1 / 29

Mgmt 583 Labor Relations

Despite overall decline in union membership, hospitals present growth opportunities for unions. This chapter discusses union structure and government in the healthcare industry, including the role of locals and nationals.

liam
Download Presentation

Mgmt 583 Labor Relations

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. Mgmt 583 Labor Relations Chapter 4:Union Structure and Government Fall 2007

  2. Growth in Healthcare Industry • Union membership is in decline, but hospitals offer growth opportunities for unions. • 14.6% in bargaining units. • 12.6% are union members (8.2% in private hospitals). • Up 2% since 2005.

  3. Hospital Bargaining Units • Eight predetermined categories: • Physicians • Registered nurses • Other professional employees • Medical technicians • Skilled maintenance workers • Clerical workers, guards • Other nonprofessional employees • No unit, however, will be certified that has fewer than six employees. Source: American Hosp. Ass'n v. NLRB, 499 U.S. 606 (1991).

  4. Union Structure: Locals Membership Meeting President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Sergeant-at- Arms Stewards

  5. The Local • Represents the members of the BU in the day-to-day dealings with the employer. • How local jurisdiction is defined: • Type of work performed (craft v. industrial). • Specific geographic area (city or employer or facility). • Type of activity (bargaining, grievance handling, etc.) • Level of union governance (local v. national)

  6. The Local • Remember that in IR there are only two partie: employer & union. • Employees are members of the union which represents them. • Member rights are protected by: • The Constitution of the local • CBA • Most union members do not participate in local business meetings (< 1/3).

  7. Independent Local Unions • Some unions may be independent of a national or the AFL-CIO • Independent Local Unions (ILU) represent employees of a single employer and no other.

  8. Union Structure: Locals • Two major committees: • Executive Committee • President • Vice-president • Recording secretary • Financial secretary • Treasurer • Sergeant-at-arms • Shop Stewards • Business agents (craft unions) • Negotiation Committee

  9. Union Structure: Locals • Negotiation Committee • Chief negotiator • Representative from the national • Cost specialist • Note taker/secretary • Language draftsman

  10. Union Structure: Locals • Duties of the Shop Steward • Ensures first-line supervisors comply with the CBA • POC for initial grievance handling • Collects dues • Disseminates union information • Solicits support for union activities • Note: Usually enjoys superseniority

  11. Union Structure: Nationals

  12. Union Structure: Nationals • Originally nationals represented workers in a single industry as their names may imply. • “International” unions are such because they include Bus in Canada. • They have elected presidents but full-time professional staffs. • Presidents are elected at the national convention by delegates chosen by the locals.

  13. Union Structure: Nationals • Local-National Relationships • Responsible for organizing new locals • Charters locals • Requires national approval for: • Strikes • Contract ratification • Maintains strike fund • Maintains union pension funds • Provides IR support and expertise

  14. Union Structure: Nationals • Local-National Relationships • Promotes union legislative agendas • Health and safety laws • Equal pay laws • Civil rights laws • Minimum wage laws • Repeal right-to-work laws • Trade restrictions

  15. Union Structure: Nationals • National Goals: • Organizing to increase numbers and control a greater share of the labor market. • Enhance the satisfaction of existing members [aids retention]. • Focus most strategic activities toward: • Corporate campaigns • PACs • Education

  16. Union Structure: AFL-CIO AFL-CIO (9 million workers) National Unions (53 Independent Unions) Local Unions

  17. Union Structure: AFL-CIO • President John J. Sweeney (1995- ) • AFL-CIO was formed in 1955 when the AFL and the CIO mergered.

  18. Union Structure: AFL-CIO • Primary Activities are Political: • Supporting pro-union candidates in national, state and local elections. • Increasing overall union membership. • Union Summer – an organizing campaign. • Organizing Institute – trains organizers. • Provides support to achieving political agendas.

  19. AFL-CIO Political Agendas • Anti-Right-to-Work • Pro-Affirmative Action • Anti-English as an Official Language • Anti-Balanced Budget Amendment • Anti-School Vouchers • Anti-Teacher Competency Testing • Anti-Privatization of Public Sector • Pro-Regulation of HMOs • Anti-Free Trade (including NAFTA) • Pro-Increasing the Minimum Wage

  20. AFL-CIO Political Agendas • In August 2006, the AFL-CIO announced it would spend $40 million on get-out-the-vote operations for the 2006 midterm elections.

  21. Trends • Increased effort to organize service and administrative professions. • Increased effort to organize public employees. • Increased union mergers (attempting to achieve economies of scale)

  22. Change to Win • Change to Win Federation formed by seven unions who want to place more emphasis on organizing and less on PACs. • SEIU (Andrew Stern) • IBT (James Hoffa) • United Food and Commercial Workers Union • UNITE HERE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union) • Laborers International Union of North America • United Farm Workers, • United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America

  23. OPEIU International (140,000 members, 209 locals) Washington State Labor Council Source: Office and Professional Employees International Union Local

  24. Change to Win • On September 27, 2005, Change to Win held its founding convention in St. Louis, Missouri. • Anna Burger, elected Chair of the Change to Win Federation. • At least 75% of Change to Win's resources and budget must to be allocated to organizing programs. • Have target Wal-Mart as a “must organize.”

  25. International Brotherhood of Teamsters • Second time they have left the AFL-CIO. • 1960 – expelled • 1987 – readmitted • 2005 - left on own accord • About 1.4 million members (2004).

  26. Additions to Change to WIN’s Ranks since 2005 • Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers BLE • Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees BMWE • Graphic Communications International Union GCIU • National Association of Government Employees NAGE • Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union RWDSU

  27. About Exam I • Bring two blue books • Four Part Test: • Part I Short Answer Essay (6 of 8) 6 points ea. • Part II Definitions (10 of 12) 2 points ea. • Part III Essay (3 of 5) 12 points ea. • Part IV Matching (all) 8 total points. • Bonus 5 points. • Two hours

  28. General Instructions for Exams • Closed books, no notes. • Students are expected to do their own work. • No hats, caps, or visors (or reverse the bills) during exams. • No cell phones, palm pilots or similar devices during examinations. • Once the exam begins no one may leave the room unless their exam is completed.

More Related