Deck 10: Labor Relations

Question 1

The Wagner Act, the Taft-Hartley Act, and the Landrum-Griffin Act constitute the _______________.

A)Magna Carta of Labor
B)U.S.labor law foundation
C)National Labor Code
D)Right-to-Work Code

Answer 1

B

Question 2

During the past several decades, union membership in the U.S.has _______________.

A)declined overall
B)declined only in the public sector
C)declined only in the private sector
D)increased overall

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The checkers and baggers at Grocery Giant have approached the loading dock workers to cooperate in a union organizing attempt.The NLRB will decide whether these three groups of employees constitute a bargaining unit based on _______________.

A)similarity of pay grades
B)mutuality of interests
C)a comparison of working conditions
D)geographic location

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which agency, set up as an impartial umpire of the organizing process, enforces all of the provisions of the labor relations acts?

A)National Labor Relations Board
B)U.S.Department of Labor
C)Federal Labor-Management Conciliation Authority
D)Federal Workers Protection Board

Question 5

A is a group of autonomous unions.

A)conciliation
B)union congress
C)union organization
D)federation

Question 6

The process of unionization may begin in one of two ways, including a_______________.

A)union targeting an industry or a company
B)refusal by management to communicate with the union
C)change in state law regarding open shops
D)permission letter from the National Labor Relations Board

Question 7

If of the employees in the targeted group sign authorization cards, the union can request that an election be held.

A)a majority
B)at least 30 percent
C)more than 20 percent
D)two-thirds

Question 8

The top management of Premier Manufacturing is concerned about the high labor costs of its unionized workforce.Management has formed a committee to investigate the benefits of moving its plant to an "employer friendly" region.All of the following geographic regions would be considered by the committee EXCEPT the _______________.

A)Northeast
B)Rocky Mountain states
C)Southern states
D)Southwest

Question 9

A/An is one whose members do one type of work, often using specialized skills and training.

A)craft union
B)apprenticeship guild
C)industrial union
D)membership guild

Question 10

The United Auto Workers is an example of a/an _______________.

A)craft union
B)industrial union
C)company union
D)federated union

Question 11

The management of Pilot Processing, Inc.is in a state of shock. Pro-union materials have been found in the company cafeteria. In an emergency meeting, top management is brainstorming which union may be targeting the employees so that the company can prepare its response. The executives have forgotten the other primary way the unionizing process can begin, which is _______________.

A)company employees approaching a union with the request to unionize
B)the development of an internal company union without external ties to organized labor
C)"salting" of the workforce by the AFL-CIO
D)an order by the National Labor Relations Board

Question 12

A _______________ is an employee who is elected, and generally represents employees at the work site.

A)union agent
B)union steward
C)business agent
D)business steward

Question 13

The most highly unionized part of the U.S.workforce is the _______________.

A)public sector
B)heavy manufacturing sector
C)healthcare industry
D)communications industry

Question 14

Which act prohibited employers from undertaking certain unfair labor practices?

A)The Railway Labor Act
B)The Landrum-Griffin Act
C)The Taft-Hartley Act
D)The Wagner Act

Question 15

A union is a formal association of workers that promotes the interests of its members through _______________.

A)threats and strikes
B)collective action
C)negotiation
D)collective bargaining

Question 16

Which Act, passed in 1947, answered the concerns of many that unions had become too strong, and attempted to balance the collective bargaining equation?

A)The Norris-LaGuardia Act
B)The Landrum-Griffin Act
C)The Taft-Hartley Act
D)The Wagner Act

Question 17

It is speculated that deregulation, foreign competition, and a larger number of people looking for jobs have _______________.

A)been caused by union militancy
B)contributed to the decline of unions
C)prompted increased government regulations of the union/management relationship
D)been the catalyst for increases in union membership

Question 18

The purpose of right-to-work laws is to _______________.

A)encourage full employment in the economy
B)make it illegal to force people to join a union to get or keep a job
C)require that employers bargain in good faith with union representatives
D)prohibit unions from organizing in a particular state

Question 19

What is the primary reason why employees join unions?

A)They want higher wages and believe that the union can pressure their employers to raise wages.
B)They feel their benefits package is inadequate and want to bargain for an improved package.
C)They fear losing their jobs to employees in foreign companies.
D)They are dissatisfied with how they are treated by their employers and believe that unions can improve their work situations.

Question 20

A _______________ unit is composed of all employees eligible to select a union to represent and bargain collectively for them.

A)contract
B)common
C)negotiating
D)bargaining

Question 21

are formal communications channels designed to settle a grievance as soon as possible after the problem arises.

A)Grievance procedures
B)Contract procedures
C)Legal processes
D)Arbitration processes

Question 22

The primary determinant of whether or not employees unionize is the relationships they have with their coworkers.

Question 23

refers to provisions to aid the union in obtaining and retaining members.

A)Union affiliation clauses
B)Union rights
C)Union?management collusion
D)Union security provisions

Question 24

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

A)arbitration
B)power bargaining
C)collective bargaining
D)labor/management negotiations

Question 25

If the organization argues that it cannot afford to pay what the union is asking, the employer must _______________.

A)declare bankruptcy
B)provide full financial disclosure information
C)still negotiate in "good faith" until an agreement is reached
D)provide necessary financial data if requested

Question 26

In order for a unionized workplace to be more highly productive than a non-union workplace, management must find labor-saving production techniques.

Question 27

During a _______________, union members refuse to work in order to put pressure on an employer.

A)close?down
B)lockout
C)strike
D)boycott

Question 28

Loamite, Inc.and its union have not been successful in their contract negotiations. A neutral third party has been called in. This person is actively working with both sides to help them reach a settlement, but the person will not be imposing a solution on the parties. Loamite is involved in _______________.

A)arbitration
B)fact-finding
C)mediation
D)ratification

Question 29

The process by which union members vote to accept the terms of a negotiated labor agreement is called _______________.

A)authorization
B)certification
C)ratification
D)localization

Question 30

If both parties agree, bargaining over _______________ issues is allowed.

A)optional
B)joint
C)permissive
D)co-operative

Question 31

Once certified, the next step the union will take is to _______________.

A)assess union dues
B)collect the costs associated with the unionization process from the employer
C)demand improved wages and benefits for the members of the bargaining unit
D)attempt to negotiate a contract with the employer

Question 32

What is the difference between a complaint and a grievance?

A)They are different names for the same thing.
B)Grievances are more informal, and do not follow a set procedure.
C)Complaints relate to money issues; grievances to supervisory behavior.
D)A grievance is a complaint formally stated in writing.

Question 33

The teachers' union in the Whispering Hills school district has not come to a collective bargaining agreement with the school board. A neutral third party has been brought in to make decisions on the topics that have kept the two parties from agreeing on a contract. This process is called _______________.

A)arbitration
B)conciliation
C)fact-finding
D)mediation

Question 34

The union organizing campaign at VegFoods has been intense. Neither the union nor the company feels that the election is a sure victory for it. Every vote cast by the 400 employees in the bargaining unit is critical. At the end of the election, only 300 employees have voted. For the union to win, it needs to have _______________ votes.

A)200
B)201
C)150
D)151

Question 35

In a , management shuts down company operations to prevent union members from working.

A)strike
B)lockout
C)close?down
D)boycott

Question 36

In order to reserve to the employer the right to manage, direct, and control its business, virtually all labor contracts include a _______________ provision.

A)non-negotiable issues
B)management rights
C)shareholders' prerogative
D)management reservation

Question 37

is he process whereby a union is removed as the representative of a group of employees.

A)Decertification
B)De-representation
C)De-unionization
D)Union busting

Question 38

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

A)Mediation
B)Court-ordered negotiation
C)Grievance arbitration
D)The Department of Labor negotiating team

Question 39

During contract negotiations the union negotiator has brought up the issue of changing the way overtime work is assigned.

A)Management must negotiate on this issue as it is a mandatory issue.
B)Management does not need to negotiate on this issue because it is a permissive issue.
C)This is a non-negotiable issue because scheduling is part of management's rights.
D)Because the union negotiators are asking for a higher level of overtime pay than time-and-a-half, this is an illegal issue and management may refuse to negotiate.

Question 40

In , the parties agree to send negotiators who can bargain and make decisions, rather than people who do not have the authority to commit either group to a decision.

A)good-faith negotiations
B)labor/management negotiations
C)honest bargaining
D)collective bargaining

Question 41

Identify the three acts that constitute the U.S.labor law foundation. Provide a brief summary of these Acts, and explain the impact these acts have had on labor/management relations.

Question 42

The Wagner Act declared, in effect, that the official policy of the U.S.government was to encourage collective bargaining.

Question 43

Explain the purpose of a grievance procedure, and identify the five typical steps involved in the procedure.

Question 44

The process of conciliation is a means of deciding a dispute in which negotiating parties submit the dispute to a third party to make a decision.

Question 45

The Wagner Act allows the President of the United States to declare that a strike presents a national emergency, which is one that would impact an industry or a major part of it in such a way that the national economy would be significantly affected.

Question 46

Describe the role of collective bargaining in union/management relations, and provide a brief outline of a typical collective bargaining process.

Question 47

Discuss the current "state of labor unions" in the United States.

Question 48

An employer faced with a union organizing campaign may hold mandatory employee meetings.

Question 49

The Taft-Hartley Act requires that the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service be notified of disputes over contract renewals if they are not settled within 30 days of the designated date.

Question 50

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent board, appointed by the AFL-CIO.

Question 51

Pilot Processing, Inc., being faced with a union organizing campaign, has decided to distribute anti-union leaflets at work and to employees' homes via U.S.mail. Unfortunately, this would be considered an unfair labor practice.

Question 52

The final step of the grievance procedure is arbitration by an impartial third party.

Question 53

A business agent is a company executive who has been appointed to negotiate with the union.

Question 54

The Landrum-Griffin Act was passed to protect the rights of individual union members from corruption in the union, and to ensure the democratic rights of union members.

Question 55

Except in industries covered by the Railway Labor Act, supervisors are not eligible to be represented by a union.

Question 56

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 established the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to oversee and administer union/management relations in the federal government.

Question 57

Right-to-work laws prohibit employers from terminating employees who are union sympathizers.