Question 1

The power balance between unions and management is maintained by
A) constant cooperation.
B) accommodation among antagonists.
C) joint partnership.
D) threat of conflict.

Accepted Answer

The power balance between unions and management is often maintained through the threat of conflict, as both sides are aware of the potential negative impact of strikes or lockouts. While cooperation and accommodation among antagonists can also be effective in maintaining balance, the threat of conflict is often the most powerful tool for ensuring that both sides are willing to negotiate and compromise. Joint partnership and constant cooperation may be ideal, but they are not always feasible, especially if there are fundamental disagreements between the two sides.

Question 2

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.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is (D) community of interest. This is because the NLRB uses the community of interest test to determine whether a group of employees constitutes a bargaining unit. The test examines the similarity of job functions, working conditions, and qualifications among the employees, as well as their geographic proximity and whether they are subject to the same management and supervision. Therefore, the checkers, baggers, and loading dock workers would be evaluated based on their community of interest to determine if they should be included in the same bargaining unit.

Question 3

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.

Accepted Answer

The Wagner Act, or National Labor Relations Act, specifically addresses unfair labor practices by employers. Discriminating against employees for filing charges, coercing employees regarding collective bargaining, and encouraging or discouraging labor organization membership through employment conditions are all considered unfair practices under this act. However, employers are allowed to restrict the distribution of union literature during working hours in work areas to maintain work discipline and productivity, making choice D not an unfair labor practice under the Wagner Act.

Question 4

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.

Accepted Answer

Decertification is the formal process by which a group of employees removes its union as its collective bargaining representative. It typically involves a vote by employees, supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, to determine whether or not the union will continue to represent them.

Question 5

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.

Accepted Answer

Changing the way overtime work is scheduled is considered a mandatory issue, which means that management must negotiate on it with the union. This issue affects working conditions and hours, which are mandatory subjects of bargaining according to labor laws.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

A bargaining unit is a group of employees who are legally allowed to select a union to represent them in collective bargaining with their employer. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating the terms and conditions of employment between the union and the employer on behalf of the employees in the bargaining unit. The other choices (contract, negotiating, authorization) do not accurately describe a group of employees who are eligible to form or join a union.

Question 7

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.

Accepted Answer

Dues checkoff is the automatic deduction of union dues from an employee's paycheck. It is commonly used by unions to ensure timely and consistent payment of union dues by their members.

Question 8

If both parties agree,bargaining over ____ issues is allowed.
A) permissive
B) joint
C) optional
D) co-operative

Accepted Answer

Permissive issues are those that can be bargained over if both parties agree to do so. Joint issues are those that affect both parties equally and therefore must be negotiated together. Optional and cooperative are not specific terms related to bargaining.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Collusion, or secret agreement between labor and management to fix prices or wages, is illegal under antitrust laws in the U.S. The other bargaining patterns - conflict, accommodation, and power bargaining - may be used legally in labor-management negotiations.

Question 10

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.

Accepted Answer

The ability to train other employees does not necessarily indicate that an employee is a supervisor. Supervisory status, which would exclude an employee from protection under the National Labor Relations Act, typically involves the authority to hire, fire, discipline, or make other significant employment decisions. Training can be part of a non-supervisory role.

Question 11

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.

Accepted Answer

Collective bargaining is the process whereby representatives of management and workers negotiate over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. Joint decision-making refers to a more collaborative approach where both parties work together to make decisions, while contract arbitration usually involves a neutral third party making a decision when negotiations between management and workers have failed. Bipartite negotiation refers to negotiation between two parties, which may include negotiations between management and workers, but it does not encompass the entire process of collective bargaining. Therefore, the best choice is B.

Question 12

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The union at Verdure,Inc.,has negotiated a "no...

Question 13

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A number of legal tactics may be...

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

The management rights provision is included in labor contracts in order to give the employer the right to manage, direct, and control its business. This provision outlines the specific areas of control that the employer has, such as the right to hire and fire employees, determine work schedules, and set performance standards. This provision is essential for the employer to maintain control over its operations and ensure that it can manage its workforce effectively.

Question 15

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.

Accepted Answer

The NLRB will investigate whether the employees have a community of interest based on their jobs, physical location, areas of work, and other factors. This is a standard procedure to determine which employees can participate in the certification election and will be included in the bargaining unit. Simply signing authorization cards does not automatically mean that all employees will be part of the same bargaining unit.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Since the union needs a majority of votes, which is more than half of the total votes cast, it needs at least 151 votes (half of the total bargaining unit size of 400 employees, plus one vote). Therefore, choice C) is the correct answer. Choices A), B), and D) are incorrect.

Question 17

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.

Accepted Answer

The HR director cannot legally initiate or support the decertification of a union. This is because labor laws in many jurisdictions prohibit employers and their representatives from interfering with the formation or administration of a labor union, including efforts related to its decertification.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

While public sector employees, white-collar professionals, and temporary and contingent workers are protected by U.S. labor laws, supervisors are typically considered management and are not covered by certain labor laws that apply to non-supervisory employees.

Question 19

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.

Accepted Answer

Promising pay increases to influence employees' votes against unionization is considered an unfair labor practice as it interferes with employees' rights to organize and bargain collectively.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

According to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), if at least 30 percent of the employees in the targeted group sign authorization cards, it can trigger a union election. A majority is not required, and options B and C are not accurate thresholds for calling an election.

Quiz 16: Union/Management Relations

The power balance between unions and management is maintained by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In order to reserve to the employer the right to manage,direct,and control its business,virtually all labor contracts include a ____ provision.

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

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

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

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