1.Most employers that have a unionized workforce:

 

Try to negotiate contracts that will allow the employer to remain competitive and honor terms of the existing contract.

Try to scare their workers away from unions by issuing threats such as plant closings.

Try to undermine unions by adopting progressive HR policies that reduce the need for unions.

Try to ignore the union and operate without consulting union leaders or the workers.

 

2.From a societal standpoint, the main purpose of a labor relations system is:

 

To equalize the distribution of income across society

To ensure public safety, promote worker voice in politics, and reduce income inequalities that create a tax burden

To control the actions of employers and employees so that they are clearly acting in the best interests of society

To protect the profit maximization goals of business and ensure competition in the marketplace

3.Tactics designed to create power equalization are often employed as a way to

gain advantage in a distributive bargaining situation.

block the other's power moves.

level the playing field.

diminish the expert power of the other party.

 

4.The open shop movement criticized closed shop arrangements because they took away employee rights to freely determine where they wanted to work, and on what terms. (True or False.)

5.The use of injunctions to stop or limit picketing during strikes had a significant and negative impact on unionization by turning public support away from unions and demoralizing strikers.(True or False.)

6.In order to establish exclusive representation, a union needs to win:

 

Support of at least 30% of a group of employees.

Approval of management.

Majority support of a group of employees.

Approval from the Department of Labor.

 

7.If a group of employees is represented by a union and another union that has a better track record also wants to represent those workers, the employees:

 

Can choose to belong to both unions.

Can immediately switch unions.

Can file for a decertification election whenever enough workers say they want one.

Must stick with the union they have until the contract expires.

 

8.Under the NLRA, an employer has the right to enforce no solicitation policies on a case by case basis, at their own discretion. Therefore, it is their right to regularly allow employees to sell Girl Scout cookies or similar items while prohibiting a union from distributing informational literature.(True or False.)

9.After 3 years of union representation, employees at Stellar Snowboard Manufacturing company decide that they wish to end their relationship with the union. The employees must:

Stop paying all union dues.

File a petition for decertification election.

Petition the employer to stop negotiating with the union.

Request that a new union begin negotiating on their behalf.

 

10.A decertification election may be held as soon as the employees or employer are able to show that at least 30% of employees desire decertification.(True or False.)

11. Cindy, an employee of Stellar Snowboard Manufacturing, has just signed an authorization card during a union organizing campaign by Local 79 of the Teamsters Union. Cindy has agreed with which of the following statements:

"I am requesting the NLRB hold a representation election at my employer's place of business."

"I authorize Teamsters Local 79 to be my collective bargaining agent in negotiations with Stellar Snowboard."

"I authorize Stellar Snowboard to deduct union dues for Teamsters Local 79 from my paycheck."

"I authorize Teamsters Local 79 to use a portion of my union dues money for the purpose of political lobbying."

 

12.If an employer denies a request for voluntary recognition, what is the next employee step in the union organizing process?

 

Filing a grievance with the NLRB

Collecting additional authorization card signatures

Organizing a card-check election

Filing an election petition with the NLRB

13.One day prior to a union election, an employer held a company picnic for its employees. Attendance at the picnic was required and the company president gave a passionate speech urging employees not to vote for the union. The most likely reason the NLRB would consider this a violation of the NLRA is:

The picnic amounts to a captive audience meeting held within 24 hours of the election.

The picnic could be considered an inducement or reward for not voting for the union.

The president's passionate speech could be considered threatening.

None of the above; the employer did not violate the NLRA in any way.

14.Bargaining in good faith to an impasse fulfills an employer's legal bargaining obligation, freeing it to implement the employment terms of its final offer even over the objection of the union.(True or False.)

15.The BATNA can be thought of as a parties' resistance point or the point at which they would prefer to walk away from negotiations rather than take the terms the other party is offering.(True or False.)
16.Collective bargaining agreements made between labor's negotiators and the employer's negotiators are tentative and subject to rank and file approval.(True or False.)
17.Which of the following is most likely to be considered an example of surface bargaining?

 

An employer, unsatisfied with the contract terms being offered by the union, negotiates directly with an influential employee who is not on the negotiating team in the hopes that she will convince other employees to agree to the terms.

An employer refuses to give the union financial information it has requested after telling the union that their demands are unreasonable in light of the company's tentative financial position.

An employer uses delay tactics such as scheduling conflicts, withdrawing items that were already settled, and delaying the release of information important to negotiations.

An employer decides to implement the terms of their final offer in the hopes that employees will like the contract and pressure the union to settle.

18.On a cold winter day, a group of employees decides that the temperature in their manufacturing plant is unbearably cold. Together, the employees approach their employer and request that the heat be turned up. The employer:

Must collectively bargain with this group of employees over the plant temperature

May ignore the employees' request

Must turn up the heat at the request of the employees

Can fire the employees for insubordination

 

19 through 26For each, indicate:

“a” if the item is a mandatory bargaining item “b” if the item is a permissive bargaining item “c” if the item is illegal

19. Health insurance for retired employees 20. Change in retirement plan contributions 21. Seniority provisions 22. Contract ratification procedures 23. Change in employer contribution to health insurance premiums 24. Wages below minimum wage 25. Employee drug testing 26. Decision to close a plant

27.What are the most dominant contributors to breakdowns and failures in negotiation?

Failures and distortions in perception, meaning, and feedback.

Failures and distortions in perception, feedback, and behaviors.

Failures and distortions in perception, communication, and framing.

Failures and distortions in perception, cognition, and communication.

28. True (T) or False (F). In the early 1900's, unions were viewed by the law as voluntary organizations of individuals and, since U.S. law valued individual liberty and freedom above all else, unions and workers were allowed relative freedom to use whatever means they could to protect their wages and working conditions.

 

29. The most likely union avoidance strategy in a paternalistic/strategic organization:

A.Participatory management
B.Adversarial HR management
C.Union suppression
D.Union substitution

30.In the mainstream economic perspective, the role of the government is to:

A.Pass laws that protect worker rights and income
B.Pass laws that protect employer interests
C.Pass laws that promote competition
D.Pass laws that promote good management policies