...Labor Relations Paper In today’s business world organizations are not as concerned with the threats of unions as in the past. Labor unions stretch deep in the American history protecting the early settlers against unfair working conditions. The work environment has changed significantly over the years; and employees’ rights are now protected by different labor laws so much that the purpose of labor unions seems almost insignificant. Organization however; must maintain a level of integrity and professionalism at all times to ensure honest business practices not only for employees, but also for customers. In this paper unions and labor relations and their effects on organizations are defined. The effect of changes in employee relations strategies, policies, and practices on organizational performance are examined; followed by a discussion on if unions are still relevant in the United States. Union Unions are organizations formed for the purpose of representing their members interest in dealing with employers (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2004, p. 461). Labor unions represent the best interest of workers and bargain collectively with the organizations to manage conflict. Unions view their roles as always needed; because of the inevitable employee and manager conflict. If an employee believes his or her interests and needs do not receive adequate consideration from management he, or she usually joins a union to have this addressed. A union not only serves to benefit...
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...bargaining by a union or other labor organization. By help of collective Bargaining, both employees and employers can negotiate about the specific issues, in terms of notional law, such as: the rules that govern their relationship, wages, hiring practices, layoff, promotions, safety of work, job conditions, working hours, work discipline, benefit programs, and etc. Once both sides have reached a contract that they find agreeable, it is signed and kept in place for a set period of time, most commonly three-five years. The final contract is called a collective bargaining agreement; it represents the fact that it is the result of a collective bargaining effort. When Did Collaborative Bargaining Start? The beginning of collective bargaining goes back in the late nineteenth century, when workers began to stimulate for more rights in their workplaces. Many skilled markets had begun using their skills as bargaining tools to force their employers to accept their workplace needs. Other workers relied on sheer numbers, creating general strikes to protest not suitable working conditions. Several labor pioneers started to establish a collective bargaining system so that labor negotiations could run more efficiently. Typically, the employees are represented by a union. Collective bargaining actually begins with joining a union, agreeing to continue by the rules of the union, and electing union representatives. The Process Generally, experienced people from the union will help the...
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...issue represents that point beyond which that party would prefer no settlement to settlement on unacceptable terms. 3. In labor negotiations, it is possible for both union and management negotiators to perceive they have been successful after completing contract negotiations. 4. Management would probably prefer centralized bargaining if it had three separate manufacturing facilities (bargaining units), each making the same product. 5. The proportion of an employer's total operating costs comprised of labor costs is termed the degree of labor intensiveness. 6. Bargaining power is more likely to be an important determinant of negotiated outcomes when the parties use a distributive bargaining approach or strategy. 7. Auto industry contract negotiations in 2007 represent an example of pattern bargaining. 8. Generally, high unemployment reduces the union's cost of disagreeing with management. 9. Smaller-sized (less than 10 individuals) bargaining teams are generally preferable to larger bargaining teams to enhance bargaining effectiveness. 10. "Voluntary" (also called permissive or non-mandatory) issues must be bargained over but agreement does not have to be reached. 11. Any failure to reach an agreement on contract language concerning a mandatory bargaining subject represents a violation of the duty to bargain in good faith. 12. Unions do not place upper limits on their bargaining ranges because they maintain, "nothing ventured,...
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...The Aspects of Labor Unions in America Zella K. Olvera MGT/431 June 14, 2012 Becky A. Shokraii MA, SPHR The aspects of labor unions in America The paper will explore how labor unions have changed the working environment in the United States. The paper will theorize if labor unions are essential and necessary in 2012 as a valuable asset to the American employee, or if labor unions have out lived usefulness. There was a time in America history labor unions were essential to protect American employees from unfair business practices. Labor unions had an enormous hand in implementing several local, state, and federal labor laws that changed working relations in unions and nonunion organizations. * Define unions and labor relations and their effect on organizations. * A union is composed of hard workingmen and women acting collectively to have his or her voice heard at work. By joining together as one cohesive entity the employees gain strength in numbers to address what the group cares most about. Unions may negotiate new contracts with the employers through collective bargaining for better working conditions, increased wages, retirement benefits, fair, and safe working conditions...
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...Executive Summary In this paper, I argue that unions will still survive as an institution and play a significant role in the labor relations development, but for the purpose of better meeting the changing demands of new environment, after analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, I try to prove that unions must change in order to survive and further grow. Then the following part focuses on specific changes need to be made and the difficulties unions face in making such changes. Because the intensity of membership has fallen quickly since the 1980s, labor unions are forced to take measures to deal with this trend, but new changes of the labor force in the United States are barriers for unions’ expectation. Actually, for the purpose of regaining the vital role unions once did in American labor-management relations, they have made changes to create more communication and cooperation opportunities with the management to reach agreements and undoubtedly, this new approach has a positive effect on the total labor and management relations. Strengths and Weaknesses of Unions According to the definition of unions, they should be organizations of wage earners and are formed for the purpose of serving the members' interests with respect to wages and working conditions. By analyzing its history, it is obvious that labor unions were born out of necessity, to protect the health and well-being of American workers. Through the years, they have provided a unified voice...
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... When the labor union movement began in the early twentieth century, the goal was to safeguard the rights of labor and putting an end to management’s almost cruel and unrestricted power. Prior to the 1930s and 40s, when most of the pro-labor legislation was passed, management was free to treat workers as it saw fit, abusing the labor with only the economic bottom line in mind. Unions became a powerful and necessary weapon for labor in the battle for rights within the workplace. Over time, federal protection for union organizing and collective bargaining allowed unions to be more powerful and politically unfair. The rights of individuals seemed to be in jeopardy, as the collective fate of the union began to take on greater importance than those of the individual workers. Because of this, many states have established right-to-work laws, which make it illegal for unions and employers to only hire union members. These laws tend to be argued, the unions believe that they weaken labor’s power, while supporters of these laws believe that they safeguard the rights of individual workers. History The unions’ power began to set in the 1930s and 40s, with the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA), which “provided employees the right to bargain collectively for wages, benefits and better working conditions” (Henderson, 2006), for the first time in U.S. history. There have been a few judicial cases that also helped to lessen the dislike toward unions, as they tried...
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...issue represents that point beyond which that party would prefer no settlement to settlement on unacceptable terms. 3. In labor negotiations, it is possible for both union and management negotiators to perceive they have been successful after completing contract negotiations. 4. Management would probably prefer centralized bargaining if it had three separate manufacturing facilities (bargaining units), each making the same product. 5. The proportion of an employer's total operating costs comprised of labor costs is termed the degree of labor intensiveness. 6. Bargaining power is more likely to be an important determinant of negotiated outcomes when the parties use a distributive bargaining approach or strategy. 7. Auto industry contract negotiations in 2007 represent an example of pattern bargaining. 8. Generally, high unemployment reduces the union's cost of disagreeing with management. 9. Smaller-sized (less than 10 individuals) bargaining teams are generally preferable to larger bargaining teams to enhance bargaining effectiveness. 10. "Voluntary" (also called permissive or non-mandatory) issues must be bargained over but agreement does not have to be reached. 11. Any failure to reach an agreement on contract language concerning a mandatory bargaining subject represents a violation of the duty to bargain in good faith. 12. Unions do not place upper limits on their bargaining ranges because they maintain, "nothing ventured,...
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...Labor Unions Objective Labor unions in the United States have been prevailing forces in the workplace since their establishment in the late 1800’s. The two main purposes for unions are union security and overall improvement in wages, working conditions and benefits for their members. While only 12% of the U.S. workforce today is under union contract; they still are establish a presence by way of strikes, mediation and impasses. Unions will form when employees believe that company management is practicing unfair labor standards and acts and will take action accordingly to meet their goals. This report will look into the history and implications labor unions have had on the U.S. workforce and what they mean for both companies and employees alike in today’s world. General History Famous Labor Strikes The Great Postal Strike of 1970 involved 200,000 postal workers who walked off the job to protest their pay rates, which when accounted barely surpassed the average cost of living in the United States during that time period (in accordance with inflationary rates). President Nixon sent 23,000 U.S. army and marine personnel to handle the mail system, but that failed due to the limited training they possessed working with the massive government operation. Within a week, the government reached an agreement with the worker’s union, allowing for a 14% pay raise for postal workers. As a result, the American Postal Workers Union became a powerful force in bargaining...
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...relationships that exist within the industry between the employer and his workmen.” | | | | The term industrial relations explain the relationship between employees and management which stem directly or indirectly from union-employer relationship. Industrial relations are the relationships between employees and employers within the organizational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated. The term industrial relations have a broad as well as a narrow outlook. Originally, industrial relations were broadly defined to include the relationships and interactions between employers and employees. From this perspective, industrial relations cover all aspects of the employment relationship, including human resource management, employee relations, and union-management (or labor) relations. Now its meaning has become more specific and restricted. Accordingly, industrial relations pertains to the study and practice of collective bargaining, trade unionism, and labor-management relations, while human resource management is a separate, largely distinct field that deals with nonunion employment relationships and the personnel practices and policies of employers. The relationships which arise...
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... you will be able to: 1. Discuss the employment relationship between workers and the company. 2. Discuss how employers can exist without unions but unions cannot exist without employers. 3. Identify reasons why workers unionize. 4. Discuss why unionization is declining in the United States. 5. Analyze the difference between the public sector labor relations and private business. Introduction to this week's topics: Labor relations is the set of processes and activities unions and employers develop and use to clarify, manage, reduce, and resolve conflicts between employees and their representatives while accommodating the various goals of each. The practice of labor relations is governed by contracts negotiated by and agreed to by both parties. Contracts are renegotiated periodically to take into account changing goals and objectives of both parties and changes in the economy and society. Within larger employers that operate several establishments, labor relations will differ depending on what is produced in each establishment and whether different unions represent employees in different establishments. Employers would like complete freedom to alter the terms and conditions of employment in their workplaces, as necessary, to maximize returns on investments and achieve organizational goals. While labor is somewhat mobile, with workers able to move between employers as opportunities occur, it is less mobile than financial capital. They would like to...
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...Introduction Among this country’s greatest strengths has been its economic structure and diversity. As citizens and business professionals, we owe a lot of this to the Constitutional system of government. With a balance of power between the states and the Federal government, this country is ripe for economic development. Wall Street is one of our country’s icons, and affluent business tycoons such as Donald Trump, J. Willard Marriott, Sam Walton, and Warren Buffett receive celebrity status. This economic strength has carried us through war and peace. In fact, images of Rosie the Riveter represent how we secured the home front during World War (National Park Service). More recently, it was economic strategy (and this country’s outright economic dominance) that led to the fall of Communism and the end of the Cold War. (Garrity, 2002). Individual prosperity is a fundamental principle of our economic system, and is as important as collective wealth. One need not belong to an elite class or family (although it does help if you are related to millionaires), nor does one have to obtain special permission from the government. Another element of the economic system is the way it rewards success. If you seek it, you can find it; all you need is to find a way to build a better widget, or a better way to build what everyone else has been making. At least in theory, the system is designed in such a way as to reward ingenuity, work ethic, and perseverance. Unfortunately, not...
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... EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Labor relations remains to be an important component in human resources management. As Ivancevich defined it, labor relations is the continuous relationship between a defined group of employees and management. This encompasses the negotiation of a written contract concerning pay, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment, as well as the interpretation and administration of this contract over its period of coverage. In every organization, the presence of organized groups of individuals is deemed necessary to ensure that the rights of the members are guarded and protected. It is good to note that here in the Philippines employees enjoy adequate legal protection. As a matter of fact, the Labor Code of the Philippines stands as a law governing employment practices and labor relations in the country according to the Wikipedia. And as the Labor Code of the Philippines declares, it is the policy of the State to promote and emphasize the primacy of free collective bargaining and negotiations, to promote free trade unionism as an instrument for the enhancement of democracy, to foster free and voluntary organization of a strong and united labor movement, to promote the enlightenment of workers concerning their rights and obligations as union members and as employees, and many more. This particular legislation contains several provisions which are beneficial to labor. It is even expressly...
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...BOOK FIVE LABOR RELATIONS Title I POLICY AND DEFINITIONS Chapter I POLICY Article. 211. Declaration of Policy. - A. It is the policy of the State: (a) To promote and emphasize the primacy of free collective bargaining and negotiations, including voluntary arbitration, mediation and conciliation, as modes of settling labor or industrial disputes; (b) To promote free trade unionism as an instrument for the enhancement of democracy and the promotion of social justice and development; (c) To foster the free and voluntary organization of a strong and united labor movement; (d) To promote the enlightenment of workers concerning their rights and obligations as union members and as employees; (e) To provide an adequate administrative machinery for the expeditious settlement of labor or industrial disputes; (f) To ensure a stable but dynamic and just industrial peace; and (g) To ensure the participation of workers in decision and policy-making processes affecting their rights, duties and welfare. B. To encourage a truly democratic method of regulating the relations between the employers and employees by means of agreements freely entered into through collective bargaining, no court or administrative agency or official shall have the power to set or fix wages, rates of pay, hours of work or other terms and conditions of employment, except as otherwise provided under this Code. (As amended by Section 3, Republic Act No. 6715, March 21, 1989). ...
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... National Labor Relations Act Initial History The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, commonly referred to as the Wagner Act, is the basic bill of rights for unions. It was enacted to eliminate employers' interference with the organization of workers into unions. Before, many employers would threaten the employees that if they would be joining a union they would receive less pay, benefits, hours, or even be fired. This caused an outcry in American society because many of the employers weren't giving the employees much security for their jobs and they weren't able to join any unions. So to help out with this problem the Wagner act was signed into law on July 5th, 1935 and it investigates and charges ventures on unfair labor practices. This law gives the workers many rights as far as being able to organize and join unions, to bargain collectively, and to actively pursue their objectives whatever they may be. The problem with the law at first was that many people were ignoring this as a law all together. Many of the initial appellate courts agreed that this law was unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. It took many years and many court cases that were won because of the NLRA that it became an enforceable law that could be upheld in court. The Wagner Act requires that employees bargain in good faith with the union when it comes too wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment. In accordance with the NLRA the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was...
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...Challenges that Unions Face in the 21st Century HRM 330 Professor Morris Challenges that Unions face in the 21st Century Introduction Unions are normally formed because of the offensive treatment, unfavorable working conditions, as well as the slave labor strategies that some employers use to operate their organizations and handle their workers. Labor unions are considered as organizations that offer protection to employees. The key purpose of a labor union is to make sure that its members are fairly treated. Even with this key goal as the intention, unions have faced a number of problems and negatively impacting stigmas during their tenure. Labor Unions conceive that labor is not a commodity that can be bought and sold and that they should have some type of security in any case that they are injured or laid off. A bigger percentage of the population disagrees on how unions assist members or the kinds of agendas they maintain. Initial allegations that have been brought against the unions include unfair deals and intimidation. Historically, Americans prefer individualism. Supposedly, some union associates have threatened company owners and non-union workers, for the reason that some things were not done in a manner the union had wanted. This paper therefore outlines the challenges that unions face in the 21st century and the necessary changes required for unions to uphold, support from their associates, the society and the employers...
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