Chapter 10

Question 1

One of the primary reasons for the unionization of employees in the United States is the

Answer 1

dissatisfaction with how they are treated by their employers.

Question 2

What is true of the wages of employees in the United States?

Answer 2

Union workers frequently get compensated better in terms of pay than do nonunion workers. (p. 206)

Question 3

In an organization, what strategies can be employed to prevent unionization?

Answer 3

HR professionals and operating managers being attentive and responsive to employees. (p. 206)

Question 4

Why are unions considered to be victims of their own successes?

Answer 4

Unions have passed most of the important issues that affect workers into law and are no longer considered necessary.(p. 208)

Question 5

How has the North American Free Trade Agreement affected U.S. unions?

Answer 5

U.S. firms with unionized workforces have moved low-skill jobs to Mexico, thus reducing union membership. (p. 208)

Question 6

What is true of the view that white-collar workers have about unions?

Answer 6

is true of the view that white-collar workers have about unions? (p. 209)

Question 7

Gloria, an active member of a local union and an employee of Bargello Inc., is elected as the first-line representative of Bargello’s unionized workers. She discusses the grievances of the employees with their supervisors and represents employees at the workplace. Gloria plays the role of an elected _____.

Answer 7

union steward (p.211)

Question 8

Monica, an active member of a local union, runs the local headquarters and provides assistance to all union members. She helps employees negotiate contracts with their managements and actively works toward increasing the union’s strength. Monica plays the role of a(n) _____.

Answer 8

business agent (P.211)

Question 9

What law passed in 1947 is considered to be pro-management?

Answer 9

The Taft-Hartley Act (p. 213)

Question 10

What is a result of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978?

Answer 10

It established the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA). (p.215)

Question 11

Before a union election can be called, _____ of the employees in the targeted employee group must sign authorization cards of the union.

Answer 11

at least 30 percent (P. 218)

Question 12

The process whereby representatives of management and workers negotiate over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment is called:

Answer 12

collective bargaining. (P.218)

Question 13

_____ is a means by which a third party settles disputes arising from different interpretations of a labor contract.

Answer 13

Grievance arbitration (P.225)

Question 14

True/False: In the United States, employees in the public sector are more likely to be union members than employees in the private sector.

Answer 14

True (p. 209)

Question 15

True/False: The Wagner Act established the National Labor Relations Board as an independent entity to enforce the provisions of the act.

Answer 15

True (p.213)

Question 16

True/False: The Landrum-Griffin Act appointed the U.S. Secretary of Labor to act as a watchdog of union conduct.

Answer 16

True (p.214)

Question 17

True/False: Presenting employees with information about unions is an unfair labor practice.

Answer 17

False (p.216)

Question 18

True/False:Issues pertaining to safety rules and profit-sharing plans are mandatory subjects for bargaining.

Answer 18

False (p. 216)

Question 19

True/False: It is the responsibility of an operating manager, and not the human resources unit, to engage in grievance prevention efforts in a company.

Answer 19

False (p. 225)

Question 20

Short Answer:

Explain a few strategies that employers use to prevent unionization from occurring in their organizations.

Answer 20

“To prevent unionization or to work effectively with unions already representing the workforce, both HR professionals and operating managers must be attentive and responsive to employees (p. 214)

Question 21

Short Answer: Describe the two basic types of unions that have developed over time in the United States.

Answer 21

A craft union is a union where members all do one type of work, often using specialized skills and training while an industrial union includes many person working in the same industry or company, regardless of jobs held.(p. 218-219)

Question 22

Short Answer: What is a “community of interest”? What are the different areas in which employees should have mutual interests in so as to constitute a bargaining unit?

Answer 22

A community of interests is a group of employees who have shared mutual interests to help them bargain together. Mutual interests that employees should have in order to be considered a “community of interest” include wages, hours, and working conditions, traditional industry groupings, physical location and amount of interaction and working relationships, supervision by similar levels of management (p.225)

Question 23

Short Answer: Describe two union security provisions that organizations commonly provide.

Answer 23

One union security provision is the “no-layoff policy”; another is the dues check off, which provides for the automatic deduction of union dues; a third is “requiring union membership” which requires that all workers at a location be union members.(p.227)