Question 1

Of the following steps of a grievance process, which one should be taken when no resolution develops despite having brought in a mediator?

Accepted Answer

When no resolution is reached after mediation, the next step would be to have an arbitrator review the evidence and make a decision. This is a more formal and legally binding process than mediation, and the decision made by the arbitrator is final and binding for both parties. Therefore, option E is the best choice in this case.

Question 2

Wages are an example of a(n) _____ bargaining topic.

Accepted Answer

Mandatory bargaining topics are those that employers and unions are required by law to bargain over, in good faith. Wages are one of the mandatory bargaining topics specified by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for private sector employers covered by the law.

Question 3

The first step in the grievance process is likely to involve:

Accepted Answer

The first step in the grievance process typically involves a direct discussion of the grievance with the immediate manager, the employee, and often a union representative if applicable. This step is designed to resolve issues informally before escalating to more formal procedures.

Question 4

The goal of a(n) _____ is to show support for the union on strike.

Accepted Answer

A sympathy strike is a strike by workers of one company or industry in support of another company or industry's strike. The goal is to show support for the union on strike and put pressure on the employer to negotiate and come to an agreement with the striking workers.

Question 5

_____ are used to put pressure on an employer to assign work to members of one union versus another or to put pressure on management to recognize one union representation when it currently recognizes another.

Accepted Answer

Jurisdictional strikes are used to assert control over a particular job or work function, and to pressure an employer to assign work to members of one union versus another. They are often undertaken when there is a dispute between two or more unions over who has the right to do a particular job or work function.

Question 6

The goal of a(n) _____, which prevents workers from working, is to put pressure on the union to accept the contract.

Accepted Answer

A lockout is a strategy used by management to prevent workers from working by shutting down the workplace. The purpose of a lockout is to put pressure on the union to accept the contract proposed by management. Therefore, E is the best choice. The other options (slowdown, economic strike, walk-out, unfair labor practices strike) do not involve preventing workers from working to pressure the union.

Question 7

Factory workers who are on a _____ to protest are using legal ways to do so since they are using allotted time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Factory workers who are on a _____...

Question 8

In which of the following grievances does one member of the union feel that he or she has been mistreated?

Accepted Answer

An individual grievance refers to a complaint filed by a single employee who feels that he or she has been mistreated, such as an unfair disciplinary action or denial of pay. Therefore, option E is the correct choice.

Question 9

A _____ grievance is initiated if an employee or group is not willing to formally file a grievance.

Accepted Answer

A union grievance is initiated if an employee or group is not willing to formally file a grievance.

Question 10

Which of the following steps will be taken if the management and the union cannot come to an agreement regarding the grievance?

Accepted Answer

If the management and the union cannot come to an agreement regarding the grievance, the dispute will be brought to a national union officer who will work with management to try and resolve the issue. This is typically the next step in the grievance process if a resolution is not reached at the local level.

Question 11

Common Cause, a trade union for construction workers, recently took up the case of a worker whose was injured on-site and given no compensation by Hilson Developers. Since incidents like this were frequent, Common Cause began negotiating safer conditions of employment for construction workers with the Federation of Urban Developers. After three rounds of talks, the Federation was still unwilling to increase safety measures. It also refused to increase the compensation for an injured worker and his/her family until the employee was fit to re-join work as it was a nonproductive expenditure. The trade union representatives held onto their stance that since most construction workers were daily wage laborers, they were completely dependent on the developers to provide compensation when they were injured and unable to work. The contract negotiations have now come to a stand still. This is an example of a _____.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a situation where contract negotiations have come to a standstill due to the parties being unable to reach an agreement, which is known as a bargaining impasse. A slowdown refers to intentionally working slowly to put pressure on the employer, a checkoff provision refers to a situation where the employer deducts union dues from employee wages and remits them to the union, a lockout is a situation where the employer prevents employees from working by closing down the place of work, and a jurisdictional strike is a strike by a union to assert its members' right to perform work assigned to them under the collective bargaining agreement. None of these situations apply to the scenario described.

Question 12

A union of 35,000 laborers of a shoe manufacturing factory has gone on strike to protest against poor working conditions. To show their support, workers of a garment factory went on strike. This is an example of a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

This is a sympathy strike because the workers of the garment factory are showing their support for the shoe manufacturing factory workers by going on strike, even though they do not have any grievances of their own against their own employers. A jurisdictional strike would be when two different unions are fighting over which union represents the workers in a particular job or industry. A lockout is when the employer prevents workers from coming to work. A sick-out strike is when workers call in sick en masse as a form of protest. An economic strike is when workers strike for better wages, benefits, or working conditions.

Question 13

Five-hundred factory workers of a leather treatment plant received an upgrade in classification and in pay. However, this did not reflect in their last two pay checks. This will be categorized under which of the following types of grievances?

Accepted Answer

This is a principle grievance as there is a violation of the agreement between the company and the workers regarding their upgraded classification and pay.

Question 14

If several union members have been mistreated in the same way, their grievances will be categorized under which of the following types?

Accepted Answer

If several union members have been mistreated in the same way, their grievances will be categorized under a group grievance. This is because the issue affects multiple individuals within the union and is not isolated to just one person. The group grievance process allows for collective action and resolution, rather than treating each case as an individual matter.

Question 15

10,000 workers of a garment factory reduced their productivity by half to protest against the recent failure of contract negotiations on better working conditions. This is an example of a _____.

Accepted Answer

A slowdown is when employees intentionally reduce their productivity as a form of protest or bargaining tactic. In this scenario, the 10,000 workers reduced their productivity by half to protest the failed contract negotiations. This is an example of a slowdown. A lockout is when management prevents employees from entering the workplace, a sympathy strike is when employees strike in support of another group's strike, a sick-out is when employees call in sick en masse, and a walk-out is when employees leave their workplace in protest.

Question 16

Debby was the only one in her team who was not informed about some major changes made in the management. Apart from that, she is observing subtle occurrences of negative bias. If she chooses to present her complaint before the authorities, which of the following grievances will her complaint get categorized under?

Accepted Answer

Debby's complaint would be categorized as an individual grievance, as it pertains specifically to her not being informed of changes and the perceived bias she is experiencing. Union grievances typically involve larger issues affecting multiple employees, group grievances involve a specific group of employees, public grievances involve issues affecting the general public, and principle grievances involve violations of company policies or ethical principles.

Question 17

Which of the following steps in the grievance process should be taken if informal conversations with the manager, employee, and a union representative fail?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following steps in the...

Question 18

The second step of the collective bargaining process involves both parties:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The second step of the collective bargaining...

Question 19

By which of the following acts was the closed shop arrangement made illegal?

Accepted Answer

The Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1947, made the closed shop arrangement illegal. This act also gave individual states the right to pass right-to-work laws, which made it illegal to require workers to join a union as a condition of employment.

Question 20

Almost all the 12,000 workers of an automobile factory gathered outside the plant and refused to work for five consecutive days. This strike, reflecting the union's opposition to the unfair clauses in the proposed union contract, began after negotiations on the mandatory issue of increase in wages failed. The workers were disappointed that the employer refused to meet their demand and responded to this bargaining impasse by initiating a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The description of the strike as a response to a bargaining impasse and opposition to unfair contract clauses indicates that it is an economic strike, which is a work stoppage by employees to pressure their employer into meeting their demands for better wages, benefits, or working conditions. The other options (sympathy strike, lockout, slowdown, jurisdictional strike) do not fit the specific circumstances described in the passage.

Quiz 12: Working With Labor Unions