NLRA and Unions

1. NLRA and Unions What Supervisors Need to Know

2. Session Objectives • You will be able to: • Identify the basic provisions and prohibitions of NLRA • Distinguish the rights of employers and employees under the Act • Recognize the influence of unions in the workplace • Understand how NLRA and union contracts may affect your relations with employees

3. Session Outline • Purpose, coverage, and scope of NLRA • Employer and employee rights under the Act • Union organizing and collective bargaining agreements • Concerted activity, strikes, disciplinary interviews • Grievance procedure and other conflict resolution methods

4. The National Labor Relations Act • Purpose • Scope • Coverage

5. The National Labor Relations Board • Enforcement of NLRA • Union elections • Unfair labor practice rulings

6. Employer Rights Under NLRA • Communications with employees • Control of union organizing activity • Striker replacement

7. Employer Restrictions Under NLRA • Threatening employees • Making promises to induce employees not to join a union • Questioning employees about union sympathies or activities • Discriminating against workers for union activity

8. Employer Restrictions Under NLRA (cont.) • Discharging workers for filing unfair labor practice charges • Dominating or controlling a union • Refusing to bargain with a legally elected union

9. Employee Rights Under NLRA • Organizing activities • Joining a union and participating in union activities • Filing grievances • Filing charges with NLRB • Union representation during disciplinary proceedings

10. Provisions of NLRA • Questions?

11. Union Organizing • What unions can do • What employees can do • What employers can do

12. Union Organizing (cont.) • What you should do • Union elections

13. Collective Bargaining Agreements • Agreements cover wages, benefits, and working conditions • Permitted agreements • Prohibited agreements

14. Concerted Activity • Unionized • Nonunionized

15. Strikes • Economic • Unfair practices • Wildcat

16. Labor-Management Reporting & Disclosure Act • Purpose • Provisions

17. Labor-Management Committees • Does the committee make proposals or demands that management may accept or reject? • Who controls committee activities and decisions?

18. Labor-Management Committees (cont.) • How are committee members chosen? • What does the committee do?

19. Union Activity • Questions?

20. Employee Rights During Disciplinary Interviews • Union representation • Rules for conducting a disciplinary interview

21. Grievance Procedure • What it is • How it works

22. Dispute Reduction and Conflict Resolution • Arbitration • Mandatory arbitration

23. Dispute Reduction and Conflict Resolution (cont.) • Peer review • Mediation

24. Key Points to Remember • NLRA assures workers of the right to organize and join a union without fear of reprisal • All employees, except supervisors and managers, are protected by NLRA • Whether or not there is a union, NLRA protects employees who act jointly to obtain changes in wages, hours, and working conditions