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ANSWERS TO CHAPTER 11 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
11-1. What are organized labor’s strategies for a stronger movement?
Strategically located union members: A few strategically located union members may
exert a disproportionate amount of power.
Pulling the union through: Union tactic that has worked effectively recently is to put
pressure on the end user of a company’s product in order to have a successful organizing
attempt.
11-2. What is the status (prevalence) of unions today?
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Union membership has steadily been declining as wages and working conditions have
improved. Legislation such as the Civil Rights Act improved the conditions for all
workers. The public sector continues to be heavily unionized?
11-3. Define the following terms:
a. Local union
b. Craft union
11-4. What is the difference between the NLRA and the Labor-Management Relations
Act?
The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935 is one of the most significant
The Labor Management Relations Act (Taft-Hartley Act) extensively revised the
National Labor Relations Act. Some of the important changes introduced by the Taft-
Hartley Act included the following:
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3. Broadening the employer’s right of free speech
4. Providing that employers need not recognize or bargain with unions
formed by supervisors
5. Giving employees the right to initiate decertification petitions
6. Providing for government intervention in national emergency strikes
11-5. Why has the NLRB recently been thrust into the forefront with regard to labor
relations?
11-6. What steps must a union take in establishing the collective bargaining
relationship? Briefly describe each step.
11-7. What are the steps involved in the collective bargaining process?
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11-8. Distinguish among mandatory, permissive, and prohibited bargaining issues.
11-9. What are topics included in virtually all labor agreements?
11-10. Define each of the following:
a. Closed shop
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b. Union shop: Requirement that all employees become members of the union after a
specified period of employment (the legal minimum is 30 days), or after a union shop
provision has been negotiated.
c. Agency shop: Labor agreement provision requiring, as a condition of employment,
that each nonunion member of a bargaining unit pay the union the equivalent of
membership dues as a service charge in return for the union acting as the bargaining
agent.
d. Maintenance of membership: Employees who are members of the union at the time
the labor agreement is signed, or who later voluntarily join must continue their
memberships until the termination of the agreement, as a condition of employment.
e. Checkoff of dues: Agreement by which a company agrees to withhold union dues
from members’ paychecks and to forward the money directly to the union.
11-11. What are the primary means by which breakdowns in negotiations may be
overcome? Briefly describe each.
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keep the firm operating by utilizing management and nonunion employees in the striking
workers’ jobs.
11-12. What is involved for both management and labor in ratifying the agreement?
11-13. What is involved in the administration of a labor agreement?
11-14. How is the collective bargaining process different in the public sector?
11-15. What is typically involved in the grievance procedure in a unionized
organization?
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A grievance procedure under a collective bargaining agreement is normally well defined.
It is usually restricted to violations of the terms and conditions of the agreement.
The multi-step grievance procedure is the most common type. In the first step, the
employee usually presents the grievance orally and informally to the immediate
supervisor in the presence of the union steward. If the grievance remains unresolved, the
next step involves a meeting between the plant manager or human resource manager and
higher union officials, such as the grievance committee or the business agent or manager.
If the grievance is not settled at this meeting, it is appealed to the third step, which
typically involves the firm’s top labor representative (such as the vice president of
industrial relations) and high-level union officials. At times, depending on the severity of
the grievance, the president may represent the firm. Arbitration is the final step in most
grievance procedures.
11-16. Define decertification. What are the steps in decertification?
DISCUSSION OF CHAPTER 11 INCIDENTS
HRM Incident 1: Break Down the Barrier
Angelica had not considered this. Moreover, she had never associated with union
members, and her parents had never been members either. At Milford High, her teachers
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had never really talked about unions. The fact that this union operated as an open shop
meant nothing to her. Angelica replied, “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.”
Angelica nodded yes and finished cleaning up. “That might be fun,” she thought.
QUESTIONS
11-24. Why does Angelica have the option of joining or not joining the union? Hint:
Nevada is a right-to-work state.
11-25. What are the pros and cons regarding Angelica joining the union?
11-26. How are the other workers likely to react toward Angelica if she chooses not to
join? Discuss.
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speak to her on a social basis. She will also likely receive little support regarding on-the-
job activities from union members.
HRM Incident 2: We’re Listening
Six months later, Zofia Nowicki, one of the senior customer service supervisors,
scheduled a meeting with Akio. Akio greeted Zofia and exclaimed, “The customer
service department is operating like a well-oiled machine!”
Zofia replied, “That has definitely been the case until recently.” She went on to explain,
“As you know, we’ve implemented mandatory overtime and have informed employees
not to schedule more than three consecutive days of vacation at a time.”
“Zofia, aren’t you being overly sensitive?”
She replied, “Well, I thought so at first. Then, I found a brochure on a table from a labor
union that has had much success in organizing workers at similar companies.”
QUESTIONS
11-27. Why are employees considering union representation?
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Employees are currently on mandatory overtime and are not allowed to take more than
three vacation days at a time. Zofia has noticed that employees are disgruntled and
gathering in small groups. Additionally, Zofia has found a union brochure.
11-28. If you were Akio, what would you do now?
