In: Operations Management
You have been hired by XYZ as a consultant. They are currently facing a union organizing campaign. You have been asked to write a briefing memo for senior management. Your memo must address:
a. What are the basic differences, from the employer's viewpoint, in operating in a union-free environment vs. a unionized environment?
b. What is management representatives permitted to say and do during the campaign? What, if any, actions or statements are prohibited?
Formation of a union may increase the bargaining power of the employees who may collectively express concern (and negotiate) about the wages, work conditions, workplace safety, procedures and policies that may affect the employees. With a union in place, the management may be forced to hike wages frequently and much of the productive time may be lost in negotiations, thereby hampering productivity. A unionized environment may deter many from performing to their true potential and an event of discord between the management and union may lead to frequent strikes and labour problems that may vitiate the culture and environment of the organization. On the positive side, an agreement between the union and management can increase productivity of the organization and make certain procedures like conflict resolution and grievance handling easier than in non unionized environment. In these cases, union acts as a single point of contact for management to resolve many issues effortlessly.
The management representatives must be trained to handle the situation at the time of campaign with utmost care and behave in strict adherence to the laboratory conditions. They must not spy on the workers, threaten them to divulge secrets, offer better pay or benefits for providing inside information or not to be wth the union, asking questions to intimidate them etc.
about the wages, work conditions, workplace safety, procedures and policies that may affect the employees.