Verified Document

Labor Unions And Employees Term Paper

Employers' Role During Union Organization Campaigns Union organizing has become a major issue in today's working environment because of increased efforts by workers to promote suitable conditions in the workplace and obtain compensation that suits their contributions to the organization. Even though the number of unionized employees or membership of labor unions has declined significantly in the past few years, unionization is still an important component of today's labor force. As employees continue to join labor unions to advocate for their welfare in the workplace, the role of employers during union organization campaigns has been a slightly controversial issue. The controversy relating to this issue is attributable to the tendency by company management to attempt undertaking measures that defeat the union during union organization campaigns. However, the National Labor Relations Act defines the role employers should play during union organization campaigns. This paper examines whether employers should sack their employees during union organization campaigns. This evaluation includes a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages for a company that is unionized and whether supervisors can be involved in union organization campaigns.

Origins of the American Labor Movement

The American labor movement has a history that dates back to the 1800s when the initial forms of labor organization in the country were primarily mutual aid societies or craft guilds (Domhoff, 2013). These societies or guilds limited entry into a craft and imposed workplace standards similar to the case in Western Europe. Since craft employees were relatively few during this period, the labor organization measures did not generate many hassles or hackles. However,...

As a result, the skilled employees started to create fledging craft unions in order to resist the unprecedented wage reductions, unsafe working conditions, and longer working hours. These craft unions were also created to help safeguard the political, economic, and social rights of skilled workers. While these initial unions were local in scope, the advancements in labor and product markets such as improvements in transportation during this period enabled them to become more national. During this period, employees believed that their effectiveness in fighting against decreased wages and poor working conditions would be enhanced if they organized on a national scale. Even though the initial efforts generated little success, they acted as the origins of the American labor movement. Since then union organization in America has experienced several success and failures and developed to become an important aspect of the American labor market.
As union organizing has become important in today's workforce and workplace, employers and the union have specific responsibilities during union organization campaigns. Based on the National Labor Relations Act, the responsibilities of the union in an organizing campaign include collective bargaining with employers on behalf of their workers, promoting the establishment of suitable working environments in an organization, and ensure that the wishes of employees are expressed during union organization (Mehta & Theodore, 2005). On the other hand, the responsibilities of employers during union organization include allowing employees to form or join labor unions/organizations and engage in collective bargaining with workers through their representatives. Employers and unions are prohibited from engaging in behaviors or activities that infringe the established regulations of fair conduct, unfair labor practices, victimization or violation of the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act. In light of these responsibilities, employers should not fire their employees during union organization campaigns.

Facts Surrounding NLRB vs. Transportation Management Corp

One of the cases that relates to the role of employees and unions during union organization campaigns is NLRB vs. Transportation Management Corp. In this case, the Transportation Management Corporation fired bus driver Sam Santillo shortly after his distribution of union authorization cards. Santillo then…

Sources used in this document:
References

Domhoff, G.W. (2013, February). The Rise and Fall of Labor Unions in the U.S. Retrieved from University of California at Santa Cruz website: http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/history_of_labor_unions.html

Marchetta, J.S. (1983). NLRB v. Transportation Management Corp.: Allocation of the Burden of Proof in Section 8(a)(3) Mixed Motive Discharge Cases. Catholic University Law Review, 33(1), 279-312.

Mehta, C. & Theodore, N. (2005, December). Undermining the Right to Organize: Employer Behavior During Union Representation Campaigns. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://www.newunionism.net/library/organizing/ARW%20-%20Employer%20Behaviour%20During%20Union%20Organizing%20Campaigns%20-%202005.pdf

Society for Human Resource Management. (n.d.). How Can We Prevent a Union from Organizing in Our Company? Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/preventunionorganization.aspx
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Employee Representation a Labor Union Refers to
Words: 640 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Paper

Employee Representation A labor union refers to an association of employees that have come together in pursuit of common goals, such as better pay. Labor relations are wider in scope; they refer to the interactions between the labor unions (employees' representatives) and employers - and usually deal with the maintenance of collective bargaining agreements. Labor relations date way back to the formation of the very first significant unions: the Knights of Labor,

Labor Relations A. Labor Unions Play an
Words: 960 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Labor Relations a.) Labor unions play an integral role in the facilitation of labor relations. Labor unions are entities which are comprised of various working class people who are typically not managers. Unions may be codified according to a particular specialty related to a job skill, or by industry. They are organizations that collect dues from their members -- which is typically a finite percentage from the pay checks of the

Labor Unions Are Communities of Workers Who
Words: 906 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Labor unions are communities of workers who have come together with the purpose of fighting for their rights as a unit. These respective workers typically want fair conditions, to work with persons of integrity, and want to have a peaceful relationship with their employers, as the latter have to act in agreement with a set of requirements in order for this relationship to be possible. With the National Labor Relations

Labor Unions the National Football League NFL
Words: 1254 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Labor Unions The National Football League (NFL) is a high profile sports organization that contributes to the large and growing sports business market and is one of the most recognized corporate brands in America. Every Sunday millions of people watch professional football presented by this organization. Commercial slots for these games provides incredible amounts of revenue as products such as jersey's, cable packages and season tickets contribute to this powerful organization.

Labor Unions Strike Lengths: Correcting
Words: 730 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Critique

In this sense the percentage of unionization in the workforce can be a more important factor than simply membership alone. The Ashenfelter and Johnson (1969) model spells out three crucial parties to the strike negotiations: firms, workers, and union representatives. It is assumed that the major considerations for union leaders are "(1) the survival and growth of the union as an institution, and (2) the personal political survival of the

Labor Unions These Are Organizations With Membership
Words: 1116 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Labor Unions These are organizations with membership drawn from the labor force of a particular economy and charged with the responsibility of representing the interests of its members in labor management issues within the work environment. Labor unions can also be specific thereby representing workers employed in various in specific trades and occupations such as communications workers for instance journalists, health care professionals including nurses and doctors, stage and theatrical employees

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now