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Labor Relations: State of Unions

Labor Relations: State of Unions. Decline in private-sector unions: Percentage of private-sector workforce unionized declined from 24% (1975) to approximately 16% today. Still over 70,000 local unions and 173 national unions; of these 110 belong to AFL-CIO.

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Labor Relations: State of Unions

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  1. Labor Relations: State of Unions • Decline in private-sector unions: • Percentage of private-sector workforce unionized declined from 24% (1975) to approximately 16% today. • Still over 70,000 local unions and 173 national unions; of these 110 belong to AFL-CIO. • AFL-CIO represents 80% of all unionized employees. • Only 16% of Americans believe union leaders had “high” or “very high” ethical standards. • (but only 17% thought business leaders were honest or ethical)

  2. Private-Sector Decline Due To: • Shift from Industrial to Service Economy • service workers more difficult to organize: • hold pro-management views • spread out across organizations • Foreign Competition • NAFTA (manufacturing moved to other countries) • Narrowing of union/non-union wage gap in construction industries • Management interventions: • enlightened management • preventative labor-relations • union-busting

  3. Public Sector Unions • Growth in Public-Sector Unions: • Approximately 40% of workers unionized • Comprise 45% of all union members • These employees have less bargaining power: • Government power is diffuse: no one person is in charge (ie. pay increases approved by city council) • Right to strike is limited (varies by state and region: teachers can’t strike in Colorado, can in Illinois) • Results in: • Mandated arbitration and mediation • Broader focus on quality of work-life and safety issues (safety equipment, class size, academic freedom and job security) • Members vote: well-organized public-sector union powerful figure in local and national politics.

  4. Union Goals • Union Security: • Union shop • all new employees must join (usually within 30 days) • right-to-work states (about 20) prohibit union shops • Agency shop • employee not required to join union, but must pay dues(which can only be spent on collective bargaining activities, not on political campaigns/lobbying) • Maintenance-of-Membership shop • not required to join, but those who do join must remain until contract expires or designated “escape period” occurs. • Closed shop: illegal requirement that employee must be union member at point of hire (happens in practice with union hiring halls) • Open shop: employee free to decide on membership.

  5. Union Goals (cont’d) • Job Security • Seniority system • Subcontracting (ie: use laid-off employees rather than subcontractors) • Retraining rights, advance notice, outplacement • Make-work activities(13 crafts req’d to install bathroom) • Improved Economic Conditions • wages, benefits, pensions • Working Conditions • safety, shorter workweeks, less mandatory overtime, clean/healthy work environ. • Social Actions(lobbying)

  6. Pro-Labor Views: Pro-Management Views: Labor Relations Debate!

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