Deck 29: Unions and Labor Market Monopoly Power

Question 1

Workers in the United States were granted the legal right to engage in collective bargaining by the

A) National Labor Relations Act.
B) Taft-Hartley Act.
C) Landrum-Griffin Act.
D) Knights of Labor Act.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The earliest unions in the United States were

A) industrial unions.
B) craft unions.
C) public-sector unions.
D) military unions.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The United Auto Workers is an example of

A) a public-sector union.
B) a craft union.
C) an industrial union.
D) a socialist union.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Labor unions composed of workers who engage in a particular trade or skill, such as carpentry, are called

A) craft unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) collective unions.
D) closed unions.

Question 5

Which of the following correctly describes the trend in U.S. union membership?

A) Union membership has been decreasing steadily since the 1930s.
B) Union membership decreased from 1930 - 1960, but has been increasing steadily since.
C) Union membership peaked in the 1960s and has been decreasing steadily since.
D) Union membership declined until the 1980s, but has been increasing steadily since.

Question 6

A right-to-work law makes it illegal for

A) employers to refuse to hire union workers.
B) union membership to be a requirement for continued employment in any establishment.
C) union membership to be denied on the basis of race, gender, or national origin.
D) a union to exist in a state.

Question 7

Which of the following is the largest union in the United States?

A) International Brotherhood of Teamsters
B) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
C) National Education Association
D) American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

Question 8

A closed shop is a business enterprise in which

A) employees cannot belong to a union when they are employed, and cannot join a union and keep working there.
B) employees must join the union to maintain employment.
C) employees must belong to the union before they can be employed.
D) employees cannot belong to the union when they are hired, but may join the union later and keep their jobs.

Question 9

Collective bargaining refers to

A) negotiations between workers and health officials.
B) negotiations between management of a company and a labor union.
C) farming methods in Marxist states.
D) the process of electing union leaders.

Question 10

One union follows another union and starts a work stoppage. This is an example of a

A) sympathy strike.
B) secondary boycott.
C) closed shop.
D) union shop.

Question 11

Which of the following is a correct statement about unions in the United States?

A) The trend away from manufacturing and the deregulation of certain industries has promoted unionization of the U.S. workforce.
B) Half of the top ten U.S. unions now have members who work in service and government occupations.
C) Since the 1960s, there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of U.S. workers who are members of unions.
D) Half of all U.S. workers are union members.

Question 12

The United Steel Workers Union is an example of

A) a craft union.
B) an auto union.
C) an industrial union.
D) a blue collar union.

Question 13

If a firm is a union shop, then

A) a worker may elect to either join or not join the union.
B) only workers who have been union members for two years may be employed.
C) only union members may be employed by the firm.
D) a non-union worker may be hired but must join the union within a certain time period.

Question 14

Which of the following types of unions did the CIO promote?

A) craft unions
B) public sector unions
C) industrial unions
D) military unions

Question 15

Laws that make it illegal to require union membership as a condition of continuing employment in a firm are

A) union shop laws.
B) right-to-work laws.
C) closed-shop laws.
D) jurisdictional laws.

Question 16

A business enterprise in which employees must belong to the union before they can be hired is called a(n)

A) craft union.
B) industrial union.
C) closed shop.
D) union shop.

Question 17

A legal arrangement whereby a firm can hire only union labor is called

A) a union shop.
B) a closed shop.
C) a sweat shop.
D) an open shop.

Question 18

When workers boycott a company because it does business with a firm whose employees are on strike, that is a

A) secondary boycott.
B) primary boycott.
C) strike.
D) sympathy strike.

Question 19

The AFL and CIO merged because it was thought that

A) organized labor would grow faster as a result.
B) union pension funds would shrink as a result.
C) strikes could be averted.
D) managers would be more sympathetic to unions.

Question 20

Labor unions that consist of workers from a particular industry, such as automobile manufacturing, are called

A) craft unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) collective unions.
D) closed unions.

Question 21

A union is striking a steel company, and then, to put more pressure on the steel company, also promotes a boycott against an auto company that buys steel from the steel company. This latter action is

A) a sympathy strike, and is illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
B) a secondary boycott, and is legal under the Landrum-Griffin Act.
C) a secondary boycott, and is illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
D) a sympathy strike, and is legal under the Wagner Act.

Question 22

The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 outlawed

A) strikes.
B) make-work rules and forcing unwilling workers to join a union.
C) right-to-work states.
D) none of the above.

Question 23

Deregulation has contributed to

A) an increase in union membership.
B) declines in union membership.
C) higher wages in unions.
D) an increase in union power.

Question 24

Today, the share of union membership among public sector workers in the United States is

A) more than twice the share of union membership among private sector workers.
B) zero.
C) less than half of the share of union membership among private sector workers.
D) the same as the share of union membership among private sector workers.

Question 25

A company can hire non-union workers, but a condition of their employment is that they must join the union within their first 90 days on the job. This is an example of a

A) right-to-work law.
B) closed-shop.
C) union shop.
D) voluntary craft union.

Question 26

Which of the following is legal under the Taft-Hartley Act?

A) closed shops
B) collective bargaining
C) secondary boycotts
D) sympathy strikes

Question 27

A boycott of products sold by companies that are dealing with a company whose workers are on strike is a

A) jurisdictional dispute.
B) sympathy strike.
C) right-to-boycott law.
D) secondary boycott.

Question 28

A right-to-work state is one in which

A) unions are illegal.
B) there is guaranteed employment for all citizens.
C) the union shop is prohibited.
D) the closed shop is permitted.

Question 29

A closed shop is one in which

A) a union is prohibited.
B) some members belong to the union while others do not.
C) belonging to a union is a condition of employment.
D) the union is a co-manager of the day-to-day operations of the firm.

Question 30

Which of these nations has the highest rate of union membership (as a share of total employment)?

A) India
B) the United States
C) Japan
D) Sweden

Question 31

Collective bargaining in the United States typically involves negotiations between

A) the government and management over the minimum wage law.
B) the management of a company and the leaders of the union over the wages and fringe benefits to be offered.
C) an individual and her boss over the appropriate salary level.
D) union and nonunion employees regarding work rules.

Question 32

The president of the United States can obtain a court injunction that will stop a strike for an 80-day "cooling-off"period if the strike is expected to imperil national safety or health. This power is granted in the

A) Wagner Act.
B) Landrum-Griffin Act.
C) National Industrial Recovery Act.
D) Taft-Hartley Act.

Question 33

The Taft-Hartley Act

A) permits states to outlaw unions.
B) permits states to pass right-to-work laws.
C) encourages unions to engage in sympathy strikes.
D) encourages unions to engage in secondary boycotts.

Question 34

A craft labor union is made up of

A) groups of workers in an individual trade.
B) all the workers in a firm such as General Motors.
C) firms that employ similar labor skills.
D) an organization that controls the labor market in a particular industry.

Question 35

The type of labor agreement that requires workers to be union members prior to being considered for employment is a

A) right-to-work agreement.
B) closed-shop agreement.
C) union shop agreement.
D) open-shop agreement.

Question 36

The percentage of U.S. workers in the private sector who belong to unions is currently

A) greater than 70 percent.
B) approximately 55 percent.
C) approximately 25 percent.
D) approximately 11 percent.

Question 37

Which piece of legislation allowed states to pass right-to-work laws?

A) Wagner Act
B) Landrum-Griffin Act
C) Taft-Hartley Act
D) National Industrial Recovery Act

Question 38

A state with "right-to-work" laws would most likely have

A) higher employment levels than neighboring states without such laws.
B) more workers' benefits than neighboring states without such laws.
C) more union workers than neighboring states without such laws.
D) more worker safety requirements than neighboring states without such laws.

Question 39

For the past several decades, union membership in the United States has been declining. What has been happening in the rest of the world?

A) Union membership has been increasing in almost every other country.
B) In almost every other nation, union membership has held constant.
C) In most cases, union membership in other nations has also been falling.
D) We do not know because other nations do not keep these statistics.

Question 40

Union membership, in terms of percentage of the U.S. civilian labor force

A) has increased steadily since the passage of the Wagner Act.
B) peaked about 1960 and has since declined.
C) was over 50 percent in 1987.
D) has increased dramatically since 1970.

Question 41

A labor union is likely to seek all of the following EXCEPT

A) economic improvements for their members.
B) safer working conditions.
C) increased competitiveness in the labor market.
D) increased job security for its members.

Question 42

Labor unions are organizations that

A) try to secure more opportunities for more workers in the economy.
B) try to secure economic improvements for all workers.
C) try to secure economic improvements for their members.
D) try to make labor markets more competitive.

Question 43

The first labor unions in the United States were

A) public-sector unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) guilds.
D) craft unions.

Question 44

The American Federation of State, County, Government and Municipal Employees is an example of a(n)

A) guild.
B) craft union.
C) industrial union.
D) public-sector union.

Question 45

The United Steelworkers is an example of a(n)

A) craft union.
B) industrial union.
C) public-sector union.
D) guild.

Question 46

An industrial union is

A) a union composed of public employees.
B) a union composed of workers who are in a specific geographic area.
C) a union composed of workers who are employed in a particular industry.
D) a union composed of workers who engage in a particular trade or skill.

Question 47

The Knights of Labor was

A) a craft union that tried to restrict immigration into the United States.
B) an organization of skilled labor that tried to increase technical training after the German model.
C) an organization of both unskilled and skilled workers that pushed for an eight-hour workday and equal pay for men and women.
D) an industrial union composed of military personnel that tried to improve military life.

Question 48

Prior to World War I, the U.S. government's attitude towards labor unions was one of

A) indifference.
B) support.
C) hostility.
D) support, except when it came to unions of public employees.

Question 49

The United Auto Worker (UAW) would best be classified as

A) a craft union.
B) an industrial union.
C) a guild.
D) closed shop union.
E) none of the above.

Question 50

The Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) was founded by

A) Samuel Gompers.
B) Jimmy Hoffa.
C) John L. Lewis.
D) George Meany.

Question 51

A business enterprise in which employees must belong to the union before they can be hired is

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) a jurisdictional dispute.
D) an industrial union.

Question 52

The Service Employees International Union is an example of a(n)

A) guild.
B) craft union.
C) industrial union.
D) public-sector union.

Question 53

A closed shop is a

A) strike by a union in sympathy with another union's strike or cause.
B) dispute involving two or more unions over which should have control of a particular jurisdiction.
C) business enterprise in which employees must belong to the union before they can be hired and must remain in the union after they are hired.
D) legal environment in which businesses may hire nonunion members conditional on their joining the union by some specified date after employment begins.

Question 54

Bargaining between the management of a company and the management of a union is

A) a closed shop.
B) a bilateral monopoly.
C) a craft union.
D) collective bargaining.

Question 55

The CIO was formed as a(n)

A) closed shop.
B) association of industrial unions.
C) union shop.
D) bilateral monopoly.

Question 56

The Wagner Act

A) permitted unions to engage in collective bargaining.
B) permitted states to pass right-to-work laws.
C) restricted activities of heads of unions that were not beneficial to union members.
D) mandates compulsory arbitration in some key industries.

Question 57

A primary objective of labor unions is to

A) secure equal pay for its members.
B) have equal power with their employer.
C) seek better pay and improved work conditions.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.

Question 58

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be a reason for the decline in U.S. union membership?

A) declines in manufacturing employment
B) increases in the work force of the public sector
C) deregulation of transportation industries
D) increasingly more immigrant workers to fill unskilled job positions

Question 59

Negotiations between the management of a company and the management of a union for the purpose of setting a mutually agreeable contract on wages, fringe benefits and working conditions for all employees in a union is know as

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) collective bargaining.
D) an industrial union.

Question 60

A labor union that consists of workers from a particular industry is a(n)

A) closed shop.
B) industrial union.
C) union shop.
D) bilateral monopoly.

Question 61

Which of the following has been the largest organized group of U.S. unions during the past 50 years?

A) AFL-CIO
B) AFL
C) CIO
D) Change to Win

Question 62

The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 made

A) union shops illegal.
B) closed shops illegal.
C) sympathy strikes legal.
D) secondary boycotts legal.

Question 63

The employees of Aunt Smith's cookies are on strike. Jane has decided not to shop at any store that is still selling Aunt Smith's cookies. This is known as

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) a sympathy strike.
D) a secondary boycott.

Question 64

A union shop is a

A) strike by a union in sympathy with another union's strike or cause.
B) dispute involving two or more unions over which should have control of a particular jurisdiction.
C) business enterprise in which employees must belong to the union before they can be hired and must remain in the union after they are hired.
D) business which may hire nonunion members conditional on their joining the union by some specified date after employment begins.

Question 65

A disagreement involving two or more unions over which should have control over a particular firm or industry is

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) a jurisdictional dispute.
D) an industrial union.

Question 66

Since the 1970s, union membership in the U.S. has been

A) rising.
B) remaining constant.
C) declining.
D) erratic.

Question 67

The U.S. labor movement started with

A) aerospace workers unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) craft unions.
D) depression unions.

Question 68

The U.S. labor movement started

A) with local craft unions composed of workers who engaged in a particular trade or skill, such as baking, carpentry or plumbing.
B) during the Civil War.
C) after World War I.
D) with the Knights of Labor, an organized group of both skilled and unskilled workers.

Question 69

Which of the following is one of the reasons for declining union membership in the United States?

A) Much of the unskilled, nonunionized work in the United States is done by immigrant workers who are undocumented.
B) The AFL-CIO merger and creation of the Change to Win Federation reduced competition among unions.
C) the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act
D) Labor force participation by women has decreased.

Question 70

The Taft-Hartley Act made all of the following illegal EXCEPT

A) jurisdictional disputes.
B) the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
C) make-to-work laws.
D) closed shops.

Question 71

The United Auto Workers is striking against Ford. The Teamsters refuse to deliver steel to Ford. This is an example of

A) a jurisdictional dispute and is illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
B) a secondary boycott and is illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
C) a sympathy strike and is illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
D) a closed shop and is illegal under the Wagner Act.

Question 72

Which statement concerning powers granted the President of the United States by the Taft-Hartley Act is TRUE?

A) The President can obtain an injunction that will stop a strike, if the strike involves government workers only.
B) The President can require management to negotiate with a union and if the firm's management refuses, the President can appoint an arbitrator to resolve the conflict.
C) The President can obtain an injunction that will stop a strike for an eighty-day "cooling off" period if the strike is expected to imperil national safety or health.
D) The President can obtain an injunction that will stop a strike indefinitely.

Question 73

Legislation that makes it illegal to require union membership as a condition of continuing employment is the

A) National Labor Relations Act.
B) Wagner Act.
C) Congress of Industrial Organizations.
D) collection of right-to-work laws.

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons for declining union membership in the United States?

A) The economy has shifted away from manufacturing.
B) The AFL-CIO merger and creation of the Change to Win Federation reduced competition among unions.
C) Some industries have been deregulated.
D) Labor force participation by women has increased.

Question 75

A business enterprise that allows the hiring of nonunion members conditional on their joining the union is

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) a jurisdictional dispute.
D) an industrial union.

Question 76

Recently, two construction industry unions also left the AFL-CIO and joined with ironworkers and bricklayers unions to form

A) the National Brotherhood of Teamsters.
B) the National Construction Alliance.
C) the American Federation of Workers.
D) Change to Win.

Question 77

A jurisdictional dispute is a

A) strike by a union in sympathy with another union's strike or cause.
B) dispute involving two or more unions over which should have control of a particular jurisdiction.
C) business enterprise in which employees must belong to the union before they can be hired and must remain in the union after they are hired.
D) legal environment in which businesses may hire nonunion members conditional on their joining the union by some specified date after employment begins.

Question 78

The welders' union at Ajax is on strike. The maintenance union has decided to walk out in support of the welders' union. This is known as

A) a closed shop.
B) a union shop.
C) a sympathy strike.
D) a secondary boycott.

Question 79

A right-to-work law makes it illegal

A) to prevent union members from working in any firm.
B) to fire a worker who has joined a union or who tries to organize a union at any firm.
C) to inquire whether a prospective employee is a member of a union or not.
D) for union membership to be a requirement for continued employment in any firm.

Question 80

In 2005, which union organization was formed out of the AFL-CIO membership?

A) National Brotherhood of Teamsters
B) Service Employees International Union
C) American Federation of Workers
D) Change to Win