HRM- Ch. 11 & 12

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. curtailed and limited union powers when enacted and now regulates union actions and their internal affairs in a way that puts them on equal footing with management and organizations.

describe how impasses get resolved and agreements are administered

A key clause in the labor contracts negotiated between management and labor defines how the labor agreement will be enforced. Although some enforcement issues are relatively straightforward, others may rely heavily on a formal grievance procedure

describe the basic issues involved in the physical work environment

Assuch,organizationsareinterestedin managing the work environment to make it safer. Basic issues involve actions that the organization can and should take to control or eliminate safety hazards and health hazards. Safety hazards refer to those conditions in the work environment that have the potential to cause harm to an employee. Health hazards are those characteristics of the work environment that more slowly and systematically—perhaps cumulatively—result in damage to an employee's health. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)authorizedtheU.S.governmenttocreateandenforce various standards regarding occupational safety and health. In addition, the actual physical environment in which an employee works is extremely important. Many aspects of the physical environment may affect an employee's attitudes and behavior on the job and can affect employee health and well-being. Work hours reflect one such aspect. Illumination, temperature, and office and work-space design are also important.

describe the collective-bargaining process

Collective bargaining involves management representing the employing organization and the labor union representing its employees. The collective bargaining process is aimed at agreement on a binding labor contract that will define various dimensions of the employment relationship for a specified period. One important part of preparing for collective bargaining is prior agreement on the parameters of the bargaining session

discuss the unionization process

Employees must follow a specific set of steps if they want to establish a union. First, employees must express some interest in joining a union. If interest exists in forming a union, then the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is asked to define the bargaining unit. After the bargaining unit has been defined, organizers must then strive to get 30 percent of the eligible workers within the bargaining unit to sign authorization cards requesting a certification election. If organizers cannot get 30 percent of the workers to sign authorization cards, the unionization process ends. However, if the required number of signatures is obtained, then organizers petition the NLRB to conduct an election. If the union becomes certified, its organizers create a set of rules and regulations that will govern the conduct of the union. Under certain conditions, an existing labor union may be decertified.

identify and describe the most important HR-related security issues in organizations

Finally, security concerns have emerged as a real issue for employees. The United States has probably seen the greatest change in stress due to security concerns because such concerns were not salient to Americans in the past. Especially since the September 11 attacks, U.S. firms have become much more security conscious, as have most Americans.

Describe the role of labor unions in organizations

Managing labor relations is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union. A labor union is a legally constituted group of individuals working together to achieve shared job-related goals. Collective bargaining is the process by which managers and union leaders negotiate acceptable termsand conditions of employment for those workers represented by the unions. Many laws and other regulations have been passed regarding unions; some are intended to promote unionization and union activities, while others are intended to limit or curtail union activities. Like any large organization, labor unions also have structures that facilitate their work.

Identify and summarize trends in unionization

Since the mid-1950s, labor unions in the United States have experienced increasing difficulty in attracting new members. Indeed, while millions of U.S. workers still belong to labor unions, union membership as a percentage of the total workforce has continued to decline at a steady rate. Unions recognize that they don't have as much power as they once held and that working with instead of against management is in the unions' best interests, as well as the best interests of the workers they represent. Bargaining perspectives have also altered in recent years

discuss stress and stress-mgmt programs in organizations

Stress is a person's adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on him or her. The stimuli that cause stress are called stressors. Organizational stressors are various factors in the workplace that can cause stress. Four general sets of organizational stressors are task demands, physical demands, role demands, and interpersonal demands. If the stress is positive, the result may be more energy, enthusiasm, and motivation. Three other sets of consequences that can result from stress are individual consequences, organizational consequences, and burnout. However, it is important to note that not everyone experiences stress in the same way, and there are also individual differences in the effects that stress has on employees. Two basic organizational strategies for helping employees manage stress are institutional programs and collateral stress programs. In addition, organizations develop programs to reduce the threat of various diseases at work, including AIDS

Discuss emerging labor union issues in the twenty- first century.

The labor movement in the United States focused on bread-and-butter issues such as wages and hours of work, unlike the labor movements in many European countries. U.S. labor unions have become quite vocal in several areas where they have traditionally been silent, speaking out against child labor in Third World countries and the general exportation of jobs to lower paying countries.

discuss how labor agreements are negotiated

The negotiation process involves representatives from management and the labor union meeting at agreed-on times and locations and working together to attempt to reach a mutually acceptable labor agreement. A useful framework for understanding the negotiation process is the bargaining zone. Of course, numerous barriers to effective negotiation exist, and several methods are available for both management and labor to use in their attempts to overcome an impasse.

identify and discuss the central elements associated with employee safety and health

There are many reasons why modern organizations are more concerned about employee safety and health issues than ever before. Lost work time and increased insurance costs are among the most important of these reasons, but organizations also are very interested in ways of keeping employees safe, healthy, and secure.

Key points for future managers

Unions have traditionally played an important role in improving working conditions for U.S. workers, and many workers still view unions in this light. Therefore, if a firm has a union, it may be difficult to vote it out; if a firm does not have a union, it may be more difficult than some managers believe to keep a union out. ● Some firms have found unions to be helpful partners as they explorenew ways to organize work, while others have found unions to be tenacious opponents to any change. It is important to think seriously about the kind of relationship management wants to have with unions. ● A well-developed legal framework is in place to guide management in dealing with unions, and enforcement of these laws has been consistent over the years. ● Unions have become effective at calling for social reform, and such actions have increased their popularity in the media

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 Board

administers most labor law in the US

National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)

administers most labor law in the United States passed in an effort to control and legislate collective bargaining between organizations and labor unions, to grant power to labor unions, and to put unions on a more equal footing with managers in terms of the rights of employees

shop steward

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

safety engineers

are experts who carefully study the workplace, try to identify and isolate particularly dangerous situations, and recommend solutions for dealing with those situations.

circadian rhythm

are natural cycles that indicated when a body needs to eat or sleep

collateral stress programs

are organizational programs created specifically to help employees deal with stress

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.

health hazards

characteristics of the work environment that more slowly and systematically, and perhaps cumulatively, result in damage to an employee's health

safety hazards

conditions in the work environment that have the potential to cause harm to an employee

Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959 (Labor mgmt reporting and disclosure act)

focused on eliminating various unethical, illegal, and undemocratic union practices

institutional programs

for managing stress are undertaken through established organizational mechanisms

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

burnout

is a general feeling of exhaustion that develops when an individual simultaneously experiences too much pressure and too few sources of satisfaction.

labor union

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

stress

is a person's adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on him or her.

impasse

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

hardiness

is an individual difference that allows some individuals to experience less stress when dealing with stressful events and that makes them more effective in dealing with the stress they do experience.

OSHA

is both the act that authorized the U.S. government to create various standards regarding occupational safety and health and the administrative agency that enforces those standards grants the federal government the power to establish and enforce occupational safety and health standards for all places of employment directly affecting interstate commerce.

Type B personalities

is characterized as being less aggressive, more patient, and more easygoing. In general, individuals with Type B personalities experience less stress and are less likely to suffer some type of illness because of stress than Type A personalities.

Type A personality

is characterized by being highly competitive and highly focused on work with few interests outside of work.

agency shop agreement

is one where employees can decide whether or not to join the union certified as the bargaining agent, but if the employee decides not to join, he or she must still pay a fee roughly equal to the amount of union dues.

collective bargaining

is the process by which managers and union leaders negotiate acceptable terms and conditions of employment for those workers represented by the unions.

labor relations

is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union. (p. 272)

permissive items

may be included in collective bargaining if both parties agree

boycott

occurs when a union member agree not to buy the products of a targeted employer

lockout

occurs when an employer denies employees access to the workplace

strike

occurs when employees walk off their jobs and refuse to work

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 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. (p. 275)

dysfunctional behavior

refers to any behavior at work that is counterproductive. These behaviors may include theft and sabotage, as well as sexual and racial harassment

turnover

refers to people leaving their jobs, whether voluntarily or involuntarily (i.e., through firings).

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

knights of labor

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

American Federation of Labor

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.

Congress of Industrial Organizations

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

Key points for future managers (12)

● Employee safety is not only a matter of the law but also good business because it reduces costs and increases productivity. ● The physical work environment is critical for productivity, health, safety, and employee attitudes. ● Stress on the job could be the result of job demands, physical demands, role demands, and interpersonal demands ● Stress can have many negative effects, although there are individual differences in how people experience stress. ● Security concerns at work have become much more important, especially in the United States