Question 1

If the NFL football players went out on strike to support the referees in their negotiations over wages and working conditions, it would be considered a sympathy strike.

Accepted Answer

A sympathy strike is when workers from one industry or sector strike in support of workers from another industry or sector who are also on strike. In this case, the football players would be striking in solidarity with the referees, who are also negotiating over their wages and working conditions.

Question 2

Interest disputes are conflicts over the terms and conditions of employment.

Accepted Answer

Interest disputes are specifically related to disagreements over pay, benefits, working hours, and other conditions of employment. These conflicts are often between employers and employees or labor unions representing employees.

Question 3

Unions usually give up their right to strike over grievances in exchange for a final and binding arbitration clause.

Accepted Answer

Unions often agree to final and binding arbitration as a means of resolving disputes without resorting to strikes or other potentially disruptive actions. This can help to ensure that grievances are resolved quickly and fairly, without causing undue harm to either workers or the employer. However, it is important to note that not all unions give up their right to strike entirely - some may retain this option as a last resort if other forms of negotiation and dispute resolution prove unsuccessful.

Question 4

Workers cannot be disciplined or discharged for participating in unfair labor practice strikes even if the NLRB ultimately determines that the employer is innocent of any wrong-doing.

Accepted Answer

Workers can be disciplined or discharged for participating in unfair labor practice strikes if the NLRB ultimately determines that the employer is innocent of any wrongdoing, as the protection for striking workers is contingent upon the strike being over practices that are deemed unfair under the National Labor Relations Act.

Question 5

An economic strike is a strike that occurs when workers are unhappy with a country's general economic conditions and seek to apply pressure to government officials to improve the economy.

Accepted Answer

An economic strike is actually a strike that is organized to protest or negotiate better wages, benefits, or working conditions for workers, rather than the overall economic conditions of a country.

Question 6

A recognition strike occurs when a union strikes to force an employer to assign work to its members.

Accepted Answer

A recognition strike occurs when a union strikes to force an employer to recognize and bargain with the union as the representative of the employees, not to force the employer to assign work to its members.

Question 7

Striking to support other workers who are on strike (for example, by not crossing their picket line) is a sympathy strike.

Accepted Answer

A sympathy strike is a strike action taken by a union in support of another union's strike. This can include actions such as refusing to cross picket lines or staging a walkout in solidarity with the striking workers.

Question 8

Regardless of whether workers strike over "mandatory" or "permissive" bargaining issues, the NLRA protects their right to strike and they cannot be discharged or disciplined for their strike activity.

Accepted Answer

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects workers' rights to strike over "mandatory" bargaining issues, such as wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. However, striking over "permissive" bargaining issues, which are not mandatory subjects of bargaining, does not afford the same protections, and workers could potentially be disciplined or discharged for striking over these issues.

Question 9

Throughout U.S. history, the President's authority to invoke national emergency strike procedures has been used frequently to keep commerce flowing.

Accepted Answer

The President's authority to invoke national emergency strike procedures has been used infrequently and typically in situations deemed critical to national security or the economy, not as a frequent measure to keep commerce flowing.

Question 10

Public sector strikes are often not allowed in part because it is believed that they have the potential to seriously harm the public interest.

Accepted Answer

Public sector strikes, particularly those that affect essential services like healthcare, transportation, and public safety, can have a significant impact on the public, leading to inconvenience or even harm. As a result, many governments set restrictions on the ability of public sector workers to strike.

Question 11

The purpose of a strike is to increase the employer's cost of disagreeing with the union's demands by depriving the employer of its profit-generating ability.

Accepted Answer

This is the main purpose of a strike - to exert pressure on the employer by disrupting production and thereby increasing the costs of the employer's refusal to meet the union's demands. The aim is to persuade the employer to negotiate and agree to the union's terms.

Question 12

In the 1950's, approximate number of lost days due to strike activity in the U.S. was 1/5^th of the total working days. Today it is less than 1/100^th of the total working days.

Accepted Answer

In the 1950s, the number of lost days due to strike activity in the U.S. was significant, but not as high as 1/5th of the total working days. Today, the number of lost days due to strikes is indeed much lower, but the specific fraction mentioned (less than 1/100th) is an oversimplification and may vary year by year. The general trend of a decrease in strike activity is accurate, but the exact proportions provided are not.

Question 13

Regardless of the type of strike, all strikers have the same rights under the NLRA.

Accepted Answer

Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the rights of strikers can vary depending on the type of strike (economic strikes vs. unfair labor practice strikes), affecting their job protection and reinstatement rights.

Question 14

When it comes to the legality/illegality of strikes, the rights of strike replacements, and the rights of strikers, all strikes are treated the same.

Accepted Answer

The legality/illegality of strikes, the rights of strike replacements, and the rights of strikers can vary depending on the country and local laws. Some strikes may be legal while others may be illegal. The rights of strike replacements and strikers may also differ depending on the specific laws and regulations in place.

Question 15

Rights disputes occur over the application and interpretation of contract language in a particular situation.

Accepted Answer

Rights disputes often arise when there is a disagreement over the meaning or application of specific contract language. This can involve disputes over the rights of one or more parties involved in the contract, and may require legal intervention to resolve.

Question 16

If the President thinks a strike will be dangerous to the national health or safety, the Taft-Hartley Act empowers the President to halt a strike while an arbitrator investigates and issues a final and binding decision.

Accepted Answer

The Taft-Hartley Act allows the President to obtain a court injunction to halt a strike for an 80-day cooling-off period, but it does not empower the President to enforce a final and binding decision through arbitration.

Question 17

Annually, only around 1 percent of the contracts that are opened for negotiations end up in a strike.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Only a very small percentage of contracts lead to strikes.

Question 18

It is illegal for picketers to block an entrance to an employer's place of business.

Accepted Answer

According to US federal labor law, picketers are allowed to picket outside a business, but they are not allowed to block the entrance or exit of the business in any way. This is because it can affect the lawful access of the employer and employees to the workplace.

Question 19

It is an unfair labor practice for unions to fine or otherwise punish workers (union or nonunion) who cross a picket line.

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is an unfair labor practice for...

Question 20

It is illegal for employees to cross their own union's picket line.

Accepted Answer

Crossing a union's picket line, while often discouraged by the union and potentially leading to social or professional consequences, is not illegal. Employees have the right to make their own choices regarding participation in strikes or picketing.

Quiz 8: Impasses, Strikes, and Dispute Resolution