Question 1

As the football season approaches, the threat of a player strike would give
A)both players and management an incentive to bargain seriously.
B)only the players an incentive to bargain seriously.
C)only management an incentive to bargain seriously.
D)neither party much incentive to bargain seriously.

Accepted Answer

A player strike would affect both players and management, as it would disrupt the season and potentially harm the financial interests of both parties. Therefore, it would give both sides an incentive to bargain seriously in order to avoid a strike and come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

Question 2

Which of the following groups is most highly unionized?
A)private wage and salary workers
B)government employees
C)technical, sales, and service workers
D)women

Accepted Answer

Government employees have the highest unionization rate among all groups, with over 33% of employees being union members. Private wage and salary workers have a lower unionization rate, at around 6.4%. Technical, sales, and service workers have a slightly higher unionization rate than private wage and salary workers, but still significantly lower than government employees. Women do not represent a specific industry or occupation, so a unionization rate for women as a group cannot be identified.

Question 3

Which of the following factors will make it easier for a labor union to increase the wages of its members?
A)a highly inelastic demand for the products produced by the union labor
B)a readily available supply of similar products produced by nonunion labor
C)low tariffs and strong competition from foreign firms producing the products supplied by the union labor
D)a reduction in the demand for the products produced by the union labor

Accepted Answer

A highly inelastic demand for the products produced by the union labor means that consumers are willing to pay a higher price, which gives the union more bargaining power to demand higher wages for its members.

Question 4

Which of the following most accurately indicates changes in the size of the union sector in the United States?
A)As a share of the labor force, union membership grew substantially during 1935 through 1955 but has declined substantially since the mid-1950s.
B)As a share of the labor force, union membership declined substantially during 1935 through 1955 but has grown substantially since the mid-1950s.
C)As a share of the labor force, union membership has steadily grown from less than 10 percent in 1935 to more than 40 percent today.
D)Union membership has been approximately 20 percent of the labor force during the last five decades.

Accepted Answer

According to the statement, union membership grew substantially from 1935 to 1955 but has declined substantially since the mid-1950s. Thus, option A is the correct answer. Options B and C are incorrect as they describe a trend opposite to the information given, and option D is incorrect as it does not reflect the changes in the size of the union sector over time.

Question 5

What percentage of the non-farm labor force in the United States belonged to a labor union in 2010?
A)less than 10 percent
B)approximately 12 percent
C)approximately 28 percent
D)more than 40 percent

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 12 percent of the non-farm labor force in the United States belonged to a labor union in 2010.

Question 6

Since 1970, union membership, as a percent of the labor force, has
A)remained virtually unchanged.
B)increased slightly.
C)declined steadily.
D)increased significantly.

Accepted Answer

Since 1970, union membership as a percent of the labor force in the United States has steadily declined. In 1970, approximately 24.2% of the labor force was unionized, whereas in 2020, that number had decreased to 10.8%.

Question 7

Which of the following is most likely to belong to a union?
A)a government employee
B)a salesperson
C)a chef at a four-star restaurant
D)a taxi driver

Accepted Answer

Government employees are more likely to be unionized due to the job security and benefits provided by the union, as well as the collective bargaining power to negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Salespeople, chefs at four-star restaurants, and taxi drivers typically work for private companies, which are less likely to be unionized.

Question 8

Between 1960 and 2010, the proportion of workers belonging to a union
A)decreased substantially in the private sector.
B)was approximately constant in the private sector.
C)decreased substantially in the government sector.
D)was approximately constant in the government sector.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the proportion of workers belonging to a union decreased from about 31% in 1960 to about 11% in 2010 in the private sector. In contrast, in the government sector, the proportion of union workers has remained relatively constant, around 35% over the same time period. Therefore, choice A is the best answer as it accurately reflects the trend observed in the data.

Question 9

Laws that prohibit collective bargaining agreements requiring a worker to join a union as a condition of employment are called
A)collective bargaining agreements.
B)minimum wage laws.
C)union shop laws.
D)right-to-work laws.

Accepted Answer

Laws that prohibit collective bargaining agreements requiring a worker to join a union as a condition of employment are called right-to-work laws.

Question 10

Which of the following states had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?
A)New York, Hawaii, and Alaska
B)South Carolina, North Carolina, and Mississippi
C)Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas
D)California, Florida, and Georgia

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, New York had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers with 24.2%. Hawaii and Alaska were tied for second place with 23.1%. The other states listed did not have as high of a percentage of union membership.

Question 11

Most studies indicate that during the last two decades, the wages of union members have been approximately
A)5 percent higher than the wages of similar nonunion workers.
B)14 to 19 percent higher than the wages of similar nonunion workers.
C)34 to 39 percent higher than the wages of similar nonunion workers.
D)64 to 69 percent higher than the wages of similar nonunion workers.

Accepted Answer

Most studies indicate that during the last two decades, the wages of union members have been 14 to 19 percent higher than the wages of similar nonunion workers.

Question 12

A strike, or the threat of one, is most likely to be effective when
A)demand for the firm's product is strong.
B)foreign competition for the product is high.
C)the firm has a high product inventory.
D)demand for the product produced by the union workers is highly elastic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A strike, or the threat of one,...

Question 13

The demand for union labor is usually determined by
A)the number of union members.
B)the strength of the union.
C)the total value of the union labor in the production process.
D)market conditions outside the union's direct control.

Accepted Answer

The demand for union labor is mainly determined by market conditions outside the union's direct control, such as the level of economic activity, product demand, and competition. These factors affect the demand for labor in general, and therefore, also affect the demand for union labor. The other options are not accurate determinants of the demand for union labor, as the number of union members or the strength of the union can vary and do not necessarily reflect the demand for their labor in the market. The total value of union labor in the production process is also not a reliable indicator, as it depends on the specific industry and the wages negotiated by the union.

Question 14

While most industrial categories have experienced a decline in the percentage of workers unionized, which one of the following categories has seen a significant increase in unionization?
A)retail trades
B)the hotel and restaurant industry
C)the government sector
D)automobile manufacturing

Accepted Answer

The government sector has seen a significant increase in unionization, with over 34% of government workers being union members. This is in contrast to other industries, such as retail trades and the hotel and restaurant industry, which have seen a decline in unionization rates. While the automobile manufacturing industry does have a relatively high percentage of workers who are unionized, it has not seen a significant increase in recent years.

Question 15

Union membership as a percent of the nonagricultural labor force ____ in 1970 to approximately ____ in 2010.
A)fell from approximately 30 percent; 12 percent
B)rose from approximately 15 percent; 22 percent
C)fell from more than 40 percent; 10 percent
D)rose from approximately 8 percent; 40 percent

Accepted Answer

The answer of Union membership as a percent of the...

Question 16

Which of the following states had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?
A)New York
B)Arkansas
C)North Carolina
D)California

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, New York had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010, with 24.2% of workers belonging to a union. Arkansas had the lowest incidence, with only 5.2% of workers belonging to a union.

Question 17

How does competition from nonunion firms and foreign producers affect the ability of a union to increase the wages of its members?
A)Such competition reduces the ability of a union to achieve wage increases.
B)Such competition does not affect the ability of a union to achieve wage increases.
C)Such competition will increase the strength of a union if it produces a product sold in the domestic market but reduce the strength of the union if it produces an export product.
D)The effect of this type of competition will be entirely dependent on the elasticity of demand for labor in the domestic market.

Accepted Answer

Competition from nonunion firms and foreign producers reduces the bargaining power of a union as these firms can offer lower wages or shift their operations to countries with lower labor costs. This reduces the ability of a union to achieve wage increases as their demands are less likely to be met by employers facing stiff competition in the market.

Question 18

Which of the following is true?
A)Women are more highly unionized than men.
B)A higher percent of white workers belong to unions than do African-American workers.
C)The proportion of government employees belonging to a union is substantially higher than the proportion of private-sector workers who are union members.
D)There is little difference in incidence of unionization among occupational categories.

Accepted Answer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, 33.8% of government workers were union members, while only 6.3% of private-sector workers were union members. Therefore, C is the correct answer. A is incorrect because men are more highly unionized than women. B is incorrect because African-American workers are more likely to belong to unions than white workers. D is incorrect because there are significant differences in unionization rates among occupational categories.

Question 19

Firms will be much more willing to consent to significant wage increases when
A)right-to-work laws are present.
B)the demand for the final product is weak.
C)the firm has low product inventory.
D)the demand for the final product is elastic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Firms will be much more willing to...

Question 20

Which of the following states had the lowest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?
A)New York, Hawaii, and Alaska
B)South Carolina, North Carolina, and Arkansas
C)Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio
D)Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following states had the...

Quiz 25: Appendix: Do Labor Unions Increase the Wages of Workers

As the football season approaches, the threat of a player strike would give

Which of the following groups is most highly unionized?

Which of the following factors will make it easier for a labor union to increase the wages of its members?

Which of the following most accurately indicates changes in the size of the union sector in the United States?

What percentage of the non-farm labor force in the United States belonged to a labor union in 2010?

Since 1970, union membership, as a percent of the labor force, has

Which of the following is most likely to belong to a union?

Between 1960 and 2010, the proportion of workers belonging to a union

Laws that prohibit collective bargaining agreements requiring a worker to join a union as a condition of employment are called

Which of the following states had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?

Most studies indicate that during the last two decades, the wages of union members have been approximately

A strike, or the threat of one, is most likely to be effective when

The demand for union labor is usually determined by

While most industrial categories have experienced a decline in the percentage of workers unionized, which one of the following categories has seen a significant increase in unionization?

Union membership as a percent of the nonagricultural labor force in 1970 to approximately in 2010.

Which of the following states had the highest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?

How does competition from nonunion firms and foreign producers affect the ability of a union to increase the wages of its members?

Which of the following is true?

Firms will be much more willing to consent to significant wage increases when

Which of the following states had the lowest incidence of union membership as a percent of all wage and salary workers in 2010?