Deck 12: Understanding Unions and Their Impact on Hrm

Question 1

The Taft-Hartley Act regulated the internal affairs of unions and provided for a bill of rights for union members.

Answer 1

False
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (Landrum-Griffin Act) of 1959 regulated the internal affairs of unions and provided for a bill of rights for union members.

Question 2

The Norris-LaGuardia Act expanded judges' power to issue injunctions in labor disputes.

Answer 2

False
The Norris-LaGuardia Act sharply curtailed the courts' involvement in labor disputes by limiting judges' powers to issue injunctions that restrained worker job actions.

Question 3

Under current NLRB rules, at least 50 percent of eligible workers must sign authorization cards to trigger NLRB involvement in the union certification process.

Answer 3

False
NLRB require a 30 percent showing of interest to trigger involvement in the certification process.

Question 4

If an employer refuses to bargain over technological changes in the production process, it is considered an unfair labor practice.

Question 5

The two most important reasons why workers join unions are job dissatisfaction and union instrumentality.

Question 6

The Wagner Act gave workers in most industries the right to form and join unions free from coercion by their employers.

Question 7

If the NLRB finds that an employer engaged in gross misconduct during a union organizing campaign, it can order an employer to bargain with a union even if the employer won the election.

Question 8

The Railway Labor Act provided a federal guarantee of railroad employees' rights to choose a bargaining agent.

Question 9

Employers may hire permanent replacements for striking workers if striking because of economic issues such as pay and benefits.

Question 10

Union membership as a percentage of the labor force has been increasing in recent years.

Question 11

With respect to determination of an appropriate bargaining unit, NLRB rules prohibit plant guards from being included in bargaining units with nonguards.

Question 12

Employers are not required to provide union organizers with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of their employees at any time during the election process.

Question 13

The local union is where workers and their representatives interact most frequently.

Question 14

The Wagner Act included procedures for employees to rid themselves of unions through a decertification election.

Question 15

The Taft-Hartley Act allows states to pass laws that prevent contract clauses that require employees to join unions.

Question 16

Unionized firms are generally less productive than similar nonunion companies.

Question 17

Union grievance systems have little influence on how workers vote in union certification elections.

Question 18

Pattern bargaining occurs when an agreement negotiated with one company in an industry becomes a prototype for bargaining with other competitors in the industry.

Question 19

Several 19th-century court decisions facilitated the early growth of the American labor movement.

Question 20

Most firms try to remain nonunion because the costs of operating in a union environment are much higher.

Question 21

No labor union has ever captured a group of employees without the full cooperation and encouragement of managers who create the need for unionization.

Question 22

In the 19th century, the American judiciary had established a reputation as a(n):

A) impartial arbiter of disputes.
B) strong ally of American unions.
C) strong ally of American workers.
D) strong ally of American business.

Question 23

Which of the following approaches can help employers contain their HR-related costs?

A) Allowing multiple unions to exist.
B) Allowing only local unions to exist.
C) Allowing only national unions to exist.
D) Allowing no unions to exist.

Question 24

____ negotiate major labor contracts with large employers and organize new unions among unrepresented workers.

A) Local unions
B) Industrial unions
C) National unions
D) International unions

Question 25

Arbitrary and abusive supervisor behavior can have a strong influence on employees seeking union elections.

Question 26

The ____ represents organized labor in political forums.

A) Democratic party
B) Republican party
C) AFL-CIO
D) NLRB

Question 27

Company unions that bear a superficial resemblance to unions in the sense that workforce representatives met with management to discuss working conditions were outlawed by the:

A) Norris-LaGuardia Act
B) Wagner Act
C) Taft-Hartley Act
D) Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 28

A grievance can only be filed by an employee and is an allegation that contract rights have been violated.

Question 29

Typically, grievance systems incorporate two steps, although three-step procedures are not uncommon.

Question 30

A manager's ability to handle conflict successfully is only important in union settings.

Question 31

____ represent workers throughout the country in a particular craft or in a specific industry.

A) Local unions
B) National unions
C) Company unions
D) Industrial unions

Question 32

Which type of unions administer collective bargaining agreements or contracts?

A) National unions
B) Local unions
C) Industrial unions
D) International unions

Question 33

Employee grievances are rarely triggered by unreasonable assignments made by supervisors.

Question 34

____ identify and negotiate plant issues in national collective bargaining agreements.

A) Local unions
B) Industrial unions
C) National unions
D) International unions

Question 35

Probably the best strategy to deter employees from seeking unionization is to create and utilize equitable HRM practices.

Question 36

The AFL-CIO has no power to interfere in union decisions in all but which of the following cases?

A) Union decisions about striking.
B) Union decisions about bargaining.
C) Union disputes with other unions.
D) Union disputes about assessing dues.

Question 37

There is little difference between the role of line managers in union and nonunion environments.

Question 38

According to research, what is the typical effect of unionization on profitability?

A) Unionized firms are more profitable than nonunionized firms.
B) Unionized firms are less profitable than nonunionized firms.
C) Unionized firms are as profitable as nonunionized firms.
D) Unionization has no impact on profitability.

Question 39

The final step in virtually all union grievance procedures is arbitration.

Question 40

Unethical behavior on the employer's part has been shown to be an effective strategy to thwart employee efforts to achieve meaningful collective bargaining.

Question 41

Employees cannot be forced to join a union or be assessed fees for union representation in a(n) ____ state.

A) confederate
B) union-free
C) right-to-work
D) union shop

Question 42

The ____ specified a bill of rights for union members.

A) Landrum-Griffin Act
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Wagner Act
D) Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 43

Which act regulated the internal affairs of unions?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 44

Which act, passed in 1926, marked the beginning of a new era of government regulation of union-management relations involving a greater acceptance of unionism and collective bargaining?

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

Question 45

In a(n) ____, a worker promises that he/she will not organize, support, or join a union as a condition of employment.

A) yellow-dog contract
B) open shop agreement
C) closed shop agreement
D) union shop agreement

Question 46

Which type of companies not illegal in "right-to-work states"?

A) Closed shop
B) Union shop
C) Open shop
D) Agency shop

Question 47

Under the Norris-LaGuardia Act, courts grant injunctions only if employers can show:

A) substantial and irreparable injury to self.
B) substantial and irreparable injury to property.
C) substantial and irreparable damage to profitability.
D) substantial and irreparable damage to company image.

Question 48

Union instrumentality and ____ have been found to be the two most important reasons why workers seek union representation.

A) low pay
B) poor benefits
C) plant closings
D) job dissatisfaction

Question 49

The ____ tried to restore a balance of power between unions and employers following World War II.

A) Wagner Act
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Norris-LaGuardia Act
D) Landrum-Griffin Act

Question 50

Which act gave the President of the United States the right to intervene in national emergency strikes?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 51

The ____ declared yellow-dog contracts unlawful.

A) Wagner Act
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Landrum-Griffin Act
D) Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 52

The ____ limited judges' powers to issue injunctions in union organizing efforts.

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

Question 53

Which act created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to supervise certification elections and enforce the law?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 54

Which of the following would be considered as coercive or unfair according to the Wagner Act?

A) Pressuring employers to discriminate against an employee or applicant
Because he or she is not a union member.
B) Refusing to bargain in good faith with an employer.
C) Interfering with the workers' right of self-organization.
D) Forcing employers to pay for unneeded services, such as hiring more
Employees than are needed.

Question 55

Which act, passed in 1935, gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively without being subject to coercion by their employers?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 56

The ____ provided a federal guarantee of railroad employees' rights to choose a bargaining unit.

A) Wagner Act
B) Railway Labor Act
C) National Labor Relations Act
D) Railway Nationalization Act

Question 57

____ is the process used by union members to rid themselves of union representation.

A) The certification election process
B) The consent election process
C) The decertification election process
D) The stipulated election process

Question 58

____ agreements between unions and employers require union membership as a condition of employment.

A) Closed shop
B) Union shop
C) Agency shop
D) Open shop

Question 59

The Wagner Act did all but which of the following?

A) Created a bill of rights for union members.
B) Created the NLRB.
C) Established the certification election process.
D) Created a list of employer unfair labor practices.

Question 60

Which act requires unions to submit reports of all financial expenditures so that officers are discouraged from using union funds for personal matters?

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Landrum-Griffin Act
D) The Norris-LaGuardia Act

Question 61

The ____ bargaining objective indicates the most favorable settlement level perceived as possible by each party.

A) realistic
B) unrealistic
C) optimistic
D) pessimistic

Question 62

____ is a system for governing relations between representatives of employers and employees through bilateral negotiations to reach mutual agreement about employment terms.

A) Procedural bargaining
B) Bilateral bargaining
C) Collective bargaining
D) Representative bargaining

Question 63

All but which of the following is an example of bad faith bargaining?

A) Offering alternative counterproposals.
B) Presenting obviously unacceptable proposals.
C) Refusing to provide pertinent information.
D) Bargaining directly with union members and not their elected representatives.

Question 64

____ occurs when a party to the bargaining process presents obviously unacceptable proposals or offers no alternatives or counterproposals.

A) Pattern bargaining
B) Surface bargaining
C) Good faith bargaining
D) Procedural bargaining

Question 65

____ is strongly associated with the level of union organizing activity in a firm and the actual support of union representation among employees.

A) Job performance
B) Job satisfaction
C) Employee empowerment
D) Productivity improvement

Question 66

Who has the right to issue a bargaining order upon finding evidence of gross misconduct on the part of the employer during the campaign?

A) The NLRB
B) The AFL-CIO
C) Circuit courts
D) The Supreme Court

Question 67

Which of the following is considered a voluntary bargaining item?

A) Work and production standards
B) Polygraph tests for employees
C) Pension and employee benefit plans
D) Pensions and other benefits for persons previously retired

Question 68

All but which of the following are typical union demands regarding compensation issues?

A) Pay raises should be based on merit.
B) Workers should be given yearly cost-of-living adjustments.
C) Workers should be given paid time off for holidays, vacations, and sick leave.
D) Pay and benefits should be at or above that paid by the company's competitors.

Question 69

Which of the following are not examples of mandatory bargaining subjects?

A) Vacations
B) Profit-sharing plans
C) Benefit plans
D) Technological change in production methods

Question 70

____ is the perceived ability of unions to provide important benefits to the workers.

A) Union instrumentality
B) Union density
C) Union enrichment
D) Union facilitation

Question 71

When does the process of establishing a union become complete?

A) When the union is formed.
B) When the employer recognizes the union.
C) When the union and the employer start negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement.
D) When the union and the employer conclude negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement.

Question 72

As defined by the Taft-Hartley Act, ____ obliges both parties to meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

A) collective bargaining
B) cooperative bargaining
C) bad faith bargaining
D) good faith bargaining

Question 73

Which of the following represents the least favorable settlement that a party is willing to accept on a given negotiated issue?

A) The realistic bargaining objective
B) The unrealistic bargaining objective
C) The optimistic bargaining objective
D) The pessimistic bargaining objective

Question 74

The NLRB's discretion to approve bargaining units is:

A) limited.
B) unlimited.
C) dependent on number of employees.
D) dependent on employer requirements.

Question 75

When the United Auto Workers (UAW) union selects General Motors to bargain with first, and then uses that contract as a prototype in its bargaining with Ford and Chrysler, the UAW is engaging in:

A) procedural bargaining.
B) pattern bargaining.
C) bad faith bargaining.
D) mandatory bargaining.

Question 76

Employers may do all but which of the following during a union election campaign?

A) Communicate to employees their preference for staying nonunion.
B) Hold captive-audience speeches on company premises.
C) Impose a no-solicitation rule that forbids employees from discussing union matters on break time.
D) Allow supervisors to campaign on behalf of management by holding union-related discussions with small groups of workers.

Question 77

During the petition phase, workers express initial interest in union representation by:

A) attending union meetings.
B) signing authorization cards.
C) picketing their employers.
D) engaging in a sit-down strike.

Question 78

The ____ bargaining objective is the expected value of the final settlement on a particular bargaining issue.

A) realistic
B) unrealistic
C) optimistic
D) pessimistic

Question 79

Employers may not do all but which of the following during a union election campaign?

A) Give employees False or misleading information about the union.
B) Hold a captive-audience speech within 72 hours of the election.
C) Threaten to fire union supporters.
D) Threaten to close or move the plant.

Question 80

A(n) ____ directs an employer to accept collective bargaining with the union even if the employer won the election.

A) bargaining order
B) union shop order
C) negotiation order
D) arbitration order