Deck 4: Unions and Management: Key Participants in the Labor Relations Process

Question 1

Because construction takes place throughout the nation,craft unions have decided to expand the scope of their labor agreements to national coverage.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The supreme governing body for the international union is its convention.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Craft unions have less independence from their national union headquarters than industrial unions.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Unions as organizations are fundamentally the same as business organizations.

Question 5

If you are a member of an AFL-CIO affiliated union,then you are a member of the AFL-CIO.

Question 6

The processes in democratic unions,such as officer elections,make the union leaders less responsive to the membership.

Question 7

Most union presidents have restricted authority to appoint their staff,regulate locals,and direct the activities of the national union

Question 8

Congress,through the Landrum-Griffin Act,has attempted to strengthen the union democratic process by giving power to union members to protect themselves against irresponsible leaders.

Question 9

While corruption within unions receives much media coverage,the facts indicate that unions compare favorably with other segments of society in complying with the laws.

Question 10

Attendance at local union meetings often varies between fifty and sixty percent of the membership.

Question 11

The business agent is a key position in a craft union and provides many of the same services of a local union president in a large industrial union.

Question 12

The international union representative,in addition to organizing new unions,also helps the local unions in grievance administration and labor arbitration.

Question 13

The convention makes use of the delegate system,in which the number of delegates allowed depends on the number of members in the local.

Question 14

The potential advantages of a merger of two unions,compared with the risks of not merging,suggest that mergers of unions will continue in the future.

Question 15

The local union meeting is considered the local union's most important governmental activity.

Question 16

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations now includes all of the major U.S.labor unions.

Question 17

The AFL-CIO established the Ethical Practices Committee in its efforts to control corrupt practices and racketeering of its member unions.

Question 18

The practice of double-breasting is legal under the National Labor Relations Act.

Question 19

Joint councils involve groupings of conference boards that have common goals,employers,and interests.

Question 20

Double-breasting is a practice employed by a company with a "union-avoidance" strategy.

Question 21

A feature that distinguishes the business agent of a craft union from the president of an industrial union is that he/she:

A) serves as chief administrative official of local union.
B) assists in handling grievances.
C) leads the local union negotiations.
D) administers the union hiring hall.
E) serves as the union's international representative.

Question 22

Which of the following did not encourage union mergers?

A) decline of some US industries
B) executive preference
C) avoidance of external controls
D) jurisdictional disputes
E) all of these

Question 23

Elements of a positive human resources management program include which of the following?

A) overall corporate strength
B) absence of symbols of rank and status
C) promotion from within
D) competitive pay and benefits
E) all of these

Question 24

Union participation in local union activities is higher:

A) before a strike.
B) during negotiations.
C) when taking a strike vote.
D) for officer elections.
E) all of these

Question 25

The AFL-CIO is very active in the political arena.However,which of the following are not actions of the AFL-CIO?

A) publishes voting records of legislators at federal and state levels
B) lobbies aggressively for favorable legislation
C) attempts to influence presidential appointments
D) proclaims ties to a national political labor party
E) the AFL-CIO performs all of these

Question 26

Representatives (number of delegates)for the AFI-CIO convention are chosen in the following manner:

A) every union local gets only one vote.
B) direct proportion to size of union local.
C) in relation to size of the union local but not in direct proportion.
D) seniority within the union.
E) none of these

Question 27

A company's labor relations strategy is determined by:

A) managerial philosophy.
B) economic conditions.
C) management ethics.
D) competition in the industry.
E) all of these.

Question 28

Low attendance at union meetings should not be taken as the real measure of union participation because:

A) low attendance may just indicate members are not concerned with any of the
Immediate issues facing the union.
B) much membership participation takes place at an informal level.
C) stewards regularly attend meetings and they maintain the link to the members
They represent.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 29

The reason(s)local meetings is/are poorly attended include:

A) meetings start late and last too long.
B) material presented at meetings (reports of treasurer, project leaders, and committee chairs) is not interesting to the typical member.
C) individuals frustrate the group by tying up meetings with personal grievances.
D) all of these
E) material presented at meetings is not interesting to the typical member and meetings start late and last too long.

Question 30

In larger companies,at the operations or plant level,the plant manager and plant labor relations manager play the key roles in certain labor relations activities,such as contract administration,grievance handling,and monitoring labor relations activities.

Question 31

Between conventions,the governing body of the AFL-CIO is the:

A) General Board.
B) Executive Council.
C) standing committees.
D) state central bodies.
E) National Council.

Question 32

The largest percentage of money paid to the national union goes to:

A) administration, operational, and salary expenses.
B) retirement and strike fund.
C) convention, publication, and retirement fund.
D) political lobbying efforts.
E) monthly payments of outstanding union loans.

Question 33

The position in a craft union in which the holder is the chief administrator of the union hiring hall is the:

A) union president.
B) shop steward.
C) union committee chairman.
D) business agent.
E) international union representative.

Question 34

Participation in a typical local union meeting usually varies between:

A) 5 and 10 percent.
B) 0 and 5 percent.
C) 10 and 15 percent.
D) 15 and 20 percent.
E) more than 20 percent.

Question 35

An international union representative:

A) assists in local union negotiations.
B) assists in grievance administration at local union levels.
C) assists in arbitration at local union levels.
D) is employed by the international union.
E) all of these

Question 36

If a company desires to develop a program of positive human resources management,which of the following practices would the company utilize?

A) hiring specialized experienced supervisors from outside the company
B) reserved parking spaces for managers
C) have the human resources manager report directly to top management
D) enlarge the size of individual company facilities
E) all of these practices

Question 37

The supreme governing body of an international union is the:

A) membership.
B) constitution.
C) board of directors.
D) convention.
E) National Council.

Question 38

The craft unions and the industrial unions differ in a number of areas.Which of the following is not one of those areas?

A) scope of the labor agreement
B) attendance at and participation in meetings
C) job characteristics
D) leadership roles
E) all of these

Question 39

The term(s)used to describe the merging together of two or more unions is/are:

A) amalgamation.
B) affiliation.
C) absorption.
D) conglomeration.
E) affiliation, amalgamation, and absorption.

Question 40

The act which has six titles covering union government and operations is the:

A) Labor-Management Relations Act.
B) National Labor Relations Act.
C) Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
D) Labor Law Reform Act.
E) Union Governance Act.

Question 41

Which of the following is not a goal of the union?

A) for the company to receive a favorable return on investment
B) for the company to survive and remain competitive
C) for the company to attract, retain, and motivate employees
D) to obtain commitment that there will be no lockout
E) all of these are goals of the union