80) An employer’s exclusion of workers from a workplace until they meet certain conditions is
known as a
A) strike.
B) lockout.
C) mediation.
D) picket line.
E) sabbatical.
81) The ________ usually provides the neutral third party who is used for the common
alternatives to strikes.
A) National Labor Relations Board
B) Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
C) Federal Labor Relations Board
D) Federal Arbitration and Consulting Service
E) National Mediation and Arbitration Commission
82) Lyla, a neutral third party, tries to resolve a conflict initiated by a manager and union
representative at Houghlin Inc. She does so by listening to what both parties have to say about
the issue and facilitating the negotiations. In this scenario, Lyla is exercising which type of
alternative to work stoppages?
A) mediation
B) final-offer arbitration
C) fact-finder technique
D) conventional arbitration
E) rights arbitration
83) According to the provisions outlined in the contract between Kramer Inc. and its labor union,
Kramer Inc. must pay its employees double for working overtime. However, due to financial
constraints, the company is unable to meet these demands. The company and the union decide to
negotiate the terms of the contract in a relatively informal manner. A non-authoritative third
party is invited to listen to the views of both sides and help resolve the conflict. In the context of
the alternatives to work stoppages, the third party in this scenario is an example of a(n)
A) arbitrator.
B) fact finder.
C) mediator.
D) rights enforcer.
E) stakeholder.
84) The Transport Union in Austin, Texas, enters into a contract with the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority. The contract requires the government agency to pay a yearly bonus to
union members. A year after signing the contract, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
refuses to pay the annual bonus, which triggers a conflict between the union and the agency. A
third party intervenes to resolve the conflict between the two parties. The third party evaluates
the arguments of both sides and proposes a solution. Both parties have the right to decline the
proposal, but they decide to accept it. In the context of the alternatives to work stoppage, the
third party in this scenario is an example of a(n)
A) fact finder.
B) arbitrator.
C) stakeholder.
D) moderator.
E) rights enforcer.
85) The Public Transport Union and the New York Transit Authority are in conflict with each
other. When the conflict escalates, the New York City Council decides to intervene and settle the
dispute. The Council, after listening to offers from both sides, puts forth a binding settlement,
which both parties must accept. In the context of the alternatives to work stoppages, this is an
example of
A) arbitration.
B) fact finder negotiation.
C) mediation.
D) checkoff bargain.
E) grievance leverage.
86) Bargaining over a new union contract typically occurs
A) only about every three years.
B) year after year.
C) only on the anniversary of the union’s establishment.
D) when the union wants more power over an organization.
E) when a company feels a union is overstepping its boundaries.
87) The method for providing solutions to union-management conflicts over interpretation or
violation of a collective bargaining agreement is known as a
A) complaint protocol.
B) chain of command.
C) grievance procedure.
D) protest procedure.
E) corporate campaign.
88) The employees’ union and the management at Rex Inc. enter into a contract, which requires
Rex to improve its facilities and ensure the safety of its employees. However, a few months later,
the employees observe that the conditions have remained the same and that management has not
taken any steps to revamp its systems. As a result, the union files a case against Rex for violating
the terms of their contract. In order to resolve this issue, the union and Rex will both have to
participate in a process for resolving conflicts, known as
A) lockout protocols.
B) right-to-work laws.
C) the unionship arrangement.
D) the grievance procedure.
E) the chain of command.
89) A production worker believes that her supervisor is intentionally assigning her to work on
machinery for which she does not have the proper training. She is worried about her safety and
wonders if the supervisor is intentionally harassing her. The worker is represented by a union, so
she starts the grievance process specified in the labor agreement. Assuming this is a typical
grievance procedure, in which step, if any, will the employee likely act alone?
A) The final step; the employee and the supervisor would meet together with the union-
appointed arbitrator.
B) The first step; the employee can speak with her supervisor on her own before involving the
union.
C) The step in which a written grievance is submitted; this must be written and delivered by the
employee only.
D) None; the union handles all steps of the grievance procedure without involving the employee.
E) The step of deciding to appeal an unresolved grievance; it is up to the employee to choose
arbitration or no appeal.
90) During the grievance process, the union appeals a grievance to top line management and
senior industrial relations staff. What step comes next?
A) The union steward and employee decide whether the contract was violated.
B) The union decides whether to appeal the unresolved grievance to arbitration.
C) The written grievance is submitted to the production superintendent, another line manager, or
industrial relations representative.
D) The decision resulting from the appeal is put into writing.
E) The employee (and the union steward) discuss the problem with a supervisor.
91) A nursing assistant in a nursing home filed a grievance that he was unfairly passed over for a
promotion. Discussions and appeals did not satisfy the employee, so the issue went to arbitration.
The arbitrator decided that the nursing home must promote the employee, based on the terms of
its contract, in spite of management’s protests that the employee was too unreliable to handle the
greater responsibility. The employee’s supervisor urges Luke, the director of human resources, to
file an appeal in the state courts. Luke says doing so would be a wasted expense. Which
statement best supports Luke’s conclusion?
A) The company should have considered whether the grievance procedure is fair.
B) The majority of grievances are settled during the early stages of the process.
C) Courts generally do not have the authority to rule on employment matters.
D) Courts generally avoid reviewing arbitrators’ decisions in these matters.
E) Courts generally rule against businesses in employment matters.
92) An electric utility operates in a state with right-to-work laws. About three-quarters of its line
workers have elected to join the union that represents them. Keith, one of the line workers,
believes that his supervisor is unfairly passing him over when selecting employees to earn extra
pay by working overtime. Keith wants to file a grievance according to the process in the labor
agreement, but he is not a member of the union. What must the union do in this situation?
A) It must let Keith join the union so he can have representation in the process.
B) It must allow Keith to use the process it negotiated, but it need not send representatives.
C) It has no obligations in this process, because Keith chose not to be represented.
D) It must give Keith representation equal to what a union member would receive.
E) It must give Keith a copy of the labor agreement, but it need not be involved in the process.
93) Laura, a sales manager at Dexter Inc., claims that labor and management are rivals for most
organizations. Brooke, the HR manager, says she is aware of exceptions. Which statement best
supports Brooke’s perspective?
A) After the 1980s, most unions and organizations have acted more like adversaries.
B) Examples of cooperation between labor and management include employee involvement in
decision making and self-managing teams.
C) Finding win-win solutions is almost impossible because unions and management have
conflicting goals.
D) Organizations often define jobs narrowly, which is a sign of cooperation.
E) Creating a union necessarily forces employers to pay more wages, which results in loss of
profits.
94) Erica, a vice president of human resources at an automobile company, wants to develop its
programs for employee empowerment. However, she is concerned because unions are heavily
involved in representing auto workers and might object to empowerment programs. Which
statement about the National Labor Relations Board would best address Erica’s concern?
A) The NLRB has issued statements indicating that it will not tolerate employee empowerment.
B) In its rulings, the NLRB has allowed employee empowerment in certain very limited
situations.
C) The NLRB has issued rulings that say employee empowerment is allowed only in a nonunion
environment.
D) In its rulings, the NLRB has shown clear support for employee involvement in decision
making.
E) The NLRB makes it an unfair labor practice to form employee participation committees to
make decisions.
95) The executives of Bee Hive Honey are proud of the company’s management practices, which
they believe ensure fair treatment of employees better than union representation does. However,
some complaints about working conditions have shown up in the suggestion box. The executives
asked the HR manager, Ashley, to plan a system of employee–manager meetings to address
issues such as these. As Ashley considers this request, what potential problem should she keep in
mind?
A) Legal guidelines covering an employer-established system of representation are lengthy and
precise.
B) Workers tend to think representatives in an employer-established system cannot be counted
on to stand up for them.
C) It is statistically likely that most Bee Hive Honey workers are already represented by unions.
D) It is possible that a management-established system of employee representation may violate
the NLRA.
E) Unions have never tried to organize Bee Hive Honey’s workers, so they can easily make a
case that the company organized workers illegally.
96) A chain of fried-fish restaurants hires part-time workers and pays minimum wage. Turnover
is very high. Given that most employees do not stay at a restaurant long or work there full time,
organizing campaigns are very difficult. With these facts in mind, Kathy, the chain’s vice
president of human resources, believes unions will not have an impact on the company. What
possible force in labor markets is Kathy overlooking?
A) self-managing employee teams, which could conduct a union organizing campaign
B) management-established representation systems, which are endorsed by the NLRB
C) the National Labor Relations Board, which could require the company to form a union
D) worker centers, which could influence attitudes through publicity and community support
E) arbitration panels, which could rule that fair labor conditions require a union
97) Briefly describe the three levels of decisions involved in labor relations.
98) What is the difference between craft unions and industrial unions?
99) Explain what right-to-work laws are. What is the viewpoint of unions regarding these laws?
100) Explain the major functions of the National Labor Relations Board.
101) What is the basic process of negotiating a labor contract?
102) How can labor-management relations be made more cooperative?
103) How have the changes in the structure of the economy resulted in a decline in union
membership in the United States?
104) Why do unions place a high level of importance on negotiating contract provisions with an
employer?
105) Briefly describe the secret-ballot election process conducted by the NLRB.
106) How do employers judge a grievance procedure?