1 / 25

LABOR UNIONS AND THE SUPERVISOR

? 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved.. 9?2. AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:. Explain why and how labor unions continue to affect organizations and the supervisory position.Identify the aspects of good management that are likely to deter a union organizer's appeal.Out

janette
Download Presentation

LABOR UNIONS AND THE SUPERVISOR

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. LABOR UNIONS AND THE SUPERVISOR

    2. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–2 AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO: Explain why and how labor unions continue to affect organizations and the supervisory position. Identify the aspects of good management that are likely to deter a union organizer’s appeal. Outline procedures for supervisors to follow when confronted by a union-organizing effort. Discuss the importance of good union–management relationships and the supervisor’s key role in maintaining those relationships. Discuss the limited but important role of the supervisor in negotiating the labor agreement.

    3. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–3 AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO: (cont’d) Discuss the major role of the supervisor in interpreting and applying the labor agreement at the departmental level. Describe the nature and importance of a good relationship between a supervisor and the union steward.

    4. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–4 Labor Unions Are Still Part of Supervisory Organizational Concerns Smaller but still in the game: Despite steep declines in membership, labor unions and other employee associations and organizations represent about 12 percent of the U.S. labor force. Shedding the blue-collar image: The fastest growing unions represent white-collar professionals, including physicians, nuclear engineers, psychologists, and judges. The public sector of the workforce in the United States has been one of the few growing segments of the labor movement.

    5. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–5 Labor Unions Are Still Part of Supervisory Organizational Concerns (cont’d) Labor Union/Labor Organization A legally recognized organization that represents employees (bargaining unit) and negotiates and administers a labor agreement with an employer. Labor Agreement/Union Contract A negotiated document between union and employer that covers the terms and conditions of employment for represented employees.

    6. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–6 Labor Unions Are Still Part of Supervisory Organizational Concerns (cont’d) The Labor Relations Framework The Wagner Act, is the legislation that governs the relationship between management and unions. Right to organize Right to elect a representative Right to collectively bargain Right to strike (and other concerted activities) American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Local Unions

    7. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–7 FIGURE 9.1 Supervisor’s Guide to the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935, as amended.

    8. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–8 Labor Unions Are Still Part of Supervisory Organizational Concerns (cont’d) Labor Relations Laws and the Supervisor Unionized employees have divided loyalties concerning their unions and their employers. Most employees have legal rights to join or not to join labor unions under the National Labor Relations Act. Federal workers have their collective bargaining rights established under the Civil Service Reform Act. Rights of other public-sector workers are covered by various state and local government legislation.

    9. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–9 Understanding Employee Efforts to Unionize Good employee relations reduce the demand for unions. Good management and supervision, particularly as exemplified by positive human-relations approaches, are usually the most important determinants in preventing the unionization of a work group.

    10. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–10 Factors that Reduce the Demand for Unions Wages and benefits that are good and reasonably comparable to those offered by other companies. Personal facilities for employees that are generally satisfactory or improving. A stable employment pattern (i.e., no severe ups and downs in hiring and layoffs of large numbers of employees). Supervisors who communicate well with their employees and treat them with dignity and respect. Employees who have been well trained and see opportunities for advancement to higher-paying or upgraded positions. Supervisors who demonstrate a participative approach to management that encourages employees to share in decisions about their jobs. Employees who feel that they are treated fairly by having opportunities to resolve their complaints through a formal complaint procedure.

    11. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–11 Why Employees Join Unions Employees may join a labor union to: Achieve economic objectives, such as higher wages and greater benefits. Satisfy psychological or sociological objectives. Give themselves greater security and better control over their jobs through a seniority system. Get fairer settlements of disputes in processing grievances and complaints. Find a greater sense of identity as part of a labor union.

    12. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–12 Union-Organizing Efforts and The Supervisor Union Organizing Tactics Using e-mail to inform employees of their rights and the advantages of unionization Using negative publicity about CEO compensation or indiscretions Getting OSHA and other government agencies to investigate management policies and practices Using paid organizers (salters) to infiltrate a targeted employer.

    13. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–13 Don’ts during a Union-Organizing Period and/or Representational Campaign Do not question employees about union-organizing activities. Do not make threats or promises related to the possibility of unionization. Do not take sides when employees ask for a personal opinion about unionization. Do not prohibit or interfere with NLRA-protected workplace organizing activities. Do not look at union-authorization cards employees may have signed.

    14. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–14 Union-Organizing Efforts and The Supervisor What a supervisor should do when confronted with a union-organizing effort: Report organizing activities to higher-level management or human resources Be very careful not to violate, by action or statement, the labor laws governing union-organizing activities.

    15. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–15 The Supervisor’s Involvement in Union–Management Relationships Labor unions can advance or interfere with the objectives of an organization. Good union–management relations are essential to the success of a unionized firm. Supervisors are key to good relations because they apply the labor agreement in day-to-day contact with employees.

    16. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–16 The Supervisor’s Limited Role In Labor Agreement Negotiations Most supervisors do not participate in labor-agreement negotiations. Demands a union makes during negotiations may stem from issues supervisors have encountered with the union and departmental employees. Supervisors should make their opinions and suggestions known to higher-level managers so that management can attempt to negotiate needed changes in the labor agreement.

    17. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–17 The Supervisor’s Limited Role In Labor Agreement Negotiations (cont’d) Labor Agreement Negotiations Are discussions and compromises among representatives from labor and management leading to an agreement governing wages, hours, and working conditions for union employees. Mediator Is a person who assists and participates in negotiations but who cannot direct or force a contract settlement.

    18. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–18 The Supervisor’s Major Role in Labor Agreement Application The supervisor’s role in union–management relations involves day-to-day interpretation and application of the labor agreement. Complying with the labor agreement The supervisor still must carry out managerial duties within the terms of the labor agreement. Adjusting for the union Unions have the right to challenge supervisory decisions.

    19. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–19 FIGURE 9.2 The supervisor must know the provisions of the labor agreement and how to interpret them.

    20. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–20 FIGURE 9.3 An example of seniority provisions

    21. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–21 The Supervisor’s Major Role in Labor Agreement Application (cont’d) Relating Supervisory Decision Making to the Labor Agreement The supervisor should seek advice when interpreting certain clauses of the agreement. The supervisor’s actions can set precedents that bind management and the union.

    22. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–22 The Supervisor’s Major Role in Labor Agreement Application (cont’d) Grievance Is a formal complaint presented by the union to management that alleges a violation of the labor agreement by management. Arbitrator Is a person selected by the union and management to render a final and binding decision concerning a grievance.

    23. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–23 The Steward and the Supervisor Union Steward Is an employee who represents employees as a union spokesperson for processing employee grievances at the departmental level. Should be treated on an equal basis by the supervisor in matters relating to the labor agreement. Union Business Representative Is a paid official of the local or national union who may be involved in grievance processing.

    24. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–24 The Steward and the Supervisor (cont’d) Supervisors have most of their union contacts with the steward. If a proper relationship is developed, a steward primarily will challenge only those actions of the supervisor that seem to be unfair or in violation of the agreement.

    25. © 2007 Thomson/South-Western. All rights reserved. 9–25 KEY TERMS Arbitrator Grievance Labor agreement negotiations Labor agreement /union contract Labor union /labor organization Mediator Salters Steward Union business representative

More Related