions are determined.
B) deducts union dues from employees' paychecks.
C) is the strongest union security arrangement.
D) is employed as an independent contractor.
E) represents employees when they file grievances alleging contract violations.

Question 32

Bargaining over a new contract typically occurs only about every three years.

Question 33

The traditional understanding of union-management relations is that the two parties are mutually beneficial to each other.

Question 34

In the context of the three levels of decisions involved in labor relations,which of the following management decisions relates to whether the organization will work with unions or develop (or maintain)nonunion operations?

A) Negotiating contracts
B) Formulating labor relations strategy
C) Engaging in corporate governance
D) Administering contracts
E) Relationship management

Question 35

The labor relations decision regarding _____ in a union setting involves decisions about pay structure,job security,work rules,workplace safety,and many other issues.These decisions affect workers' and the employer's situation for the term of the contract.

A) administering contracts
B) formulating labor relations strategy
C) lobbying for labor law changes
D) negotiating contracts
E) implementing labor laws

Question 36

According to data from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,the largest share of arbitration cases involved wages.

Question 37

Courts generally avoid reviewing arbitrators' decisions and focus only on whether the grievance involved an issue that is subject to arbitration under the contract.

Question 38

Which of the following is true of local unions?

A) Administration of a contract largely takes place at the local union level.
B) They always play the most critical role in negotiating the terms of a collective bargaining contract.
C) Typically, the local union's president, vice president, and treasurer are the same as in the national union.
D) Local unions are usually not involved in the negotiation for work rules in a collective bargaining contract.
E) The participation of individual members in local unions is limited.

Question 39

Under the National Labor Relations Act,the union has a duty of fair representation,which means the union must give equal representation to all members of the bargaining unit,whether or not they actually belong to the union.

Question 40

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

A) All the members are in the same occupation.
B) Union leaders try to limit the number of members in order to maintain high wages.
C) Members are linked by their work in a particular industry.
D) Members change employers more frequently than in other types of unions.
E) It is often responsible for training its members through apprenticeships.

Question 41

Which of the following is a union security arrangement that requires employees to join the union within a certain amount of time (30 days)after beginning employment?

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

Question 42

Which of the following is an unfair labor practice under Section 8(a)of the NLRA?

A) Engaging in collective bargaining with a labor organization
B) Asking to meet with employees' representatives because the employees are on strike
C) Failing to pay unionized employees higher wages than nonunionized employees
D) Implementing performance-based pay plans in the company
E) Coercing employees in exercising their rights to join or assist a labor organization

Question 43

What is the National Labor Relations Act also known as?

A) The Taft-Hartley Act
B) The Wagner Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
E) The Hatch Act

Question 44

_____ rules do not require union membership but do require that employees who join the union remain members for a certain period of time,such as the length of the contract.

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

Question 45

Which of the following types of union security arrangement is considered to be the strongest?

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

Question 46

Which of the following is a federal law passed in 1935 that supports collective bargaining and sets out the rights of employees to form unions?

A) The Landrum-Griffin Act
B) The Civil Rights Act
C) The Wagner Act
D) The Taft-Hartley Act
E) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Question 47

In terms of the impact of unions on company performance,it can be concluded that companies wishing to become more competitive must:

A) continually monitor their labor relations strategy.
B) prohibit unions.
C) actively encourage unions.
D) deny collective bargaining rights to their employees.
E) pay workers well above market rates.

Question 48

Which of the following workers are not covered by the NLRA?

A) An individual employed as a supervisor
B) An individual employed in the service sector
C) An individual employed by a private-sector firm with less than 15 full-time employees
D) An individual carrying out a white-collar job
E) An individual drawing an annual salary of more than $20,000

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true about unionization of government workers?

A) Over two-thirds of government employees are union members.
B) Executive Order 10988 denied collective bargaining rights for federal employees.
C) Union membership among government workers has declined steadily since the 1970s.
D) Strikes are illegal for federal workers and for state workers in most states.
E) Most of the union growth among government employees has occurred among blue-collar workers.

Question 50

The checkoff provision and provisions related to union membership are ways to address:

A) government regulations that require union membership to be offered free to all employees.
B) management enticements to discourage employees from joining unions.
C) union officials who misrepresent members' case to management.
D) employees who benefit from union activities without belonging to a union.
E) members who pay union fees but refuse to be bound by union rules.

Question 51

Which of the following is true of the effects of unions on company performance?

A) As a result of the type of pay system favored by unions, employees are more inclined to compete than cooperate.
B) Most studies show that union workers are less productive than nonunion workers.
C) On average, union members receive higher wages and more generous benefits than nonunion workers.
D) The introduction of a union invariably results in the employer paying lesser attention to employee ideas.
E) Evidence shows that unions have a large positive effect on profits.

Question 52

Which type of union security provision is illegal under the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act?

A) Union shop
B) Agency shop
C) Closed shop
D) Open shop
E) Checkoff provision

Question 53

What is society's goal for unions?

A) To ensure that workers have a voice in how they are treated by their employers
B) To influence the way pay and promotions are determined
C) To make up for the wages the workers lose during a strike
D) To retain as much control as they can over work rules and schedules
E) To limit individual employees' bargaining power

Question 54

Which of the following is a union security arrangement that requires the payment of union dues but not union membership?

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

Question 55

A contract provision under which the employer,on behalf of the union,automatically deducts union dues from employees' paychecks is known as a(n):

A) checkoff provision.
B) deductible-at-source provision.
C) maintenance of membership provision.
D) agency shop provision.
E) union shop provision.

Question 56

Which of the following statements is true of trends in union membership in the U.S.in relation to trends in other countries?

A) In Western Europe, it is common to have union coverage rates of 80 to 90 percent.
B) Coverage rates within the United States are much higher than in most other countries.
C) U.S. employees tend to have a larger, more formal role in organizational decision making than in Western European countries.
D) Worker representatives on boards of directors are much more common in the United States than in Western European countries.
E) The union membership rate in the U.S. is second only to that of Denmark.

Question 57

Which of the following is true of the goals of labor unions?

A) Labor unions try to consider employees as individuals so that pay and promotion decisions relate to performance differences.
B) Labor unions have the goals of obtaining pay and working conditions that satisfy the management.
C) They try to not have any pay differences based on seniority.
D) Where workers are represented by a union, it is common for all employees in a particular job classification to be paid according to their appraisals.
E) Unions focus on equal pay for equal work.

Question 58

Which of the following is covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)?

A) A worker employed as a supervisor
B) A person working for a parent
C) An independent contractor
D) An worker employed by an employer subject to the Railway Labor Act
E) A worker going out on strike to secure better working conditions

Question 59

A(n)_____ is a union security arrangement under which a person must be a union member before being hired.

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

Question 60

Which of the following is a reason for the decline in union membership in the U.S.?

A) Much recent job growth has occurred among men and younger workers, who are less likely than women and middle-aged workers to join unions
B) Human resource practices that result in lower pay for unionized than for nonunionized workers
C) Management efforts to control costs in response to international competition
D) Much recent business growth has been in the North, where workers are less likely to join unions
E) Government regulation banning unionization

Question 61

Which of the following statements is true of the decertification process?

A) The Landrum-Griffin Act incorporated the right of employees to decertify a union.
B) A decertification election may not take place when a contract is in effect.
C) Only senior management has the right to decertify a union.
D) The number of decertification elections as a proportion of total elections held has declined in recent years.
E) Decertification follows a process opposite to that of a representation election.

Question 62

Which of the following rights of employees is covered under the Taft-Hartley Act?

A) The right to nominate candidates for union office
B) The right to participate in union meetings and secret-ballot elections
C) The right to choose whether they join a union or other group.
D) The right to examine unions' financial records
E) The right to physically block nonstriking employees from entering the workplace

Question 63

According to Walton and McKersie,labor-management bargaining that focuses on dividing an economic "pie" between two sides is referred to as:

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

Question 64

One of the alternatives to traditional organizing is to conduct _____-bringing public,financial,or political pressure on employers during union organization and contract negotiation.

A) collective coercion
B) corporate campaigns
C) indirect provisions
D) associate campaigns
E) social campaigns

Question 65

During an organizing campaign:

A) the unions determine who is eligible to vote.
B) the union is automatically recognized if at least 30 percent of employees agree.
C) the NLRB conducts a secret-ballot election if only 30 to 50 percent of employees signed cards.
D) only one union can appear on the ballot.
E) the employer cannot participate in any of the proceedings.

Question 66

Which of the following should a supervisor do to discourage unions?

A) Promise employees that they will receive favorable terms or conditions of employment if they forgo union activity
B) Threaten employees with harsher terms and conditions of employment or employment loss if they engage in union activity
C) Limit direct contact with employees
D) Interrogate employees about pro-union or anti-union sentiments that they or others may have
E) Report any direct or indirect signs of union activity to a core management group

Question 67

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

A) The Taft-Hartley Act
B) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin
D) The Hatch Act
E) The Maguire Act

Question 68

Which of the following is true of how the NLRB carries out the function of preventing unfair labor practices?

A) The deadline for filing a charge is twelve months after the alleged unfair practice.
B) The NLRB has no authority to issue cease-and-desist orders to halt unfair labor.
C) The board can order the employer to reinstate workers, but cannot order them to pay back pay.
D) The NLRB is not authorized to set aside the results of an election and must approach the courts for this purpose.
E) If an employer or union refuses to comply with an NLRB order, the board has the authority to petition the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Question 69

Which of the following laws regulates unions' actions with regard to their members,including financial disclosure and the conduct of elections?

A) The Hatch Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Civil Service Reform Act
E) The Maguire Act

Question 70

According to Walton and McKersie,_____ bargaining looks for win-win solutions,or outcomes in which both sides benefit.

A) attitudinal
B) integrative
C) distributive
D) intraorganizational
E) associate

Question 71

When does the NLRB certify a union as the exclusive representative of a group of employees?

A) When the management of an organization approves of a union
B) When a union pays its dues to the board
C) When at least 51 % of the employees join the union within a certain time (30 days) after beginning employment
D) When a majority of workers vote in favor of a union
E) When the AFL-CIO votes in favor of a union

Question 72

After certifying a union,the NLRB sets certain limits for future elections.Which of the following is one such limit?

A) It will not permit additional elections for five years.
B) After the union and employer have finished negotiating a contract, an election cannot be held for the time of the contract period or for two years, whichever comes first.
C) The parties to the contract may agree not to hold an election for longer than three years.
D) After negotiating a contract, union elections cannot be conducted online.
E) An outside party can be barred from holding elections for more than three years.

Question 73

Which of the following union security provisions is illegal under right-to-work laws?

A) Checkoff provision
B) Closed shop
C) Maintenance of membership
D) Secret-ballot elections
E) Participation in union meetings

Question 74

Right-to-work laws are:

A) federal laws that protect employees' right to lifetime employment.
B) state laws that make union shops, maintenance of membership, and agency shops illegal.
C) laws that protect the right of unions to insist that the employer hire only union members.
D) laws that allow terminating an existing contract and striking for a new one without notifying the employer.
E) federal laws that ensure that all union members get pension benefits.

Question 75

What is the minimum percent of employees in a bargaining unit who must sign authorization cards for the NLRB to hold a union representation election?

A) 30 percent
B) 51 percent
C) 20 percent
D) 10 percent
E) 55 percent

Question 76

A card-check provision:

A) allows the employer, on behalf of the union, to automatically deduct union dues from the employees' paychecks.
B) is an agreement that if a certain percentage of employees sign an authorization card, the employer will recognize their union representation.
C) is an alternative form of union membership in which members receive discounts on insurance and credit cards rather than representation in collective bargaining.
D) is a formal and binding pledge by the employer not to oppose organizing efforts elsewhere in the company.
E) is a formal and binding pledge by at least 51 percent of employees to not unionize.

Question 77

Which of the following is an unfair labor practice by unions under the Taft-Hartley Act?

A) Insisting on provisions that the employer may hire only workers who are union members
B) Nominating candidates to union office and conducting secret-ballot elections
C) Going out on strike to secure better working conditions
D) Refraining from activity on behalf of the union
E) Joining a union not recognized by the employer

Question 78

Which of the following terms refers to an alternative form of union membership in which members receive discounts on insurance and credit cards rather than representation in collective bargaining?

A) Card check provision
B) Corporate union membership
C) Indirect union provision
D) Associate union membership
E) Relational union membership

Question 79

Which of the following does the NLRB exclude from participating in organizing activities and being a member of the bargaining unit?

A) Employees in multiple facilities within a single employer
B) Employees covered by multiple employers
C) Employees with managerial duties
D) Employees who have been on strike for economic reasons for less than one year and who have been replaced by other employees
E) Employees who have a community of interest in their wages, hours, and working conditions

Question 80

The NLRB has two major functions: to prevent unfair labor practices and to:

A) conduct periodic onsite inspections of union and company financial records.
B) conduct and certify representation elections.
C) make rules and regulations for union-management relations.
D) levy punitive charges on violators.
E) monitor and regulate labor relations in small, local businesses.