Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
Chapter 13 Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
True/False Questions
[QUESTION]
1. A desire to have more influence in effecting change in the work environment is one of the
general reasons why workers join unions.
2. The Taft-Hartley Act was designed to protect workers’ rights to organize and join unions.
3. If an employee believes that they have individual influence at work and are protected
against unfair treatment by their managers, they will be less likely to join a union.
4. NLRA describes what constitutes unfair labor practices by employers. Prohibited activities
include bargaining in good faith with employee representatives.
5. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 prohibits union discrimination against workers who do not
want to participate in union activities, including strikes.
6. The Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 is applicable to the railroad industry
employees, airline workers, and federal employees.
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
[QUESTION]
7. In the event that a union is not accepted, another certification election can be held within 12
months.
8. While it is true that unionized workers have higher base pay than non-unionized workers,
the same cannot be said for the level of benefits received by unionized workers, who
generally have fewer benefits than their peers in nonunion organizations.
9. Collective bargaining occurs when representatives of a labor union meet with management
representatives to determine employees’ wages and benefits, to create or revise work rules,
and to resolve disputes or violations of the labor contract.
10. Good-faith bargaining means that either party is required to agree to a final proposal or to
make concessions.
11. Institutional issues in collective bargaining include issues such as pension plans, paid
vacations and holidays, health insurance plans, dismissal pay, reporting pay, and
supplementary unemployment benefits (SUB).
12. Concessionary bargaining is also called interest-based bargaining.
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
[QUESTION]
13. Distributive bargaining involves a union giving back to management some of what it has
gained in previous bargaining.
14. Mediators act as go-betweens between the parties to help clarify the issues but that they
have no conclusive power or authority to impose a legally binding solution.
15. One risk of striking is that replacement employees could vote the union out in an NLRB-
conducted decertification election.
16. Primary boycott refers to the union trying to induce third parties, such as suppliers and
customers, to refrain from any business dealings with an employer with whom it has a
dispute.
17. Grievance procedures generally establish the specified number of working days within
which the grievance must be taken to the next step in the hearing.
18. An arbitrator’s role is to make a ruling that is final and binding upon both parties.
19. The intent of miniarbitration is to expedite a decision after an appeal is made.
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
Level: Medium
[QUESTION]
20. Distributive bargaining is the most common type of bargaining in which both sides try to
reach a mutually beneficial alternative or a win-win solution.
21. The future of unionization in the U.S. is positive, especially with legislative and political
forces in favor of unions.
22. In general public sector employees have more bargaining power than private sector
employees.
23. An example of unions cooperating with management is the retraining of employees to
diminish the need for layoffs and downsizing.
24. Unlike the U.S., in Europe, more than one union, may represent the same workers.
25. International labor relations is complicated due to differences in the role of governments,
religions and political agendas from one county to another.
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
Multiple Choice Questions
[QUESTION]
26. Which of the following statements regarding unions is FALSE?
A) Unions tend to not get involved in productivity improvement programs.
B) Union membership has dropped substantially in the 1980s.
C) Union influence is much greater outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe.
D) Unions put constraints on many HR decisions such as compensation, promotion,
demotion, and termination.
E) Employees believe that unions can actually improve conditions and, in particular, can have
an impact at their own workplace.
27. The __________ formally recognized workers’ right to organize and bargain collectively
with representatives of their own choosing.
A) Wagner Act
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Landrum-Griffin Act
D) Norris-LaGuardia Act
E) Americans with Disabilities Act
28. “Right-to-work” laws declare that:
A) management cannot interfere with or restrain workers in their right to organize.
B) union security agreements which require membership as a condition of employment are
illegal.
C) unions can not discriminate against workers who do not participate in strikes.
D) employers may not interfere with employee representation and collective bargaining
rights.
E) employers can interfere with employee representation.
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
13-6
[QUESTION]
29. According to NLRA:
A) management cannot interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their
rights to organize, bargain collectively.
B) management cannot dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any
labor organization.
C) management cannot encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization by
discrimination with regard to hiring.
D) management cannot refuse to bargain collectively with representatives of the employees.
E) management can discharge or otherwise discriminate against an employee because he or
she has filed charges or given testimony.
30. The __________ was designed to protect workers from union corruption.
A) Civil Rights Act of 1964
B) Wagner Act
C) Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Fair Labor Reform Bill of 1978
E) The Fair Labor Standards Act
31. The Civil Service Reform Act:
A) mandates health coverage for all federal workers.
B) legislates the organizational structure of unions.
C) includes coverage of secondary boycotts.
D) replaces the earlier Taft-Hartley Act.
E) prohibits strikes by federal workers.
32. The __________ view maintains that unionization reduces worker quit rates, thereby
leading to retention of experienced workers, lowering a firm’s training costs, and raising its
productivity.
A) collective voice
B) ecological
C) human resource
D) monopoly
E) enlightened
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
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13-7
Answer: A
Page: 478
Level: Medium
[QUESTION]
33. Workers at the MJR Steel Mill have recently begun efforts to unionize. Who of the
following is the MOST likely to welcome the unionization effort?
A) An economist who consults for the firm.
B) The vice-president in charge of production.
C) A corporate stockholder.
D) A factory line steelworker.
E) Engineers.
34. A(n) __________ is a formal agreement between a union and management which
specifies conditions of employment for a certain period of time.
A) labor contract
B) contract negotiation
C) master agreement
D) arbitration settlement
E) document
35. Pension plans, paid vacations and holidays, health insurance plans, dismissal pay,
reporting pay, and supplementary unemployment benefits (SUBs) are examples of which of
the following collective bargaining issues?
A) Wage-related collective bargaining issues
B) Supplementary economic benefits issues
C) Institutional issues
D) Administrative issues
E) Concessionary bargaining
Chapter 13 – Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
[QUESTION]
36. Each of the following is an institutional collective bargaining issue EXCEPT:
A) rights and duties of employers.
B) union security.
C) quality of work life programs.
D) check-off procedures.
E) two-tier wage systems.
37. Each of the following is an administrative collective bargaining issue EXCEPT:
A) seniority.
B) employee discipline and discharge procedures.
C) work rules.
D) union security.
E) job security.
38. The Coal Miners’ National Union (CMNU) has decided to give up some of the advantages
it has gained for the past five years in an attempt to avoid a lay off of several hundred coal
miners at a local coal mine. This sort of tactic is called:
A) distributive bargaining.
B) impasse resolution.
C) concessionary bargaining.
D) unmediated arbitration.
E) binding arbitration.
39. Which of the following is illegal under the Taft-Harley act?
A) Strike
B) Picketing
C) Primary boycott
D) Secondary boycott
E) Lockout