Deck 1: Contemporary Labor Relations: Objectives, Practices, and Challenges

Question 1

U.S. labor law tries to establish employer needs for efficiency as a priority over employees' need for equity and voice.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Labor relations systems around the world generally assume that corporations have significantly greater bargaining power than one individual worker.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Conflicts between what the employee wants and what the employer wants are generally resolved privately between the individual and his/her employer.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The concept of employee voice suggests that employees should have the right to express their opinions in the workplace but only if they are consistent with the majority of employees or with the employer's perspective.

Question 5

The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers' rights to act together for mutual aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to resolve workplace conflict.

Question 6

Labor relations systems in other countries tend to follow a neoliberal market ideology, which sees the employment relationship as one in which balance between competing interests must be achieved.

Question 7

The widening gap between the richest and poorest individuals in the U.S. is in part due to the weakened position of labor unions.

Question 8

In the U.S., workers can generally be discharged for good cause, no cause, and even a morally wrong cause.

Question 9

While voice and equity are important to the employment relationship, efficiency is really the critical component. If an employer can be efficient, equity and voice will naturally follow.

Question 10

In the U.S., an employer has a right to own property and make a profit but society has the right to place limitations and restrictions on how those profits are made.

Question 11

One important goal of U.S. labor law is to increase purchasing power of workers.

Question 12

An organization that allows its employees to exercise their voice in the workplace using democratic principles similar to those that are commonly accepted in a democratic society is one that exercises industrial democracy.

Question 13

Fundamentally, a labor union is a group of workers who join together to influence the nature of their employment.

Question 14

In 2011, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in their bid for the Super Bowl. The next day a Chicago car salesman was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work despite having sold 14 cars in the previous month. In the U.S. such a dismissal is considered illegal.

Question 15

Neoliberal market ideology places the needs and rights of workers before efficiency and profits.

Question 16

When an employer uses an employee suggestion box to gather ideas and concerns from its employees, it is primarily addressing the labor relations goal of efficiency.

Question 17

The goals of efficiency, equity, and voice in the workplace rarely conflict with one another.

Question 18

Most industrialized countries give employers wide latitude to dismiss employees "at will" .

Question 19

In the United States, employees have broad protections against arbitrary dismissal such that employers must provide a good, business related reason for firing someone.

Question 20

A key role of unions is to negotiate work rules and practices that ensure fair treatment of employees by their managers and employers.

Question 21

Generally, if the majority of workers in a particular workplace want union representation, their employer is required by U.S. law to negotiate with them over wages, hours, and working conditions.

Question 22

U.S. labor law is considered by labor supporters to be a strong piece of protective legislation.

Question 23

The labor movement in the United States is considered by experts to be very strong today.

Question 24

Since 1935, U.S. labor law has proved to be very adaptable to changes in the business climate including the decline of mass manufacturing, blurring distinctions between management and nonmanagement jobs, and globalization.

Question 25

If the reasons for the decline in unionization rates in the U.S. are largely structural and a result of declining demand for union services, there is no real need for labor law reform.

Question 26

One problem with the current legal framework governing labor relations in the U.S. today is that it tends to be adversarial and does not promote cooperative relationships between management and workers.

Question 27

Part of the decline in union density may be due to the fact that newer entrants to the workforce are less likely to have ever experienced the benefits of unionization and therefore are less likely to become union members themselves.

Question 28

Workers are more likely to experience unionism when they are young than when they are older.

Question 29

An employer creates a safety team of 6 employees who are asked to recommend changes to the workplace that will reduce accident rates. The team recommends eliminating a job rotation program that allows the employer to move employees in and out of various jobs on an as-needed basis. They argue that job rotation both increases employee stress and reduces the amount of experience that employees have with the various safety procedures associated with a particular job. This scenario describes a conflict between which two objectives of the employment relationship?

A) Equity and efficiency.
B) Efficiency and voice.
C) Equity and voice.
D) None, there is no conflict.

Question 30

The number of union members grew into the 1970s but it has declined since that time.

Question 31

When an employer allows supervisors to arbitrarily discipline employees without cause, it is most directly violating which objective of the employment relationship?

A) Efficiency.
B) Equity.
C) Voice.
D) Effectiveness.

Question 32

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

A) To equalize the distribution of income across society.
B) To ensure public safety, promote worker voice in politics, and reduce income inequalities that create a tax burden.
C) To control the actions of employers and employees so that they are clearly acting in the best interests of society.
D) To protect the profit maximization goals of business and ensure competition in the marketplace.

Question 33

A collective bargaining agreement negotiated between an employer and its workers is an informal agreement outlining the terms and conditions of employment.

Question 34

Compared to businesses in other countries, U.S. businesses are more likely to welcome the opportunity to bargain collectively with their employees.

Question 35

From a societal standpoint, the weakened position of unions in the U.S. is potentially problematic for all of the following reasons except:

A) A weakened labor movement is less able to provide management with the flexibility it needs to succeed in today's demanding competitive environment.
B) Weaker unions are unable to counter trends toward a greater income inequality in society.
C) Weaker unions are less able to provide training and work standards that ensure high quality, safe products and services, and safe working conditions.
D) Aggrieved workers are pushed to strike or act out in other ways that are detrimental to the flow of goods and services or to public safety.

Question 36

In nonunion environments, management has unilateral control over when and how employees are allowed to express their voice.

Question 37

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations, it is considered a basic human right for:

A) Individuals to have the right to form and join trade unions for their own protection and the protection of others.
B) Employers to have the right to unilaterally determine the terms and conditions of employment.
C) Individuals to unilaterally determine the terms and conditions of their employment.
D) Employers to form and join employer associations for their own protection and the protection of other employers.

Question 38

Because American unions were instrumental in pushing for increased protective legislation such as workers' compensation laws and unemployment insurance, the demand for union services has increased, rather than decreased, over time.

Question 39

When an employer adopts an employee participation program, such as a workplace safety committee, it is most directly addressing which objective of the employment relationship?

A) Efficiency.
B) Equity.
C) Voice.
D) Exclusive representation.

Question 40

The number of U.S. workers who say they want representation or a "collective voice" at the workplace is very close to the number of workers that actually have it through unions.

Question 41

Which of the following best summarizes the trends in U.S. union density since the 1980s?

A) Decreases in both the private and public sectors.
B) Increases in both the private and public sectors.
C) Stable in the private sector and decreases in the public sector.
D) Increases in the public sector and decreases in the private sector.

Question 42

Union density in the United States is currently estimated at ____________________.

A) over 40 percent
B) about 25 percent
C) 20 percent
D) less than 15 percent

Question 43

Which of the following outcomes cannot generally be attributed to unions?

A) Higher income and living standards for workers.
B) Greater protection for workers against unfair treatment by employers.
C) Greater flexibility in work rules.
D) Greater emphasis on legislation and social programs that assist working people.

Question 44

Regardless of the impact on productivity or efficiency, it is argued that industrial democracy is important to the U.S. because:

A) Democracy is often the most efficient means by which to make decisions.
B) A country cannot truly value the concept of democracy without supporting democratic principles in the workplace.
C) In a democratic society, businesses should be the place in which individuals learn to express their democratic voice.
D) Businesses are inherently democratic enterprises.

Question 45

Compared to other countries, the system of labor relations in the U.S. is

A) Loosely regulated.
B) Tightly regulated.
C) Similarly regulated.
D) Unfairly regulated.

Question 46

The crucial feature of collective bargaining is that management's traditional authority to unilaterally establish terms and conditions of employment is replaced by ____________________ negotiations.

A) Equitable
B) Bilateral
C) Competitive
D) Co-lateral

Question 47

Which of the following appears to be True about management and worker views on employee voice?

A) Managers prefer to negotiate with groups of employees, in order to get multiple perspectives at the same time.
B) The majority of workers prefer to negotiate with management individually over workplace issues.
C) Workers express a preference for representation in the workplace that is independent of management.
D) Managers prefer for employees to have independent representation in the workplace.

Question 48

Traditional adversarial bargaining relationships between employers and employees has made meeting employers' increasing need for ____________________ more difficult.

A) Flexibility
B) Equity
C) Cooperation and employee involvement
D) Workplace fairness

Question 49

Which of the following can at least partially explain the decline in union density rates in the United States since the 1960's?

A) Employment in traditionally unionized industries such as manufacturing has decreased.
B) Employment in service and knowledge industries has declined.
C) Employment growth in the north has been faster than employment growth in the south.
D) Educated workers are more likely to unionize than uneducated workers.

Question 50

Business pressures for competitiveness and quality have affected the collective bargaining process in all of the following ways except:

A) Increased the need for flexibility in work rules.
B) Increased the need for more specific, detailed contracts.
C) Increased need for cooperation and employee involvement in work decisions.
D) Increase need to communicate about the terms of a contract more than once every three years when the contract expires.

Question 51

Union contracts are:

A) Legally enforceable for both employees and employers.
B) Largely voluntary agreements that neither party is required by law to follow.
C) Not allowed by law.
D) Legally enforceable for the employees only.

Question 52

Which of the following characterizes the current business environment as compared to that at the time the National Labor Relations Act was passed?

A) Clear differences exist between "manual" and "managerial" labor.
B) American domination of world markets.
C) More mass manufacturing production systems.
D) Greater emphasis on the importance and need for knowledgeable workers.

Question 53

A group of Walmart employees in Raleigh, NC staged a 5-minute flash mob protest over low wages and working conditions at their store. At the end of the demonstration, they handed the manager a signed petition. Which of the following is True?

A) The employer can fire the workers.
B) The employees actions are illegal because they do not have formal union representation.
C) The employees' actions are legal because they are acting together to influence their working conditions.
D) The employer can only fire the workers if they don't formally join or create a union.

Question 54

Conflicts between employers and employees can best be described as conflicts between:

A) Property rights and individual rights.
B) Consumer rights and privacy rights.
C) Rights of the privileged and rights of the underprivileged.
D) Economic rights and worker rights.

Question 55

Most countries base their industrial relations system on the perspective that:

A) Worker rights should be valued over employer rights.
B) Employer rights should be valued over worker rights.
C) There should be balance between worker and employer rights.
D) Consumer rights should be valued over worker rights.

Question 56

In the United States, younger workers are:

A) Significantly less likely to belong to a union than older workers.
B) Significantly more likely to belong to a union than older workers.
C) Slightly less likely to belong to a union than older workers.
D) As likely as older workers to belong to a union.

Question 57

Which of the following is not considered an argument for treating employees as "more" than simply another commodity that can be bought and sold in the labor market?

A) Most modern workers are completely dependent upon jobs, not property, in determining the quality of their life.
B) Working adults spend a considerable proportion of their life at work and hence work provides an important social setting that greatly influence quality of life.
C) When workers agree to supply their labor in exchange for pay and benefits, they are freely choosing to follow management's directives.
D) Workers have feelings and free will that can, if they wish, interfere with the quantity and quality of work they perform.

Question 58

Which of the following is a major subject of collective bargaining between employers and employees?

A) Compensation.
B) Decisions over which applicants to hire.
C) Employee rights and responsibilities.
D) Employer rights and responsibilities.

Question 59

A union contract is:

A) A legally binding document that describes the terms of employment .
B) An agreement between management and labor that loosely states the rules they will each try to abide by in the workplace.
C) A legally binding agreement between employees and their union representatives that outlines the scope of the union's authority.
D) A voluntary but not legally binding agreement between employees and their union representatives that outlines the terms of employment.

Question 60

Which of the following is not True about the decline in demand for unions in the U.S.?

A)To some extent, protective legislation ensuring safety and income security has served to replace union representation.
B) It can be largely attributed to the fact that individuals who experience union representation are unhappy with it and decide they do not want it.
D) Employers may be more likely to listen to their employees and respond to their changing needs thus reducing employees' need for outside representation.
C) U.S. unions have not put enough money into union organizing and have therefore not done a good job of "selling" their services.
D) Employers may be more likely to listen to their employees and respond to their changing needs thus reducing employees' need for outside representation.

Question 61

Employee empowerment is another term used to describe ___________________, an objective of the employment relationship in which workers are given some say in the conditions of their employment.

Question 62

With collective bargaining, the employer's __________________ authority is replaced with bilateral negotiations.

Question 63

The notion that workers should be entitled to the same democratic principles of participation in the workplace as they are entitled to in society is known as _____________________.

Question 64

Lengthy, detailed, legally-binding union contracts have clashed with employers' need for greater _____________________ that they argue is necessary for adapting to today's competitive, fast-changing business environment.

Question 65

In the United States, the negotiation process culminates in a contract that outlines the terms and conditions of employment which is called a _____________________ agreement.

Question 66

A ________________ perspective sees the employment relationship as analogous to a political society in which multiple parties have legitimate but sometimes conflicting interests and rights.

Question 67

The _____________________ is a term used to describe the difference between the percentage of workers who express interest in representation in the workplace and the number that are unionized.

Question 68

In today's labor relations environment:

A) Sweatshops and forms of modern slavery are nonexistent in the United States.
B) Workers are assured of a wage necessary to support a family.
C) There is an increasing number of employers violating labor standards.
D) Workers are generally fired only for good reasons.

Question 69

_____________________ occurs when representatives of the employer and representatives of its workers negotiate the terms and conditions of employment.

Question 70

Because union density rates are at historic lows:

A) It is not important for managers and business professionals to learn about labor relations.
B) It is unlikely that managers or supervisors will ever encounter an issue related to labor relations law or rights.
C) Knowledge of labor relations is important to understanding how conflict has historically been resolved, and what might happen when it is left unresolved.
D) Managers and business professionals must generally be knowledgeable and savvy in their management of conflict in the workplace.

Question 71

Explain the employment-at-will doctrine. How does this doctrine conflict with the belief that workers are more than just a commodity that can be bought and sold in a labor market?

Question 72

The legal doctrine stating that employers have the right to fire employees for "good cause, for no cause, or even for cause morally wrong" is known as the __________________ doctrine.

Question 73

When employers actively work to keep unions out of their workplace or are openly hostile toward unions it is known as _______________________.

Question 74

Explain the fundamental conflict over property rights versus worker rights.

Question 75

Conflicts between employers and employees are seen as conflicts between the _____________ rights of employers and workers' rights of the employees.

Question 76

The essence of a labor union is that ___________________ join together to influence the nature of their employment.

Question 77

How is the concept of industrial democracy consistent with the traditional values of the United States democratic system?

Question 78

_____________________ is a measure of the percentage of workers who are union members.

Question 79

The concept of equity refers to the objective of ___________________ when distributing the economic rewards that stem from the employment relationship.

Question 80

Explain the objectives of the employment relationship from the perspective of employers, employees, and society. Give at least one example of how these perspectives may conflict.