Deck 16: Union/Management Relations

Question 1

Estimated union membership in the U.S.is roughly ____ of the private sector workforce.

A) under 10%
B) about 20%
C) about 35%
D) over 40%

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The main motivator for employees who support unions is hostility toward management.
B) Although unionized workers typically have higher benefits than non-union workers, their wages are approximately the same.
C) Unions sometimes result in higher productivity.
D) Management discretion in handling employee issues is essentially the same whether the company is unionized or not.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In the United States,a union is a formal association of workers that promotes the interests of its members primarily through

A) political control of an official labor party at the national level.
B) collective action in the workplace.
C) membership on corporate boards of directors.
D) intervention by impartial third parties in disputes between employees and management.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The All China Federation of Trade Unions

A) has been persecuted by the Chinese government because of its aggressive organizing tactics and strikes.
B) is considered to be a better model for union organizing and structure in developing countries than the European or U.S. labor systems.
C) has been criticized by international labor leaders for being overly aligned with the government.
D) has improved the wages and working conditions for Chinese workers significantly.

Question 5

In the U.S.,all of the following are factors leading to unionization EXCEPT

A) non-competitive pay compared with equivalent jobs and firms.
B) arbitrary management decision making.
C) poor working conditions.
D) political convictions of employees.

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

Which of the following is a SIMILARITY between European unions and U.S.unions?

A) Unionization is carried out on a company-by-company basis.
B) Providing aid and guidance to unions in developing countries.
C) Collective bargaining agreements are contracts between employers and the union.
D) Relations between unions and employers are expected to be adversarial.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Although union members still have more generous benefits than non-union employees, the wage difference between union and non-union employees has almost disappeared.
B) Unionized employees in the private sector make more than non-union employees, but in the public sector there is no significant difference in pay between unionized and non-union employees.
C) Because of the recession of 2009, union wages in the U.S. have fallen to the level of non-union wages.
D) In almost every industry, unionized employees receive significantly higher pay than non-unionized employees

Question 9

How has the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)affected U.S.unions?

A) Because of the higher demand for Mexican labor, Mexican unions have been able to increase wages enough that U.S. firms no longer have a cost advantage in moving unionized jobs to Mexico.
B) Unionized Canadian manufacturers have moved operations to non-union plants in the U.S.
C) Unionized U.S. firms have moved their operations to Mexico, thus reducing union employment in the U.S.
D) The lowering of tariffs and trade restrictions has allowed unionized U.S. firms to sell more of their products to Canada and Mexico, thus increasing employment for union members.

Question 10

The shift from ______________ industries has reduced the proportion of unionized jobs in the U.S.economy.

A) high-wage to low-wage
B) manufacturing to service
C) labor intensive to capital intensive
D) private sector to public sector

Question 11

In the U.S.,the primary determining factor in whether employees unionize is

A) the behavior of the employing organization's management.
B) the promotion of or discouragement of unionization by the federal government.
C) economic cycles of boom and bust.
D) actions by union organizers.

Question 12

If Human Resources has only limited involvement with labor relations in the organization,____ takes on most of the responsibility.

A) top management
B) the board of directors
C) operating managers
D) a labor law consulting firm

Question 13

The ILO (International Labour Organization)has become more active in recent years because

A) unions are dealing with multi-national firms.
B) of increasing worldwide management opposition to unions.
C) unions in the U.S. are weakening and the ILO is assisting the AFL-CIO in organizing efforts.
D) wages and benefits for unionized employees are eroding in European nations.

Question 14

Unions in the United States focus primarily on

A) blocking technological change that replaces workers with machines.
B) increasing industrial democracy.
C) bread-and-butter economic issues.
D) maintaining due process for all workers.

Question 15

The decline in union membership has been attributed to all of the following factors EXCEPT

A) deregulation.
B) backlash against union militancy.
C) actively anti-union company managements.
D) high unemployment.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The trend in the U.S. is toward tripartite bargaining.
B) In other countries, national unions bargain with the government or with employer groups.
C) In the U.S. a collective bargaining agreement is considered a contract in name only because it is not enforceable.
D) Because labor laws and conditions for workers vary so widely from country to country, there are no labor organizations with a global focus.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Unions in European countries, such as France and Italy, tend to be strongly tied to national politics.
B) The AFL-CIO has begun a strategy of national strikes in the U.S. in order to increase union power.
C) Collective bargaining in other countries has been largely based on the U.S. model.
D) Co-determination requires corporate boards of directors to include union representatives.

Question 18

All of the following factors will make a union look desirable to employees EXCEPT

A) inadequate staffing.
B) inequitable pay raises.
C) job insecurity.
D) lack of promotion opportunities.

Question 19

The practice of having union representatives on the company's board of directors is called

A) collusion.
B) co-operation.
C) co-determination.
D) tripartite negotiation.

Question 20

All of the following are reasons for the decline in union membership in the U.S.EXCEPT

A) the shifting of the U.S. economy from a manufacturing emphasis to a service emphasis..
B) the shift of low-skill U.S. jobs to other countries.
C) the increasing proportion of white-collar workers in the economy.
D) unions' historical failure to pass worker-friendly legislation.

Question 21

White-collar workers tend to be resistant to union organizing attempts because

A) because a large proportion of white-collar workers are minorities, and minorities tend to have negative views of unions.
B) most white-collar workers are women, and women tend to be harder for unions to organize than men.
C) white-collar workers do not have the problems of unfair and inequitable treatment that blue-collar workers encounter.
D) white-collar workers view unions as focused on problems that are irrelevant to them.

Question 22

In the early 1800s,

A) craft unions had a strong influence over employers.
B) unions were often viewed as criminal conspiracies.
C) unions and union members were protected by common law.
D) unions were not necessary because there were few industrial jobs.

Question 23

A ____,such as the AFL-CIO is a group of autonomous national and international unions.

A) council
B) congress
C) conference
D) federation

Question 24

Unions are targeting workers in jobs such as meatpacking,nursing home aides,and building cleaners as well as targeting immigrant workers.What is the reason for this?

A) These workers tend to be more politically radical than other workers.
B) These workers would benefit the highly from unionization.
C) These workers tend to be hostile toward their employers.
D) These workers tend to be poorly educated and susceptible to union organizers' arguments.

Question 25

If the unionized employees of the only U.S.makers of flu vaccine went on strike just before the company started to make its vaccine for the upcoming flu season,and if the flu season was projected to be severe,

A) the President of the U.S. could declare a national emergency strike and order the employees back to work for 80 days.
B) the President of the U.S. could declare a national emergency strike and send in an arbitrator to settle the strike immediately.
C) the President of the U.S. could not declare this a national emergency strike, because the Taft-Hartley Act provisions only apply to national defense.
D) the President of the U.S. could not declare this a national emergency strike until the strike has actually caused harm to citizens.

Question 26

The intent of the Railway Labor Act was to

A) regulate the wages and benefits of railroad workers.
B) reduce the number of transportation strikes.
C) break the monopoly power of the railroad "barons" who controlled this key transportation industry.
D) allow the President to federalize the railroads in states of emergency.

Question 27

Which act has been called the Magna Carta of labor because it is pro-union?

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

Question 28

Gloria was elected to be a_________ for her local union.She is an employee of Bargello,Inc.,and she will be the first-line representative of Bargello's unionized workers.

A) union organizer
B) member representative
C) union steward
D) business agent

Question 29

Top management of Merrywood Medical Center has been concerned about union organizing attempts among its nursing staff.Now it has learned that some of its staff physicians are discussing the benefits of joining a union.This is a serious issue facing the hospital's management because the typical reason for medical staff to consider unionization is

A) the shortage of qualified medical staff and consequent over-work.
B) medical staff's loss of control over patient-care decisions.
C) the declining income for medical workers over the last decade.
D) the eroding sense of professionalism among physicians.

Question 30

Unionized flight attendants are covered under the

A) Wagner Act.
B) National Labor Code.
C) Airline Employment Act.
D) Railway Labor Act.

Question 31

The Screen Actors Guild,where all the members work as actors in electronic media is a ____ whose members do one type of work,often using specialized skills and training.

A) craft union
B) collective action association
C) industrial union
D) professional organization

Question 32

The largest organization coordinating union efforts in the U.S.today is the

A) Department of Labor.
B) the International Labour Organization
C) Change to Win Federation.
D) AFL-CIO.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a function of a national/international union?

A) negotiating contracts with employers.
B) determining broad union policy.
C) providing services for local unions.
D) collecting dues.

Question 34

Passed in 1932,the ____ granted workers some rights to organize and limited court injunctions in labor disputes.

A) Landrum-Griffin Act
B) Railway Labor Act
C) Norris-LaGuardia Act
D) Wagner Act

Question 35

Monica has a full-time job operating the union office and assisting union members.She helps negotiate contracts and is involved in trying to unionize non-union workplaces.Monica is a union

A) business agent.
B) administrative consultant.
C) steward.
D) lobbyist.

Question 36

What is the reason why many police and firefighters' unions cannot legally strike?

A) These are uniformed services and are considered to be the equivalent of military service members.
B) Strikes by these unions might endanger the public's health and safety.
C) Since these workers have access to weapons, strikes can easily escalate into violent confrontations.
D) It is contradictory to the governing philosophy of public service for police and firefighters to strike.

Question 37

The ____ Act made certain anti-union actions by management unfair labor practices.

A) Railway Labor
B) Landrum-Griffin
C) Wagner
D) Civil Service Reform

Question 38

The United Mine Workers of America where all the members work in mining although they hold various types of jobs is an example of a/an ____ union.

A) craft
B) industrial
C) company
D) laborers'

Question 39

Unions,especially those in the Change to Win Federation,have attempted to counteract the overall decline in membership by

A) reducing membership dues and initiation fees.
B) organizing manufacturing workers in third-world countries.
C) boycotting states with "employer-friendly" laws.
D) targeting service industry workers.

Question 40

Officers of local unions are best viewed as

A) politicians.
B) servants of the union membership.
C) independent agents.
D) executives.

Question 41

The contract between BootMagic and its union is due to expire in 30 days.If the union and BootMagic cannot successfully negotiate a contract,who must be notified?

A) the NLRB
B) the FMCS
C) the AFL-CIO
D) the U.S. Secretary of Labor

Question 42

As a result of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978,

A) federal contractors cannot hire replacement workers during a strike.
B) pension funds of federal unions are guaranteed by the government.
C) federal employees in all agencies are guaranteed the right to strike.
D) the Federal Labor Relations Authority administers union/management relations in the federal government.

Question 43

The top management of Quaternary 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) Southeast.
B) Rocky Mountain states.
C) Great Lakes states.
D) Texas-Oklahoma area.

Question 44

As HR director for a company that has been targeted for a union-organizing effort,you recommend that management ______________ as it is the most effective legal method of winning a union representation election.

A) run a positive campaign
B) threaten to fire employees who support union organizing efforts
C) hire union busting consultants
D) take the "neutral" approach and requiring all authorization cards to be checked by a neutral outside party.

Question 45

The CEO of Bird Seed Printing,Inc.,wants to implement a "no solicitation" policy at the company,now that a union has notified the company that it is soliciting authorization cards from its employees.As HR director,you advise the CEO that instituting a no solicitation policy

A) would be legal since the representation election has not been scheduled.
B) would not be legal since the union has already started its organizing process.
C) would not be legal because they have been banned by the NLRB, although some companies continue to use them.
D) "No solicitation" policies are legal if they apply to both work and non-work areas.

Question 46

George,an hourly employee of Crystalline Candies,has been given a union authorization card.He is considering whether he should sign it.George realizes that

A) if he signs the card, he is legally obligated to vote for the union if a certification election is held.
B) he can sign the card now as a protest against Crystalline Candies' management, and then vote against the union in the election.
C) if he does not sign the card, he will not be eligible to vote if a union certification election is held.
D) if 30 percent plus one of the employees in the election unit sign authorization cards, the union will be automatically certified.

Question 47

A union shop requires

A) that a job applicant have a "union card" to be considered for employment.
B) employees who refuse to join the union to pay amounts equal to union dues and fees for the union's representative services.
C) that an employee join the union, usually 30 to 60 days after being hired.
D) non-union employees to be excluded from the protection of the union contract.

Question 48

The executives of Pilot Processing,Inc.,are 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.As HR director,you point out the other primary way the unionizing process can begin,which is

A) synchronized attacks by two or more unions.
B) company employees approaching a union with the request to unionize.
C) "salting" of the workforce by the AFL-CIO.
D) an order by the National Labor Relations Board.

Question 49

The "Employee Free Choice Act" has been proposed as a change to current U.S.labor laws.This proposed law would

A) allow employers to initiate decertification elections for unions existing in their workplaces.
B) allow a union to be certified in a workplace if 50 percent of employees in a unit signed authorization cards.
C) extend the protection of the labor laws to first-line supervisors.
D) reverse the right-to-work provision of the Taft-Hartley Act to allow the union shop in all states.

Question 50

The purpose of the Landrum-Griffin Act is to

A) give workers the right to engage in union activities.
B) reduce the number of economy-damaging strikes by developing third-party arbitration and mediation tools.
C) prohibit unfair labor practices of both employers and union officials.
D) protect union members' democratic rights.

Question 51

The ____ enforces the Wagner,Taft-Hartley and Landrum Griffin Acts.

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

Question 52

Which of the following is illegal if the employer has a no-solicitation policy?

A) The union emails organizing materials to the employees' personal email accounts.
B) Union organizers hand employees union materials as the employees leave the company premises.
C) Union organizers place organizing materials on the tables in the employee cafeteria.
D) The union holds an informational meeting in the bar across the street from the company's workplace.

Question 53

The _________ Act is considered pro-management.

A) Norris-LaGuardia
B) Railway Labor
C) Taft-Hartley
D) Wagner

Question 54

The CEO has approached you as the new director of HR for your recommendations how the company can remain non-union.You recommend "preventive" employee relations.Your suggestions include all of the following EXCEPT

A) pay above-market wages.
B) provide competitive benefits.
C) provide safe working conditions.
D) institute a fair system for handling employee complaints.

Question 55

Abner has applied for work with a local construction company.He has been told he must join the union before the company can hire him.This employer has a ____ shop.

A) closed
B) union
C) agency
D) open

Question 56

Which of the following workplace and economic trends would be GOOD for unions?

A) increasing numbers of workers who are freelance and temporary workers
B) more women entering the workforce
C) continuing recession or weak economic recovery
D) retirement of baby boomers

Question 57

The CEO of Germaine Plumbing Products plans to open a new production plant.She wants to locate it in a state that has right-to-work laws restricting unions.The CEO should locate the plant in

A) New York.
B) Pennsylvania.
C) Florida.
D) Ohio.

Question 58

A/an ____ shop requires employees who refuse to join a union to pay amounts equal to union dues in return for the union's representation services.

A) restricted
B) union
C) open
D) agency

Question 59

Colleen is a paid employee of a union.She is applying for a job at a company the union plans to try to organize,so that she can start organizing activities.Colleen is taking part in a/an ________ practice.

A) subversion
B) salting
C) corporate intelligence gathering
D) embedding

Question 60

The purpose of right-to-work laws is to

A) make it illegal to force people to join a union to get or keep a job.
B) promote full-employment in unionized industries.
C) require that all union members have legal visas.
D) prohibit unions from organizing in a particular state.

Question 61

The power balance between unions and management is maintained by

A) constant cooperation.
B) accommodation among antagonists.
C) joint partnership.
D) threat of conflict.

Question 62

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) mutuality of concerns.
B) similarity of employment.
C) commonality of conditions.
D) community of interest.

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT an employer unfair labor practice?

A) discriminating against an employee if he or she files charges under the Wagner Act.
B) coercing employees in their right to bargain collectively by threatening to lay off union supporters.
C) encouraging membership in any labor organization by discriminating in hiring, tenure, or conditions of employment.
D) forbidding distribution of union literature during working hours in work areas.

Question 64

Unions are removed as the representative of a group of employees by the formal process of

A) union busting.
B) delisting.
C) deunionization.
D) decertification.

Question 65

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

A) Management does not need to negotiate on this issue because it is a permissive issue.
B) Management must negotiate on this issue as it is a mandatory 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 66

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

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

Question 67

The automatic deduction of union dues from employee payroll checks is called

A) dues checkoff.
B) agency fee deduction.
C) electronic funds transfer.
D) union security payments.

Question 68

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

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

Question 69

Which of the following bargaining patterns between labor and management is illegal in the U.S.?

A) conflict
B) collusion
C) accommodation
D) power bargaining

Question 70

All the following are indicators that an employee is a supervisor and not protected by the National Labor Relations Act EXCEPT the employee

A) can hire other employees.
B) can discharge other employees.
C) can train other employees.
D) can use independent judgement with employees.

Question 71

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

A) joint decision-making
B) collective bargaining.
C) contract arbitration.
D) bipartite negotiation.

Question 72

The union at Verdure,Inc.,has negotiated a "no layoff" clause for the life of the three year contract.This is an example of

A) a mandatory issue of bargaining.
B) union security provision
C) illegal union-management collusion.
D) an economic security clause.

Question 73

A number of legal tactics may be used by management representatives to try to defeat a unionization effort.These include:

A) threatening to close down or move the company if a union is voted in.
B) asking employees how they plan to vote or if they have signed authorization cards.
C) urging employees to persuade others to vote against the union.
D) emailing employees articles about negative economic effects of unions on other companies.

Question 74

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) re-opening or "zipper"
C) management rights
D) owner's prerogative

Question 75

At Crystalline Candies,both the packers (who hand wrap each candy and hand pack each box of candy)and the telephone/Internet sales employees have signed enough authorization cards for the NLRB to conduct a certification election.The NLRB will probably

A) investigate whether the employees have a community of interest based on their jobs, physical location, areas of work and other factors.
B) put these employees in the same bargaining unit because they all are hourly employees who work for the same company.
C) investigate whether the employees have a community of interest by taking a survey and determining which issues are most important to each group.
D) put these employees in the same bargaining unit because their jobs are all in the same industry.

Question 76

The union organizing campaign at Verdure,Inc.,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) 151
D) 150

Question 77

The director of Human Resources at Pigeon Iron and Steel Fabricators feels that many of the union members employed at the company are dissatisfied with the union.It would be to Pigeon's benefit if the union were decertified as some of the restrictive work rules would be eliminated.What can the director of HR do to encourage the decertification of the union?

A) The HR director cannot legally initiate or support the decertification.
B) The HR director can support employee actions to decertify the union, but he cannot initiate the decertification campaign.
C) The HR director can provide financial support to employees who initiate and work for the decertification of the union, but he director cannot take any other action.
D) The HR director can organize a decertification campaign using the same tactics as in an employer response to certification campaigns.

Question 78

Which of the following categories of employees are NOT protected under U.S.labor laws?

A) public sector employees
B) white-collar professionals
C) supervisors
D) temporary and contingent workers

Question 79

It would be an unfair labor practice to ____ during the unionization process.

A) promise employees pay increases if they vote against the union
B) forbid distribution of union literature during work hours in work areas
C) tell employees the disadvantages of having a union
D) discipline an employee who violated company policy.

Question 80

If ____ of the employees in the targeted group sign authorization cards,a union election can be called.

A) a majority (50 percent plus one)
B) two-thirds
C) more than 20 percent
D) at least 30 percent