978-1305576209 Chapter 8 Solution Manual

CHAPTER 8

Administrative Issues

Outline

I. Technological Change and Job Protection

i. Technological change

ii. Automation

iii. Effects bargaining

iv. High-performance work organization (HPWO)

a. Benefits of Technological Change

b. Negative Effects of Technological Change

i. Deskilling

ii. Workplace privacy protection

II. Job Security and Personnel Changes

a. Job Security and the Changing Psychological Contract

i. Job security

ii. Union concerns

b. Job Security Work Rules

i. Featherbedding

ii. Job security negotiated work rules

iii. Radio-frequency identification tag (RFID)

c. Plant Closures, Downsizing, and WARN

i. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)

d. Subcontracting, Outsourcing, and Work Transfer

i. Subcontracting

ii. Outsourcing

iii. Offshoring

iv. Fibreboard ruling

e. Work Assignments and Jurisdiction

i. Jurisdictional disputes (Exhibit 8.1)

ii. Instructional situations

iii. Experimental work

iv. Emergency situation

v. Right to refuse

f. Work Scheduling

i. Flextime

ii. Compressed workweek

g. The role of Seniority in Personnel Changes

i. Seniority

h. Types of Seniority

i. Purpose of Seniority

i. Benefit rights

1. Competitive job rights

j. Seniority and Layoffs

i. Bumping rights

ii. Superseniority

k. Combining Seniority and Qualifications

i. Types of seniority clauses

l. Job Posting

i. Job sharing

ii. Work sharing

m. Legal Issues Involving Seniority in administrative Determinations

i. Distributive justice

ii. Procedural justice

iii. Interpersonal justice

iv. Informational justice

v. American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

vi. Reasonable accommodation

III. Employee Training

i. Future workers with higher levels of skills

ii. Types of training

iii. Union role in response to new work practices

IV. Work Restructuring

i. Work restructuring programs

ii. Semi-autonomous work team

iii. Self-managed work teams

iv. Cell manufacturing

V. Safety and Health

i. The Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)

ii. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

iii. Protecting America’s Workers Act (PAW)

iv. Safety and health standards

v. Johnson controls

Discussion Questions

1. “My employer monitors my e-mail and

i

nt

erne

t

usage at work and tracks my location

through the GPS feature of my cell phone. I receive work-related text

messages o

r

voice

mails almost every day of the week and often after normal scheduled work hours. These

messages are often seeking information or making comments that could easily have waited

until the next business day. I am frustrated that I

always

seem connected to work with little

private time

to

pursue my own interests. What advice could you

give

me on how to manage

the job stress of working in a technologically connected work environment? Is there any way

I can capture some private time without making it appear to my employer that I’m not

motivated

t

o constantly improve my job performance? Also, under what conditions does my

employer have to pay me overtime for such work?”

For work-related phone messages, it might be advantageous for you to ask you employer to

Further, “on–call” scheduling has increased as cell phones have become widely-available.

State laws vary greatly. New York requires that an employee be paid a minimum of four

2. Think of an industry or company with which you are familiar, and assume that you are the

local union president. What types of clauses regarding technological issues would you

attempt to negotiate with the employer?

Students should include as possible classes the following topic areas:

• economic gain-sharing from production efficiency.

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing or offshoring jobs. Should a

worker

i

n

today’s economy have any reasonable expectation of job security? Explain your

reasoning.

Advantages: lower costs (particularly labor costs); increased profitability, productivity, and

quality improvements; increased operating flexibility, speed, and faster access to innovative

With the current high rate of unemployment and difficult business environment, a worker

4. Discuss some of the advantages or disadvantages of using seniority as a factor to determine

shift preference or overtime assignments?

Advantages: Employees may view seniority as an important economic incentive reducing

Disadvantages: Overtime costs may increase to the extent more overtime hours are worked

5. Explain why unions often place a priority on seniority in personnel decisions, whereas

employers tend to emphasize ability to perform the job. Based on your own experience with

work performance appraisals conducted by managers, how confident are you that managers

can

effec

tively judge legitimate differences in performance between two or more

employees?

Unions place priority on seniority for several reasons:

Management seeks to emphasize ability to do the job because it is perceived to directly

6. Who has the responsibility of ensuring a safe and healthy work environment? Who should

pay to provide this work environment? Should it be the employer, union, individual

employees, or government?

Each of these parties has a role to play in ensuring a safe and healthful work environment.

7. S

everal

alternative work schedules

(e.g.,

flextime, compressed workweek) were

discussed

in

this chapter. What would be your ideal 40-hour workweek schedule? Why?

H

ow likely are

you to achieve

that

ideal work schedule in the career you currently have or intend to pursue

upon completing your education?

Student answers will vary. It is likely that all graduates will be faced with choosing between

Exploring the Web

Administrative Issues

1. WARN: Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act

2. Safety and Health

3. Electronic Monitoring

4. Labor force projections

Suggested Readings and Term Paper Topics

1. Should union leaders vigorously pursue the 35-hour workweek? Why or why not?

What be the effects of such a workweek? Support your position.

Possible references:

Fishman, T. (June 27, 2000). Why not shorten workweek? USA Today, pg. l5.A.

Handel, M.J. and Gittleman, M. (2004). Is there a wage payoff to innovative work practices? Industrial

2. What should a union‘s position be with regard to “corporate wellness” programs?

Possible references:

Caldwell, B. (1992). Employers save with wellness programs. Employee Benefit Plan Review, 46, (7), 46–

3. What tactics did unions use to achieve a shorter workweek? Did the ends justify the

means? Is a shorter workweek actually better? Should it be even shorter? Support

your position(s) as you address some of these questions.

Possible references:

Costa, D. (2000). Hours of work and the Fair Labor Standards Act: A study of retail and wholesale trade,

1938-1950. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 53, (4), 648-665.

4. What are the implications of new technology for organized labor? Should labor unions

embrace the use of new technology?

Possible references:

5. Write a report to the AFL-CIO on the topic, “How labor unions should deal with the

AIDS crisis.” Be sure to support your arguments.

Possible references:

Haus, L. (2002). Unions, Immigration, and Internationalization: New Challenges and Changing Coalitions

Palgrave Macmillan.

6. What should a union‘s position be with regard to genetic testing? How should unions

pursue these recommended policies? Be sure to support your recommendations.

59-70.

Rothstein, M. A. (1984). Medical screening of workers. Washington, D.C.: BNA Books.

7. Is job enrichment an appropriate job redesign strategy for everyone or only for certain

types of individuals? Defend your position.

Possible references:

Hall, K. (1999). The place of sacred space. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 22, (2), 44–48.

8. Is job satisfaction positively related to productivity? Support your position.

Possible references:

Barret, R. (1999). Why the future belongs to values added companies. The Journal for Quality and

Participation, 22, (1), 30-36.

Choi, Y. (2000). An analysis of mental processes, behaviors, and job satisfaction of apparel product

9. What is the relationship between labor unions and unemployment?

Possible references:

Budd, J. (1997). The effect of unions on the receipt of unemployment insurance benefits. Industrial &

Flanagan, R. (1999). Macroeconomic performance and collective bargaining: An international perspective.

Journal of Economic Literature, 37, (3), 1150-1176.

Freeman, R. B., & Medoff, J. L. (1984). What do unions do? NY: Basic Books.

Kelvin, P. (1985). Unemployment. Cambridge University Press.

10. In 1989, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) took effect.

How well has this law worked? Express your opinion: Should the WARN act be

retained? Modified? Repealed? Support your position.

Possible references:

Jasper, M.C. (2002). Labor Law, 2nd edition. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Oceana Publications.

11. How should business, labor, the government, and society at large deal with plant

closings and layoffs? Support your arguments.

Possible references:

Addison, J. (1994). Has WARN warned? The impact of advance-notice legislation on the receipt of

12. What role do/should unions play in promoting safety? How should they promote safety

at work? Should unions be supportive of safety training programs? Or should they be

suspicious of these programs? Support your position.

Possible references:

Fenton, J. W., Ruud, W. N., and Kimbell, J. A. (June, 1991). Negligent training suits: A recent entry into

13. How have unions responded to changes in information technology used in the

workplace?

Possible references:

Fiorito, J. (2000). The adoption of information technology by U.S. national unions. Relations Industrielles,

14. Should unions be supportive of or suspicious of Total Quality Management (TQM)

programs? Support your position.

Possible references:

Batt, R. (1999). Work organization, technology, and performance in customer service and sales. Industrial

15. Agree or disagree: Unions are more interested in seeking “job security” or

“employment security” clauses today than at any time since World War II. Support

your position.

Possible references:

Bender, K. A., & Sloane, P. J. (1999). Trade union membership, tenure, and the level of job insecurity.