Happy Trails Unionization Case Labor

Happy Trails Unionization Case

Labor unions can do a great deal to protect the interests of employees when they come under threat, but they can also be too aggressive in pushing for specific purposes and be a major detriment in certain industries and organizations. In the Happy Trails case scenario, mounting costs and reduced profits due to the economic downturn and the generally more affordable services provided by the company when compared to comparable organizations in the industry have led to necessary cutbacks of expenditures in the company. This has included the replacement of many registered nurses on the staff with licensed practicing nurses, who earn less. This has come to the attention of a union that has been organizing employees at other higher-cost organizations, and who is now beginning attempts to organize the increasingly dissatisfied LPNs employed at the company.

There are several courses of action that the management at the Happy Trails facility can employ to combat this attempt at unionization, which could prove highly detrimental to the organization. One of these is simply to threaten the closure of the facility if the unionization attempt is successful -- a move that would certainly not be popular, but one that might indeed be necessary given the current state of the economy and the company's financial position. The effect that this would have on the union and the LPNs is quite complex and somewhat difficult to predict -- it would not constitute a challenge to the solidarity of labor interests, which is traditionally reacted to an extremely negative and influential manner by labor unions (Jain 1979). At the same time, this move would increase solidarity against the company, so other methods of combating the unionization attempt might be more advisable.

Increasing personal contact between supervisors/management and the potentially unionized employees an be a very effective way of forestalling unionization, and allowing time for management to adequately address the needs and concerns of the employees (ABC.org 2010). Such direct contact is definitely preferable to the distribution of anti-union literature; the ability an willingness to actually discuss issues with employees rather than simply providing them with printed statements that cannot be engaged in a dialogue shows an empathy and a desire to address issues that pamphlets and fliers cannot put forth (ABC.org 2010). Such actions would also undermine the solidarity of labor, causing larger problems for management (Jain 1979). Using these conversations to counter exaggerated claims made by the union, and even more importantly to make it clear why certain changes are necessary, and why certain other desires of the employees cannot be reasonably met, will increase the likelihood that an agreement between labor and management can be reached without the need for unionization and union representation in the relationship at Happy Trails (ABC.org 2010).