Chapter 11 Managing Labor Relations

Mediation

A neutral third party called the mediator listens to and reviews the information presented by both sides and then makes an informed recommendation and provides advice to both parties about what she or he believes should be done.

National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)

Administers most labor laws in the United States.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Administers most labor laws in the United States.

Shop Steward

An elected position in a local union, is regular employee who functions as a liaison between union members and supervisors.

Knights of Labor

An important early union that expanded its goals and its membership to include worker in numerous fields rather than a single industry.

Locals

Are unions organized at the level of a single company, plant, or small geographic region.

Arbitration

Both sides agree in advance that they will accept the recommendations made by an independent third-party arbitrator.

Landrum-Griffin Act ( officially called Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act)

Focused on eliminating various unethical, illegal, and undemocratic union practices.

Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

Focused on organizing employees by industry, regardless of their craft, skills, or occupation.

Union Shop Agreement

Includes various types of union security agreements in addition to a requirement that a nonunion member can be hired' although he or she must join the union within a specified time to keep his or her job.

Mandatory Items

Including wages, working hours, and benefits, must be included as part of collective bargaining if either party expresses a desire to negotiate one or more of them.

Labor Union

Is a legally constituted group of individuals working together to achieve shared, job-related goals, including higher pay and shorter working hours.

Impasse

Is a situation in which one or both parties believe that reaching an agreement is not imminent.

Collective Bargaining

Is the process by which managers and union leaders negotiate acceptable terms and conditions of employment fro those workers represented by the union.

Labor Relations

Is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union.

Permissive Items

May be included in collective bargaining if both parties agree.

Lockout

Occurs when an employer denies employees access to the workplace.

Strike

Occurs when employees walk of their job and refuse to work.

Boycott

Occurs when union members agree not to buy the products of a targeted employer.

Slowdown

Occurs when workers perform their jobs at a much slower pace than normal.

Picketing

Occurs when workers representing the union march at the entrance to the employer's facility with signs explaining their reasons for striking.

Wildcat Strike

Occurs when workers suddenly go on strike, without the authorization (presumably) of the striker's union and while a binding labor agreement is still in effect.

Closed Shop

Refers to a workplace in which only workers who are already union members may be hired by the employer.

Bargaining Unit

Refers to the specifically defined group of employees who are eligible for representation by the union.

Final-Offer Arbitration

The parties bargain until impasse and then the two parties' final offers are submitted to the arbitrator.

Labor Management Relations Act (Taft-Hartley Act 1947)

Was a response to public outcries against a wide variety of strikes in the years after World War II; its basic purpose was to curtail and limit union practices.

American Federation of Labor (AF of L)

Was another early union; it focused its efforts on improved working conditions and better employment contracts rather than getting involved in legislative and political activities.