Collective bargaining can be separated into three distinct parts: the obligation to meet and discuss; the obligation to bargain in good faith; and the obligation to cover certain subjects. The company is not required to have the same opinion to any exacting contract provision, no matter how sensible or fair it seems to the union. On the other hand, declining to meet at practical times; declining to talk about grievances; declining to talk about wages, benefits, or other obligatory subjects of bargaining; take it or leave it bargaining; or efforts to make deals behind the backs of the negotiating committee would be considered unfair labor practices (Collective Bargaining FAQ's, n.d.).
Unfair labor practices are investigated by the National Labor Relations Board. The National Labor Relations Board is a self-governing federal agency vested with the authority to defend employees' rights to systematize and to figure out whether to have unions as their bargaining representative. "The law prevents employers from interfering with employees in the exercise of rights to shape,...
Likewise, labor organizations may not interfere with workers in the exercise of these rights" (National Labor Relations Board, n.d.).
The union affects Kroger's in that it that it provides for economic growth, increases productivity, increases competitiveness, enhances employee training, reduces turnover, increases solvency of the company and enhances workplace health and safety. Overall it enhances the employee's rights to have a more productive and safer working environment.
References
About UFCW. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ufcw.org/about_ufcw/how_we_work/index.cfm
Collective Bargaining FAQ's. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://clear.uhwo.hawaii.edu/CB-FAQ.html#Q1
Kroger. (n.d.). Retreived from http://www.thekrogerco.com/corpnews/corpnewsinfo_history.htm
National Labor Relations Board. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nlrb.gov/
