HRM 586 Final Exam

HRM
586 Final Exam
1. (TCO A) You are the new leader of the local union
at your company. There are many new employees who have joined the union in the
past year, and they have questions about the way union membership works. These
new employees are not sure about how to be in the union and still interact with
the boss. It seems to some of them that in their non-union jobs, they would
just say and do what it took to get their questions answered, and they did not
see much difference between themselves and the boss. Others want to run to the
union steward every time the boss says something they don t like. The questions
involve management rights and employee rights. Your job is to develop a summary
sheet which lists the content for a union meeting. Your summary should include
the basics of how unions operate and specifics on management rights and
employee rights in the union environment. (Points: 34)
2. (TCO B) There are a number of social, economic, and
business factors that are either helping or slowing down the development of the
union movement. Describe the changes in the political climate that have helped
or hindered growth of unions. Identify key legislation that has changed the way
in which unions or companies operate in a union setting. (Points : 34)
3. (TCO C) Labor Management relations have been
affected by political and legal forces since the mid 1900s. Describe laws that
are relevant to negotiations. Which laws favor employers, and which favor
unions? Close out with a discussion of the importance of these laws within the
scope of the negotiating teams. (Points : 34)
4. (TCO D) Describe the differences of operations
between the local unions and national unions. How are each involved in helping
union employees? Describe the interactions between employees and
representatives at both levels. (Points : 34)
5. (TCO E) The
AFL-CIO and its leaders from the past help define the labor movement in the
U.S. and help define where the union movement is today. How have the AFL-CIO
(federation) national and local unions been involved politically? What impact
has this had on unions and legislation passed? (Points : 34)
1. (TCO I) When you examine a negotiated agreement,
you will find a variety of issues that can be put into the category of wages or
economic concerns. However, the contract is not limited to these issues. There
are a variety of issues that go beyond economic concerns, such as the union
obligations. It is not just that management is required to perform a certain
way according to the requirements of the contract. It is often felt by
management that they are giving up everything in order to live by the contract.
From a management point of view, the union has taken control without obligation
through the function of the contract.
(a) Evaluate the obligations that the union might have
under the contract in terms of what they mean to the functioning of the union
and management.
(b) Lay out a plan to help management implement its
options if the union does not meet its obligations. (Points : 34)
2. (TCO G) Two industries (Industry X and Industry Y)
are run by labor unions. Even though the unions overseeing these industries are
considered honest and conscientious, we have seen a large disparity in pay
between the industries. In fact, the wages in Industry X are now three times
the rate as those of Industry Y. What factors account for the differences in
these two industries? (Points : 34)
3. (TCO F) The centerpiece of almost every negotiation
is the issue of wages. The topic has become complex and is typically the catalyst
for a strike. Of course, the topic of wages is multidimensional. It’s not just
the salary that union member are making that impacts the profitability of the
organization or the cost of products and services on the market. There are
other costs that go into making up the total reward paid to any employee,
including the union worker. It is this bigger picture of labor costs that
concerns management during negotiations. While the union is focusing on what
they can get in terms of total income to the union member, management is
looking at the impact of these cost on the total business picture.
(a) Compare the methods available for the adjustment
of wages during the effective period of the labor agreement. Make this
comparison in light of the organization in which you currently work or recently
worked.
(b) From a management perspective, defend what you
would judge to be the most desirable arrangement for your organization. Be sure
to include other factors around the wage issue that might impact your decision.
(Points : 38)
4. (TCO H) If the collective bargaining process is to
be successful, it is important that both sides come prepared to bargain. This
means that both management and labor must make plans and develop a strategy
before they even look across the table at the other party. It is often this
preparation that determines to what extent one side gets its way more than the
other side. It is impossible to walk into negotiations without knowing the
costs that are potentially involved in the new contract arrangement. Clearly
the union is well-prepared with their wish list and with as many facts and
figures as they can find to bolster their position. Management does much the
same thing to trade off items on the table.
(a) Select what you consider to be the key
pre-negotiation preparation steps that can be taken by the union.
(b) Select what you consider to be the key
pre-negotiation preparation steps that can be taken by management.
(c) Compare and contrast the historical elements that
help us understand the current structure of the union. (Points : 34)