...Ashley Ford BUS372: Employee & Labor Relations Felicia Bridgewater 10/8/2012 Final Paper Unions are meant to represent employees in negotiations with management in the organizations in which they work. Not all organizations are union companies; there are actually more non-union companies than there are ones that are represented by unions. It is important for union representatives and management personnel to get along and work together when trying to negotiate terms of employee contracts and resolving issues that arise in everyday work situations. In this paper we will look at the roles of the union in an organization and the role of management in an organization. We will also explore strategies that unions and management can employ to make the relationship between them more conducive. In what ways can unions work to make this relationship better and in what ways can management work to make the relationship better. Communication and commitment are vital, unions and management must work together. The Role of the Union in an Organization The main role and function of a union is to help with the dialogue between employees and employers and minimize conflict. “It refers to an organization of employees within a trade or profession that has the objective of representing its members’ interest, through improving pay and working conditions” (Labor Unions, 2007). Unions provide workers with a sense of security during times of low economic stability. They can offer them...
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...Description of Paper This paper will be discussing the historical and legal framework which provides the foundations for the American system of labor and management relations. I will also be analyzing the actions of unions and management to determine basic compliance with the major U.S federal labor laws. I will also discuss the roles and responsibilities of key participants in the right to work state when compared to a non right to work state. Finally I will explain the process for organizing and for decertifying unions. Historical and Legal Framework for American Unions Labor Unions go back all the way to the development of America. Starting when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620, several of the pilgrims were craftsmen. These were considered primitive unions, or guilds of not just carpenters but also cabinet makers, cordwainers and cobblers made their appearance as well. Although many early attempts at labor unions failed, during the 19th century and the start of the Industrial Revolution, workers preserved and began union traditions that continue today. The purpose of forming unions was so that members could speak out and seek fair solutions when it came to working conditions, to improve job security, and increase wages and fringe benefits without the fear of losing their jobs. The union is selected by the employee as their bargaining agent to represent their interest and what is best for them when it comes to negotiation and administration of...
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...Weekly Written Assignment, Week 2, Chapters 4, 5 and 6 Union and Management: Key Participants in the Labor Relations Process Why and How Unions are Organized Negotiating the Labor Agreement October 30, 2014 Case 5-3, "Did the Company Violate....?", p. 232; and Case 5-5, "Bulletin Board Use", p. 236. Answer the questions at the end of each case in typewritten format, 3 - 5 pages. 1. Was this matter within the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board? The statements made by the employer appear to coincide with an unlawful promise of benefits, and therefore, are unacceptable in relation to the act. The concept of “positive coercion” is addressed in the case study, and these actions directly influence the manner in which employees may view the union and its possible entrance into the organization. In this context, the company does not possess a right to actively or even passively coerce employees into making a decision on one side or another, as this should be an independent decision that is left in the hands of employees without any type of influence. This is an important factor in demonstrating the value that is placed upon organizations and their ability to coerce employees to make decisions in one way or another, and how this type of behavior is unacceptable in all cases. 2. Were Leiner’s actions considered a protected activity under the Labor Management Relations Act? I think yes. The employer had an e-mail policy that restricted use of the...
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...Unions and Management Working Relationships Sonya Pugh Rolle BUS372: Employee & Labor Relations Instructor: Norma Motley August 5, 2013 . The relationship between unions and organization is a contentious one. Dating back to the beginning of unionization in the 19th century, the two entities have held divergent perspectives. Unionization was birthed from the perception that organizations took advantage of workers and some form of a bargaining agreement was needed. There were documented incident of workers working long demanding hours for minimal pay; little to no healthcare coverage; unsafe working conditions; and gender/racial discrimination. On the other hand, companies believed that unionization resulted in less productivity which threatened profits, that unions interfered in daily operations, and restricted the employer’s say over compensation and benefits. The ongoing conflict between the two played out in courts, picket lines and political elections. Throughout decades and several pivotal points, many of the major conflicts between the two have waned and shifted course. For instance, the formation of welfare capitalism by companies was a way of showing employees there was no need for unions. According to Sloane (2010), “Welfare capitalism was intended to demonstrate to their employees that unions were unnecessary, they established a wide variety of employee-benefit programs: elaborate profit-sharing...
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...Question Explain the conflicting roles of unions, management, and government. Do you think that unions will continue to have a strong role in the employment environment over the next 20 years? The Conflicting Roles of Unions, Management, and Government Overview The roles of unions, management, and government often have conflicting roles and goals concerning unionization and the workplace. Unions are champions of employee rights; they fight and negotiate for increased wages, ‘fair’ hours, and a safe working environment (among other things). The roles of an employer, however, include ensuring efficiency and productivity within their organization. Since the goals of unions and management differ, an inherent ambiguity exists regarding a ‘fair’ compromise between efficiency and terms of employment. Generally speaking, unions often request higher wages, more hours, or a safer workplace than the employer feels is necessary. The role of government in the unionized workplace is a complex one. On one hand, the government is a large employer and must strive to be both efficient and productive. On the other hand, a government represents its constituents and must protect their interests; the majority of constituents are also employees. Because of these two competing interests, our government must strive to act as fairly as possible when dealing with unions in the workplace. Unions Unions exist in a wide variety of industries across Newfoundland; these industries include airlines...
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...(BWK1307A) Unions and management are two crucial components for any organization. Also, management and unions play a crucial role in any organization. However, some unions feel that the organization does not compensate its members fairly, or that the organizational working conditions are less than desirable. Conversely, some employers feel that unions interfere with management decisions and impede on a positive relationship between managers and employees. There may be some truth to both perceptions. However, management and unions need to come together and achieve a great healthy work environment for everyone who is involved with the organization. So, this paper will briefly describe the role of management in an organization, discuss the role of a union in an organization, will describe two strategies/actions an organization can implement to create and maintain a conducive, working relationship with unions as well as explain two strategies/actions a union can implement to create and maintain a conducive, working relationship with management. First, the role of management in an organization is very important. Management has many responsibilities in an organization. Management helps an organization to become successful. Without the use of management the organization will not be successful. Management is also the ones who are responsible for conducting actions linked to hiring, employee training, compensation, evaluation etc… (DeSilva, 1997). Management also has a huge...
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...To complete this assignment, go to this week's Argumentative Paper link in the left navigation: Argumentative Paper An Argumentative Paper is due in Week Five. Below is a list of potential topics. Please see “Graded Writing Assignment Notices” in your Discussion Forum. This set of topics and the topics on the grading forum have all been tested over time and can be successfully argued from different perspectives. Thus you need to choose a topic where you can see at least two points of view and present both points. You will have your own opinion and need to present that in Part III of your argument. If you feel so strongly about a topic that you cannot see another point of view, avoid writing about it. Suggested Topics * Should abortions be legal? * Are Affirmative Action laws fair? * Should America have stronger Gun Control laws? * Should assisted suicide be legal? * Are charter schools/vouchers detrimental to the American educational system? * Should the death penalty be abolished? * Should homosexuals be allowed to legally marry? * Should homosexuals be allowed to be Christian ministers/pastors? * Should animals be used in medical research? * Is global warming a genuine threat to the planet earth? * Should human cloning be legal? * Should embryonic stem cell research be federally funded? Select one of the above issues and construct a six-to eight-page argument in which you use the following format. Your paper will...
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...time moves on, the proportion of union and non-union has been changed. According to the research in Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS), the proportion of non-union only voice increases from 16% to 40% between 1984 and 1998, instead, that union-only voice decrease from 24% to 9% (Millward et al., 2000). Peter Boxall & John Purcell (2003) defined employee voice as “a term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enable and sometimes empower employees directly and indirectly to contribute to the decision making in the firm.” Comparing with union representation, Non-union Employee Representation (NER) has been more and more crucial within the representation structure. Based on the research data, Charlwood and Terry (2007) indicate that the development of representation in non-union enterprise has been in a stable situation, with 10% of employees are situated in workplaces where representation is provided through non-union channel. This essay is divided into two parts. Firstly, it will focus on the understanding of non-union enterprise including its differences with union enterprise, management structure and employee relationship in non-union enterprise. Latterly, The essay will conclude whether employee’s vocie can be effecitive in non-union enterprises by analysing different management system. Mainbody How can the growth of non-union enterprise be best explained? Background of Non-union firms In 1980s, profoundly change...
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...Head: ESTABLISING GOOD UNION RELATIONSHIP AT WORKPLACE Abstract…………………………………………………………………………. 3 Suggestion on Establishing Good Union Management Relationship in the Workplace Human Resource Management December 24, 2011 1 SUGGESTION ON ESTABLISHING GOOD UNION RELATIONSHIP 2 Introduction……………………………………………………………………… 4 Changing Union- Management Relations…………………………………… 6 Open Warfare………………………………………………………… 6 Adversarial………………………………………………………………………. 6 Accommodating………………………………………………………………… 7 Partnership……………………………………………………………………… 7 Overcoming Past History to Negotiate New Relationship…………………. High Integrity Relationship……………………………………………………. Role of Managers………………………………………………………………. 9 9 10 Dynamic Line Managers………………………………………………………. 11 Workplace Harmonies and Cooperative…………………………………………….. 12 Worker Participation and Employee Involvement…………………………. 12 Communication………………………………………………………………… 13 Training…………………………………………………………………………. 14 Employee’s Satisfaction……………………………………………………….. 14 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Reference……………………………………………………………………………….. 19 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………... 22 Table of Content Abstract SUGGESTION ON ESTABLISHING GOOD UNION RELATIONSHIP 3 Relationship between union and management has changed together with environment and economical condition from time to time. Union relations with management should be seen as...
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...Lecturer, Commerce Department The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan Tabinda Kiran (Corresponding author) Lecturer, Management Sciences The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan ABSTRACT The main intention of writing this paper is to develop understanding about the concept of collective bargaining, its scope and implementation issues in HBFC Pakistan and in light of problems that they face in collective bargaining suggest some factors for effective collective bargaining. Simple random sampling was used for collecting data from population. In-depth interviews are conducted formally and informally. Based on the analysis of data gathered in HBFC it was found that there is no proper communication between union and management. They have misconception between them and the management does not properly recognize the union. And there is also the involvement of politics in collective bargaining. So there is need of some improvement in collective bargaining process and also realize the importance of union and collective bargaining. The type of this research study is exploratory. Most of management member in the organization were not agree to share any information and some of them became very aggressive when asking for data collection so that it was very difficult to interpret the results. Key words: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING (CB), TRADE UNION, HBFC 1. INTRODUCTION: Collective...
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...Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource Management Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource Management Vol.2, No.1 2008 Sharing the Pie: Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations in Multinationals in Bangladesh Monowar Hossain Mahmood East West University Bangladesh Abstract Using the ‘convergence-divergence’ thesis as the baseline for the study of industrial relations and trade union activities in multinational subsidiaries, the present study tried to investigate extent of the trade union activities and IR practices of MNCs in a developing country context, i.e. Bangladesh, as well as influence of the MNCs on trade unions and IR activities within the existing social and economic contexts. The study revealed that comparative power dominance of multinationals over the host country industrial relations actors emerge as the vital factor in employer-union bargaining process, as well as their capacity to manipulate the existing bargaining process also helped them to implement their desired practices in Bangladesh. However, multinationals were not in confronting mode at all the circumstances, but their potential lobbying power created difficulties for the employees and the trade unions to develop countervailing power in the collective bargaining process and IR activities. Keywords: Convergence-Divergence, Bangladesh, Multinationals, Trade Unions Introduction Empirical studies of international human resource management (IHRM) often reveal that industrial relations practices...
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...Labor Relations Unions are the voice of many individuals within work environments. Some organizations and employees happily accept unions into an organization while other organizations and employees would rather keep them out of their workplace. There are positive and negative impacts when a union is involved. This paper will define unions and labor relations and what the union’s purpose is. The paper will discuss the affects that labor relations have on organizations, as well as, discuss the affects of changes in employees organizational performance. Last, this paper will look at unions of today and answer the question, are they still relevant in the U.S.? Defining Unions and Labor Relations Unions support the best interest of the employees in an organization. Employees pay to join unions as unions can help employees get what they deserve within the organization. According to the textbook, Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, Second Edition (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhert, & Wright, 2007), unions are defined as “organizations formed for the purpose of representing their members’ interests and resolving conflicts with employers” (p.459). Labor Relations is the interaction and decision making process between management and unions. According to Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (Noe, et al., 2007), “labor relations is a field that emphasizes skills managers and unions leaders can use to minimize costly conflicts and disagreements” (p.459). Unions use a collective bargaining...
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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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...Conflict Management | Case: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited | The case attempts to examine a conflict that took place between the Union and Management at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in 1999. We have tried to understand the conflict and analyze the ‘conflict resolution’ methodology that was adopted in this scenario. | Background of the organization BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) was originally formed as Burma Shell Company, which was then nationalized by legislation passed by Indian Parliament in the year 1976. Since then it has grown to be one of the most successful public sector undertakings in the country and has been awarded “Navratna” status. As a result of its status, the management of the organization has certain freedom to implement decisions without involvement of the concerned ministry. Today BPCL operates across India in various locations and produces a variety of petrochemical products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, lubricants etc. About the union The history of unions in the company is as old as 1954. Currently there are about 15 unions in BPCL. The majority union in the western region is the Petroleum Employees Union. This union is affiliated to INTUC and it was established by Mr. Raja Kulkarni. The present general secretary of the union is Mr. Satishkumar P. M. Nair, who is one of the veterans in the union and has been serving as the union leader for about 24 years, first 2 years as Vice President and next...
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...Labor Management Relations Labor management as a definitive term spans over the centuries. Despite the age and issues presented over the years, labor management and, more pointedly, unions continue to be the subject of great debate in today’s business and government environments. As workers and union representatives remain in the forefront of corporate debates over workers rights and wages, one must question how effective labor management relations are today. Unions present the opportunity for workers to have a representative voice; however, as history proves, unions also present the opportunity for union heads to fulfill self-serving agendas that offer little, if any, respite to workers. As such, this paper examines the history of labor management relations to set the stage for included discussion on current labor and union issues to determine how beneficial unions are and whether they do more harm than good in protecting workers’ rights. History Von Otter defines labor management relations as being related to “the rules and policies which govern and organize employment, how these are established and implemented, and how they affect the needs and interests of employees and employers” (np). Labor management relations involves both industry and economics and often encompasses strategic human resources. However, not all sectors of business, economic and social environments “work” well together as history has proven. The world economy experienced massive growth in the twentieth...
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