Question

Answer each of the following questions related to managing labor relations. This unit's discussion board assignment consists of the following activities:

1) Why do employees choose to join labor unions?

2) How have unions improved working conditions for US workers?

3) Give two examples for each question listed above.

Answer 1

1. In today’s era, the Management attempts to organize the Corporate structure and culture effectively such that it helps in ensuring that there is no monopoly for either of the parties, i.e. the employees or the employer, involved in the process. In this regard, it is not the union that organizes the employees, but it is the Management that consciously try to organize the employees well and align their interest to that of the Corporate goals. Therefore, if the other way round happens, then it could perhaps mean that the Management is not taking enough steps to protect the interests of the employees and hence deserves the Unionization on the part of the employees or laborers. That is the reason why the employees would choose to join labor unions. Few examples could also be the inclusion of paternity leaves in the Employment cycle or giving rest to the female employee in certain days during the month for health reasons, etc.

It is to be noted that with the advent of Globalization, the collective negotiation power of the Unions especially in the area of demanding more wages and salaries, has been curbed down substantially as the Companies anyway offer better facilities and attractive packages to the potential employees to make them contribute towards the Organizational growth. However, the Management shall deserve to get a Union if it has the tendency to follow the past where, Unions were truly regarded as the mouthpiece of the workers who were exploited by the management to a greater extent with lack of transparency in their working standards. As a result, it was necessary to have such Unions in place that could help to correct such unethical practices in the industry. If such a case persists today, employees would join the Union.

2. On the flip side, it is now a fact that US Organizations have strived to improve the working conditions of the workers and hence the Unions can peacefully negotiate the terms of employment rather than aggressively attacking the performance of the Company. For example, in the early decades of the 20th century, the workers who gained the most through expansion of labor unions were the Black workers since the racial discrimination was more prevalent in those times. As against that, the Labor unions need not actually work in such welfare activities in today's era since the Organizations are itself trying to eradicate any racial discrimination practice at work places. Therefore, even in this case, the Union needs to pitch in only in cases where such discriminations are still prevalent and where the EEOC laws are not adhered by the employers. Like another example, the Americans have shown the world the attitude the tolerance by even electing its Black president in the recent past hence it clearly shows the country is committed to eradicate such discriminatory practices even in the Organization.

Moreover, in the recent past, the very purpose of the Unions has changed. More than demanding of better pay packages and compensations, the unions demand for the overall well being of the employees and to establish more ethical standards to make the Organization more accountable towards their activities. In earlier days, there was hardly any awareness about the conformance of Ethical norms and values in the Organization. As a result, Unions had to actively interfere in the matter of how the businesses were run by such Organizations. However, the scenario has much improved today. Hence the Union concerns about the same are not much visible as ethical issues are anyway an important matter of concern to the Organizations. Therefore, yet again a situation of the balancing act.