Prepared by: Safaa S.Y. Dalloul

E-HRM | Labor Union| Unit 6

2013-2014http://safaadalloul.wordpress.com

KYTC

Employees Relations Definition

Human resource activities associated with movement of

employees within firm after they become organizational

members

Internal Employees Relation Activities

Disciplinary Actions

Transfers

Resignation

Promotion

Termination

Retirement

Disciplinary Actions

Discipline - State of employee self-control and orderly

conduct. Disciplinary action -Invokes penalty against

employee who fails to meet established standards

Disciple Teach

Disciplinary Actions

Intent of disciplinary action should be to ensure

recipient/employee sees disciplinary action as learning

process

Disciplinary Actions

Effective Disciplinary Action?

1. Addresses employee’s wrongful behavior, not employee

as a person.

2.  Should not be applied haphazardly

Disciplinary Actions

Effective Disciplinary Action?

3. Not usually management’s initial response to a problem

4. Normally, there are more positive ways of convincing

employees to adhere to company policies

Disciplinary Actions

Termination

Most severe penalty; should be most carefully considered

Termination

Termination of no managerial/ nonprofessional employees

If firm unionized, termination procedure well defined in

labor agreement

Non-Union workers can generally be terminated more

easily.

Termination

Termination of executives

Affects on Economic 

Reorganization/downsize

Philosophical differences

Decline in productivity

No formal appeals procedure

Termination

Termination of middle- and lower-level managers and

professionals

In past, most vulnerable and neglected group with regard to

termination

Not members of union nor protected by labor agreement

Transfers

Lateral movement of worker within organization

Should not imply that person is being either promoted

or demoted

Transfers

Transfers Serve Several Purposes

Necessary to reorganize

Make positions available in primary promotion channels

Satisfy employees’ personal desires

Transfers

Transfers Serve Several Purposes

Deal with personality clashes

Becoming necessary to have wide variety of experiences

before achieving promotion

Promotion

Movement to higher level in company

One of the most emotionally charged words in human

resource management

Resignation

Exit interview: Means of revealing real reasons employees

leave jobs which is conducted before employee departs

company.

Resignation

Post-Exit questionnaire - Sent to former employees several

weeks after leave organization to determine real reason the

employee left.

Resignation

Attitude Surveys: Means of Retaining Quality Employees

Seek employee input to determine feeling about such topics

as:

Resignation

Work environment

Opportunities for advancement

Firm’s compensation system

Their supervisor

Training and development opportunities

Resignation

Advanced notice of resignation

Would like 2 weeks

Communicate policy to all employees

May pay employee for notice time and ask him/her to

leave immediately

Retirement

Many long-term employees leave organization through

retirement.

> 60

Labor Union Objectives

To secure and improve living standards and economic status

of members.

To enhance and guarantee individual security against threats

and contingencies that might result from market

fluctuations, technological change, or management

decisions.

Labor Union Objectives

To influence power relations in social system in ways that

favors and does not threaten union gains and goals.

To advance welfare of all who work for a living, whether

union members or not.

Labor Union Objectives

To create mechanisms to guard against use of arbitrary and

capricious policies and practices in workplace.

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Importance of jobs held by union members significantly

affects union power

Few strategically located union members may exert

disproportionate amount of power

Truckers or dock workers can affect entire country.

Strategically Located Union Members

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Houston

organized janitors at several big companies at once.

Negotiated big industry-wide contract.

Eliminates each company’s fear of being undercut by

competitors if it allows higher wages.

Companies stay neutral.

Organizing Several Big Companies at Once

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Put pressure on end user of company’s product

Strike against four Johnson Controls factories that make

interior parts for some of country’s best-selling vehicles

GM and Chrysler played active behind-the-scenes role by

pressuring JCI to settle dispute

Pulling the Union

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Political arm of AFL-CIO is Committee on Political

Education (COPE)

Union recommends and assists candidates who will best

serve its interests

Political Involvement

Labor Union Growth Strategies

With friends in government, union in stronger position

Give money to candidates who pledge to help pass pro-labor

legislation

Political Involvement

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Process of training union organizers to apply for jobs at

company and, once hired, work to unionize

Supreme Court has ruled employers cannot discriminate

against union salts

Union Salting

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Process of union inundating communities with organizers to

target particular business

Unions typically choose companies in which nonunionized

employees have asked for help in organizing

Flooding the Community

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Target weak managers’ departments as way to appeal to

dissatisfied employees

Flooding the Community

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Labor maneuvers that do not coincide with strike or

organizing campaign to pressure employer for better wages,

benefits, and the like

Alternative to strikes because more employers are willing to

replace striking workers

Public Awareness Campaigns

Labor Union Growth Strategies

Employers have less recourse against labor campaigns

involving joint political and community groups that support

union goals

Public Awareness Campaigns

Labor Union Growth Strategies

AFL-CIO asks its affiliates to increase organizing funds

Increase funding to organizing institute, which trains

organizers, and launches advertising campaign to create

wider public support for unions

Building Organizational Funds

Why Employees Join Unions

The following are some important reasons which clarify

why employees join unions

Dissatisfaction with management

Social outlet

Opportunity for leadership

Forced unionization

Peer pressure

Why Employees Join Unions

Dissatisfaction with management

Compensation

Job Security

Management Attitude

Why Employees Join Unions

Social Outlet

Many people have strong social needs  

Take advantage of union-sponsored recreational and social activities

that members and their families find fulfilling

People who develop close personal relationships will likely stand

together in difficult times

Why Employees Join Unions

Opportunity for Leadership

Some individuals aspire to leadership roles  

Employees with leadership aspirations can often satisfy those

aspirations through union membership

Union also has a hierarchy of leadership that begins with the union

steward

Why Employees Join Unions

Forced Unionization

In 28 states without right-to-work laws, legal for employer to agree

with union that new employee must join union after certain period

of time (generally 30 days) or be terminated .

Referred to as union shop agreement

Why Employees Join Unions

Forced Unionization

Right-to-Work Laws

Prohibit management and unions from entering into agreements

requiring union membership as condition of employment

Why Employees Join Unions

Forced Unionization

Right-to-Work Laws

State statutes or constitutional provisions that ban practice of

requiring union membership or financial support as condition

of employment

22 states, located primarily in South and West, have adopted

such laws

Peer Pressure

May constantly remind an employee that he or she is not a

member of the union

In extreme cases, union members have threatened

nonmembers with physical violence and sometimes have

carried out these threats .

Collective Bargaining

Performance of mutual obligation of employer and

representative of employees to meet at reasonable times and

confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other

terms and conditions of employment,

Collective Bargaining

or the negotiation of an agreement, or any question arising

there under and execution of written contract incorporating

any agreement reached if requested by either party, but such

obligation does not compel either party to agree to proposal

or require making of a concession.

Bargaining Unit

Consists of employees (not necessarily union members)

recognized by employer or certified by administrative

agency as appropriate for representation by labor

organization for purposes of collective bargaining.

Steps of Forming Bargaining Unit

Signing Authorization Cards

Document indicating employee wants to be represented by

labor organization in collective bargaining

Is there sufficient interest on part of employees to justify

unit?

Signing Authorization Cards

Evidence of interest when at least 30% of employees in

workgroup sign authorization cards

Usually need 50% to proceed

PETITION FOR ELECTION

After authorization cards have been signed, petition for

election made to regional NLRB office

NLRB will ordinarily direct that election be held within 30

days

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Both union and management usually promote causes

actively

Cannot threaten loss of jobs or benefits

Cannot misstate important facts

Illegal to incite racial or religious prejudice

Election & Certification

NLRB monitors secret-ballot election

Board issues certification of results to participants

If majority of employees vote for union, NLRB will certify

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