Actors and athletes belong to what types of unions?

Unhappy Employees Could Equal Unionization

As the HR managing director for a two-hundred-person company, you generally take a pretty good sense of employee morale. Recently you grew concerned considering morale has dropped. Employees are unhappy considering of pay and the increasing price of wellness benefits. Y'all discuss these concerns with upper-level management, but attributable to financial pressures, the company cannot address the issue this year.

One afternoon, the manager of the marketing department comes to you with this business organization, but also with some news. She tells you that she has heard talk of employees unionizing if they exercise not receive pay raises within the next few months. She says that the employees are very unhappy, and productivity is suffering as a result. She explains that employees have already started the unionization procedure by contacting the National Labor Relations Board and are in the process of proving thirty percentage worker interest in unionization. As yous mull over this news, you are concerned because the organization has always had a family temper, and a wedlock might change this. You lot are likewise concerned most the financial pressures to the organization should the employees unionize and negotiate higher pay. You know y'all must accept activity to preclude this development. Nevertheless, you know that y'all and all managers are legally bound past rules relating to unionization, and you need a refresher on what these rules are. You make up one's mind to call a coming together offset with the CEO and then with managers to discuss strategy and inform them of the legal implications of this procedure. You lot experience confident that a resolution can be reached before the unionization happens.

The Nature of Unions

A labor wedlock, or matrimony, is defined as workers banding together to meet common goals, such as better pay, benefits, or promotion rules. In the U.s.a., 11.9 per centum of American workers belong to a union, downwards from twenty.1 percent in 1983 ("Spousal relationship Members: 2010," Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.s. Section of Labor, news release, Jan 21, 2011, accessed April 4, 2011). In this section, nosotros volition talk over the history of unions, reasons for decline in union membership, matrimony labor laws, and the process employees go through to course a union. First, however, we should discuss some of the reasons why people join unions.

People may feel their economic needs are non existence met with their current wages and benefits and believe that a wedlock can help them receive better economic prospects. Fairness in the workplace is another reason why people join unions. They may feel that scheduling, vacation time, transfers, and promotions are non given fairly and feel that a union can help eliminate some of the inequity associated with these processes. Let's hash out some bones information about unions earlier we talk over the unionization process.

History and Organisation of Unions

Trade unions were developed in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, when employees had little skill and thus the employer had most of the ability. Many employees were treated unfairly and were underpaid. In the United States, unionization increased with the building of railroads in the tardily 1860s. Wages in the railroad industry were low and the threat of injury or death was high, as was the case in many manufacturing facilities with few or no safety laws or regulations in place. As a result, the Alliance of Locomotive Engineers and several other brotherhoods (focused on specific tasks but, such as conductors and brakemen) were formed to protect workers' rights, although many workers were fired because of their membership.

Labor Union AFL-CIO Perspective

The following video shows a history of labor unions from the perspective of the AFL-CIO:

The starting time local unions in the United States were formed in the nineteenth century, in the class of the National Labor Union (NLU).

The National Labor Wedlock, formed in 1866, paved the way for other labor organizations. The goal of the NLU was to course a national labor federation that could lobby regime for labor reforms on behalf of the labor organizations. Its chief focus was to limit the workday to eight hours. While the NLU garnered many supporters, it excluded Chinese workers and only made some attempts to defend the rights of African Americans and female workers. The NLU can be credited with the eight-hour workday, which was passed in 1862. Considering of a focus on government reform rather than commonage bargaining, many workers joined the Knights of Labor in the 1880s.

The Knights of Labor started as a congenial organization, and when the NLU dissolved, the Knights grew in popularity as the labor wedlock of choice. The Knights promoted the social and cultural spirit of the worker better than the NLU had. It originally grew as a labor matrimony for coal miners but also covered several other types of industries. The Knights of Labor initiated strikes that were successful in increasing pay and benefits. When this occurred, membership increased. Afterward only a few years, though, membership declined because of unsuccessful strikes, which were a outcome of a besides autocratic structure, lack of arrangement, and poor direction. Disagreements between members inside the arrangement also caused its demise.

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed in 1886, mostly past people who wanted to see a alter from the Knights of Labor. The focus was on higher wages and job security. Infighting among union members was minimized, creating a stiff organisation that withal exists today. In the 1930s, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was formed every bit a result of political differences in the AFL. In 1955, the two unions joined together to form the AFL-CIO.

Currently, the AFL-CIO is the largest federation of unions in the United States and is composed of fifty-six national and international unions. The goal of the AFL-CIO isn't to negotiate specific contracts for employees merely rather to support the efforts of local unions throughout the state.

Currently in the United States, there are two main national labor unions that oversee several industry-specific local unions. There are also numerous independent national and international unions, such as the post-obit, that are not affiliated with either national union:

1. AFL-CIO: local unions include Airline Pilots Clan, American Federation of Government Employees, Associated Actors of America, and Federation of Professional Athletes
2. CTW (Change to Win Federation): includes the Teamsters, Service Employees International Wedlock, United Farm Workers of America, and United Nutrient and Commercial Workers
3. Independent unions: Directors Guild of America, Congenial Order of Law, Independent Pilots Association, Major League Baseball Players Association

The national union plays an of import office in legislative changes, while the local unions focus on collective bargaining agreements and other labor concerns specific to the expanse. Every local union has a union steward who represents the interests of wedlock members. Normally, union stewards are elected by their peers.

A national wedlock, besides focusing on legislative changes, likewise does the following:

1. Lobbies in regime for worker rights laws
2. Resolves disputes betwixt unions
3. Helps organize national protests
4. Works with allied organizations and sponsors various programs for the support of unions

For example, in 2011, the national Teamsters union organized demonstrations in eleven states to protest the closing of an Ontario, California, parts distribution center. Meanwhile, Teamster Local 495 protested at the Ontario plant ("Teamsters Escalate BMW Protests beyond America," PR Newswire, August 2, 2011, accessed August 15, 2011).

Figure ane. The Complicated Structure of AFL-CIO. Source: AFL-CIO

Electric current Union Challenges

The labor movement is currently experiencing several challenges, including a decrease in union membership, globalization, and employers' focus on maintaining nonunion status. As mentioned in the opening of this section, the United States has seen a steady turn down of union membership since the 1950s. In the 1950s, 36 percent of all workers were unionized, as opposed to just over 11 percent today (Gerald Friedman, "Labor Unions in the United States," Economical History Association, February 2, 2010, accessed Apr 4, 2011).

Claude Fischer, a researcher from Academy of California Berkeley, believes the shift is cultural. His research says the reject is a result of American workers preferring individualism every bit opposed to collectivism (Claude Fischer, "Why Has Union Membership Declined?" Economist'south View, September 11, 2010, accessed April 11, 2011). Other enquiry says the pass up of unions is a effect of globalization and the fact that many formerly unionized jobs in the manufacturing arena have now moved overseas. Other reasoning points to management and that its unwillingness to work with unions has caused the decline in membership. Others suggest that unions are on the pass up because of themselves. By corruption, negative publicity, and hard-line tactics have made joining a marriage less desirable.

To fully understand unions, it is of import to recognize their global attribute. Statistics from worldwide data unions in all countries declining merely even so healthy in some countries. For example, in eight of the twenty-vii European Marriage fellow member states, more than one-half the working population is part of a union. In fact, in the about populated countries, unionization rates are still at three times the unionization rate of the United States (Federation of European Employers, "Trade Unions beyond Europe," accessed April iv, 2011). Italy has a unionization rate of 30 percent of all workers, while the Britain has 29 percent, and Germany has a unionization charge per unit of 27 percent.

In March 2011, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker proposed limiting the commonage bargaining rights of state workers to save a foundering upkeep. Some chosen this move "union busting" and said this type of act is illegal, as it takes abroad the basic rights of workers. The governor defended his position, saying that there was no other selection, since the state was in a budget crunch. Other states such as Ohio take considered similar measures. Whatever happens, there is a clear shift for unions today.

Globalization is too a challenge in labor organizations today. As more and more than goods and services are produced overseas, unions lose not only membership but union values in the stronghold of worker culture. As globalization has increased, unions accept connected to need more governmental command but take been only somewhat successful in these attempts. For case, free trade agreements such as the Due north American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have fabricated it easier and more lucrative for companies to industry goods overseas. For example, La-Z-Boy and Whirlpool airtight production facilities in Dayton and Cleveland, Ohio, and built new factories in United mexican states to take advantage of cheaper labor and less stringent environmental standards. Globalization creates options for companies to produce appurtenances wherever they think is all-time to produce them. As a result, unions are fighting the globalization trend to keep jobs in the United States.

There are a number of reasons why companies do non want unions in their organizations, which we will discuss in greater detail later. 1 of the main reasons, though, is increased cost and less management control. As a consequence, companies are on a quest to maintain a marriage-complimentary work environment. In doing so, they try to provide higher wages and benefits and so workers exercise non feel compelled to join a union. Companies that want to stay spousal relationship-free constantly monitor their retention strategies and policies.

Labor Union Laws

The Railway Labor Act (RLA) of 1926 originally applied to railroads and in 1936 was amended to encompass airlines. The human action received support from both management and unions. The goal of the act is to ensure no disruption of interstate commerce. The principal provisions of the act include alternate dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration to resolve labor disputes. Any dispute must exist resolved in this manner before a strike can happen. The RLA is administered by the National Arbitration Board (NMB), a federal agency, and outlines very specific and detailed processes for dispute resolution in these industries.

The Norris-LaGuardia Human activity of 1932 (also known as the anti-injunction bill), barred federal courts from issuing injunctions (a court order that requires a political party to do something or refrain from doing something) confronting nonviolent labor disputes and barred employers from interfering with workers joining a union. The act was a result of common yellow-dog contracts, in which a worker agreed not to bring together a union before accepting a chore. The Norris-LaGuardia Deed made xanthous-domestic dog contracts unenforceable in courts and established that employees were complimentary to join unions without employer interference.

In 1935, the Wagner Act (sometimes chosen the National Labor Relations Act) was passed, changing the manner employers can react to several aspects of unions. The Wagner Human action had the following features:

1. Employers must permit liberty of association and organization and cannot interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees who form a marriage.
2. Employers may non discriminate against employees who form or are function of a wedlock, or those who file charges.
3. An employer must bargain collectively with representation of a spousal relationship.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) oversees this act, treatment whatever complaints that may ascend from the human action. For example, in Apr 2011, the NLRB worked with employees at Ozburn-Hessey Logistics in Tennessee subsequently they had been fired considering of their involvement in forming a matrimony. The company was besides accused of interrogating employees well-nigh their spousal relationship activities and threatened employees with loss of benefits should they form a marriage. The NLRB utilized their chaser to fight on behalf of the employees, and a federal gauge ordered the company to rehire the fired employees and as well to desist in other antiunion activities ("Federal Estimate Orders Employer to Reinstate Three Memphis Warehouse Workers and Stop Threatening Spousal relationship Supporters While Case Proceeds at NLRB," Office of Public Affairs, National Labor Relations Board, news release, April 7, 2011, accessed April vii, 2011).

The Taft-Hartley Act also had major implications for unions. Passed in 1947, Taft-Hartley amended the Wagner Deed. The act was introduced because of the upsurge of strikes during this fourth dimension period. While the Wagner Act addressed unfair labor practices on the part of the company, the Taft-Hartley Human activity focused on unfair acts by the unions. For example, it outlawed strikes that were not authorized past the union, called wildcat strikes. Information technology also prohibited secondary deportment (or secondary boycotts) in which 1 union goes on strike in sympathy for another wedlock. The act allowed the executive co-operative of the federal government to disallow a strike should the strike bear upon national health or security. One of the most famous injunctions was made past President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Air traffic controllers had been off the job for ii days despite their no-strike oath, and Reagan ordered all of them (over eleven g) discharged because they violated this federal law.

The Landrum Griffin Deed, also known as the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure (LMRDA) Act, was passed in 1959. This act required unions to hold secret elections, required unions to submit their almanac financial reports to the U.S. Department of Labor, and created standards governing expulsion of a member from a union. This act was created because of racketeering charges and corruptions charges past unions. In fact, investigations of the Teamsters Marriage plant they were linked to organized crime, and the Teamsters were banned from the AFL-CIO. The goal of this act was to regulate the internal functioning of unions and to combat corruption of union members past union leaders.

Figure 2. Major Acts Regarding Unions, at a Glance

The Unionization Process

There are 1 of two ways in which a unionization procedure can begin. Commencement, the spousal relationship may contact several employees and hash out the possibility of a union, or employees may contact a union on their own. The spousal relationship will then aid employees gather signatures to show that the employees desire to be part of a spousal relationship. To hold an election, the union must show signatures from over 30 percent of the employees of the organization.

Figure 3. The Unionization Process

Once the signatures are gathered, the National Labor Relations Board is petitioned to move frontwards with a cloak-and-dagger-ballot ballot. An alternative to the secret-election ballot is the card check method, in which the wedlock organizer provides the visitor with authorization cards signed by a simple majority (one-half plus one). The employer can accept the cards as proof that the employees desire a union in their organization. The NLRB then certifies the union as the employees' collective bargaining representative.

If the organization does not have the menu check method as dominance for a union, the 2nd pick is via a hush-hush ballot. Before this method is used, a petition must exist filed by the NLRB, and an election is usually held 2 months later the petition is filed. In essence, the employees vote whether to unionize or non, and there must be a uncomplicated majority (one-half plus 1). The NLRB is responsible for election logistics and counting of ballots. Observers from all parties can be nowadays during the counting of votes. Once votes are counted, a decision on unionization occurs, and at that time, the collective bargaining procedure begins.

Once the NLRB is involved, at that place are many limits as to what the employer tin can say or practise during the process to prevent unionization of the system. It is appropriate for 60 minutes and management to be educated on what tin can legally and illegally be said during this process. It is illegal to threaten or intimidate employees if they are discussing a union. You cannot threaten job, pay, or benefits loss as a result of forming a matrimony. Figure 4, "Things That Shouldn't Be Said to Employees during a Unionization Process," below includes information on what should legally exist avoided if employees are considering unionization.

Figure 4. Things That Shouldn't Be Said to Employees during a Unionization Process

Obviously, it's in the all-time interest of the union to have as many members as possible. Because of this, unions may use many tactics during the organizing process. For example, many unions are also politically involved and support candidates who they experience best represent labor. They provide training to organizers and sometimes even encourage union supporters to apply for jobs in nonunion environments to actively work to unionize other employees when they are hired. This practice is called union salting. Unions, especially on the national level, tin can be involved in corporate campaigns that boycott certain products or companies because of their labor practices. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), for example, has a "Wake Up Walmart Campaign" that targets the labor practices of this organisation.

Strategies Companies Utilize to Avert Unionization

Almost organizations feel the constraints of having a union organization are as well bang-up. It affects the cost to the arrangement and functioning efficiency. Collective bargaining at times can put direction at odds with its employees and cost more to produce products and services. Ideally, companies will provide safe working weather, fair pay, and benefits so the employees do not feel they need to form a union. At that place are three main phases of unionization, as follows:

1. Phase ane: Your arrangement is union-costless and there is little or no interest in unionizing.
2. Phase two: You learn that some employees are discussing unionization or you lot acquire about specific attempts by the union to recruit employees.
3. Phase 3: You receive a petition from the National Labor Relations Lath filed past a union requesting a unionization vote.

Because of increased costs and operational efficiency, information technology is ordinarily in a visitor's best interest to avoid unionization. While in phase 1, it is important to review employee relations programs including pay, benefits, and other compensation. Ensure the compensation plans are fair and then employees feel fairly treated and have no reason to seek the representation of a union.

Despite your all-time efforts, you could hear of unionization in your organization. The goal here is to prevent the union from gaining back up to enquire for a National Labor Relations Board ballot. Since only 30 per centum of employees need to sign union cards for a vote to take place, this phase to avoid unionization is very of import. During this time, Hr professionals and managers should respond to the issues the employees have and also develop a specific strategy on how to handle the marriage vote, should it get that far.

In phase 3, familiarization with all the National Labor Relations Board rules around elections and communications is important. With this data, you tin organize meetings to inform managers on these rules. At this time, you will likely desire to describe upwards an antiunion campaign and communicate that to managers, just also brand sure it does non violate laws. To this finish, develop specific strategies to encourage employees to vote "no" for the union. Some of the arguments that might exist used include talking with the employee and mentioning the post-obit:

1. Union dues are plush.
2. Employees could be forced to go along strike.
3. Employees and management may no longer be able to discuss matters informally and individually.
4. Unionization can create more bureaucracy within the company.
5. Individual issues may non be discussed.
6. Many decisions inside a union, such every bit vacation time, are based on seniority only.

With unionization in decline, information technology is probable you may never need to handle a new marriage in your organization. However, organizations such as Change to Win are in the procedure of trying to increase union membership. This organisation has four affiliated unions, with a goal to strengthen the labor movement. Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers, United Farm Workers, and Service Employees International Union are all unions affiliated with this arrangement (Change to Win website, accessed Apr seven, 2011). The next few years will exist telling equally to the fate of unions in today's organizations.

Fortune 500 Focus

Peradventure no organization is better known for its antiunion stance than Walmart. Walmart has more than three,800 stores in the United States and more 4,800 internationally with $419 billion in sales ("Investors," Walmart Corporate, 2011, accessed August 15, 2011). Walmart employs more than than 2 1000000 associates worldwide ("Investors," Walmart Corporate, 2011, accessed Baronial 15, 2011). The billions of dollars Walmart earns exercise not immunize the company confronting trouble. In 2005, the company's vice president, Tom Coughlin, was forced to resign after albeit that between $100,000 and $500,000 was spent for undeclared purposes, just it was eventually found that the money was spent to keep the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) out of Walmart (Los Angeles Times Wire Services, "Wal-Mart Accused of Unfair Labor Practices," accessed September fifteen, 2011). (He was plant guilty and sentenced to two years of house abort).

Other claims surrounding spousal relationship busting are the closing of stores, such every bit the Walmart Tire and Lube Express in Gatineau, Quebec, UFCW Canada, when discussions of unionization occurred. Other reports of union busting include the accusation that company policy requires store managers to report rumors of unionizing to corporate headquarters. Once the report is made, all labor decisions for that store are handled by the corporate offices instead of the store manager. According to labor unions in the United states, Walmart is willing to work with international labor unions just continues to fiercely oppose unionization in the United States. In 1 case, after butchers at a Jacksonville, Texas, Walmart voted to unionize, Walmart eliminated all U.Due south. meat-cut departments.

A group chosen OUR Walmart (System United for Respect), financed by the United Food and Commercial Workers* (UFCW) wedlock, has stemmed from the accusations of union busting. Walmart spokesperson David Tovar says he sees the group every bit a Trojan horse assembled past labor organizations to lay the groundwork for total-fledged unionization and seek media attention to fulfill their calendar. While the organization'southward activities may walk a fine line betwixt legal and illegal union practices under the Taft-Hartley Act, this new group will certainly bear on the future of unionization at Walmart in its US stores.

*Notation: UFCW was office of the AFL-CIO until 2005 and at present is an contained national union.

The Bear upon of Unions on Organizations

You may wonder why organizations are opposed to unions. As we accept mentioned, since union workers do receive higher wages, this can exist a negative touch on on the organization. Unionization also impacts the power of managers to make sure decisions and limits their freedom when working with employees. For example, if an employee is constantly late to work, the matrimony contract will specify how to subject in this situation, resulting in fiddling management freedom to handle problems themselves. In 2010, for example, the Fine art Establish of Seattle kinesthesia filed signatures and voted on unionization ("Union Push button in For-Profit College Ed,"Inside Higher Ed, May 24, 2010, accessed August fifteen, 2011). Some of the major bug were scheduling difficulties and office space, not necessarily pay and benefits. While the particular National Labor Relations Board vote was no to unionization, a yes vote could take given less liberty to management in scheduling, since scheduling would be based on collective bargaining contracts. Some other business concern about unionization for management is the power to promote workers. A union contract may stipulate certain terms (such as seniority) for promotion, which ways the manager has less control over the employees he or she can promote.

Key TAKEAWAYS

• Wedlock membership in the United states of america has been slowly declining. Today, union membership consists of well-nigh 11.9 percent of the workforce, while in 1983 it consisted of 20 percent of the workforce.
• The reasons for decline are varied, depending on whom yous ask. Some say the moving of jobs overseas is the reason for the decline, while others say unions' hard-line tactics put them out of favor.
• As well declining membership, union challenges today include globalization and companies' wanting a union-free workplace.
• The United States began its commencement labor movement in the 1800s. This was a consequence of low wages, no vacation fourth dimension, safe problems, and other issues.
• Many labor organizations have disappeared, but the American Federation of Labor (AFL) yet exists today, although it merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and is now known as the AFL-CIO. It is the largest labor union and represents local labor unions in a diverseness of industries.
• The United states has a low number of union members compared with other countries. Much of Europe, for example, has over 30 per centum of their workforce in labor unions, while in some countries as much as 50 per centum of the workforce are members of a labor union.
• Legislation has been created over time to support both labor unions and the companies who have labor unions. The Railway Labor Act applies to airlines and railroads and stipulates that employees may non strike until they have gone through an extensive dispute resolution process. The Norris-LaGuardia Human activitymade xanthous-dog contracts illegal and barred courts from issuing injunctions.
• The Wagner Act was created to protect employees from retaliation should they bring together a matrimony. The Taft-Hartley Act was developed to protect companies from unfair labor practices by unions.
• The National Labor Relations Board is the overseeing trunk for labor unions, and it handles disputes between companies also as facilitates the process of new labor unions in the developing stages. Its job is to enforce both the Wagner Act and the Taft-Hartley Deed.
• The Landrum Griffin Human activity was created in 1959 to combat abuse in labor unions during this time menstruation.
• To form a union, the organizer must take signatures from 30 percent of the employees. If this occurs, the National Labor Relations Lath will facilitate a card check to determine more than l percent of the workforce at that company is in agreement with marriage representation. If the visitor does not accept this, and then the NLRB holds secret elections to determine if the employees will be unionized. A collective bargaining agreement is put into place if the vote is yes.
• Companies prefer to not take unions in their organizations considering information technology affects costs and operational productivity. Companies will usually try to prevent a union from organizing in their workplace.
• Managers are impacted when a company does unionize. For case, direction rights are affected, and everything must be guided by the contract instead of direction prerogative.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/baycollege-introbusiness/chapter/reading-working-with-labor-unions/

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