After reading/watching the attachments, in which camp do you fall regarding your opinion of U.S. labor organizations, support your opinion:

·       Negative—based on images such as labor-management unrest—grievances, strikes, picketing, and boycotts

·       Positive—based on images of industrial democracy, fairness, opportunity, and equal representation

·       No Opinion 

 answer only (200-300 words)

ATTACHMENTS:

1. First article:

Individually, employees may be able to exercise relatively little power in their relationship with employers. If employees believe they are not being treated fairly, then the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) grants them the legal right to organize and bargain with the employer collectively. When employees pursue this direction, the labor relations process begins. The majority of research on why workers unionize comes from the study of blue-collar employees. These studies generally conclude that employees unionize as a result of economic need, because of a general dissatisfaction with managerial practices, and/or as a way to fulfill social and status needs. Organizing campaigns based on social concerns (e.g., justice, fairness, and dignity) are more successful than campaigns based on dissatisfaction with management or even economic issues.

2. Second article:

 The U.S. Supreme Court Is Taking Up A Case That Could Gut Public Sector Unions in the US. Wednesday, January 13, 2016 The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a case over the question of whether public sector employees should be required to pay union fees, even if they are non-members. The court’s decision could undercut the power and long-term survival of public sector unions in more than two dozen states, including California. The case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, was initiated by 10 non-union California public school teachers and the Christian Educators Association International against the California Teachers Association, a powerful union with 325,000 members. The plaintiff/teachers argue that they should not be required to pay fees to a union if they choose to not be a part of it, even though they are still represented by the union. A ruling in favor of the California teachers would apply in the 25 US states (including California) that do not already have what is known as “right-to-work” laws. “Right-to-work” laws prohibit workers in a unionized industry from being forced to pay fees to that union, unless they choose to join the union. Such a ruling would be a blow to organized labor in California, because payments from non-union members that go toward collective bargaining – known as “agency fees” – are a substantial source of funding for unions. The plaintiff/teachers argue that California’s current law violates non-union workers’ First Amendment free-speech rights by requiring them to pay fees that support a political cause. The teachers are asking the Supreme Court justices to overturn the 1977 Supreme Court ruling in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. Abood allows public-sector unions to collect fees from all employees, regardless of whether those employees choose to be members of the union, as long as the money is not spent on political activities. The unions argue that non-union members should be required to pay “agency fees” in order to avoid the “free-ride” problem of giving workers the benefits of the union without having to pay for them. The unions further argue (1) collective bargaining is not political activity; and (2) state law requires the union to represent all workers, regardless of whether they choose to be members or not. A ruling in the case is due by the end of June. 

3. Third article:

Organized labor in America is in decline. Unions currently represent less than 7 percent of the private- sector workforce, the lowest percentage in decades. Those numbers trouble Damon Silvers, policy director for the AFL-CIO. Yet Silvers anticipates a resurgence in the labor movement as workers seek to regain bargaining power. Falling real wages coupled with cuts to health and retirement benefits make that push inevitable. A federation of U.S. labor unions, the AFL- CIO represents more than 12 million public- and private-sector union members.
What is the greatest threat to the American worker’s economic security?

It’s not a threat, it’s a reality—and it’s falling wages. There are two big issues at work here. One is essentially a policy decision to push our economy to compete globally on flat, low wages. The other is that plummeting wages create a country that cannot maintain its place in the world, one that is unable to preserve its infrastructure and educate its workforce. That’s a scary situation because if you don’t have infrastructure and educated workers, you go from being an economy that can make choices to one locked into decline, or close to it.

Organized labor has long worked to protect wages only to see its influence wane. What’s holding the labor movement back?

The American labor movement has been badly damaged by the generation-long, societal choice of trying to compete globally through lower wages. Unions are and will continue to be an obstacle to that strategy, as their purpose is to make sure workers get their fair share of the wealth they create. The Great Recession has also hurt, as mass unemployment kills labor unions. Job losses not only diminish our numbers but also damage the average worker’s ability to organize, since being out of work or fearing for one’s job damages self-confidence.

What could lead to labor’s revival?

The issue comes down to rebuilding the collective confidence of the workforce in their own ability to bargain effectively. The labor movement’s success going forward will come from being an effective tool for that effort.

Where does the labor movement stand in terms of its political influence?

The numbers bounce around a little bit, but labor union household membership has remained around a quarter of the electorate. That’s nothing to sneeze at in terms of political clout. But the reality is it all depends on the ability of labor unions to be a vehicle for working people to bargain for themselves. If we don’t do that, the political power we have will not be sustainable.

How can HR professionals improve their relationships with labor and workers?

The most important thing is to be interested in having a productive relationship. Once a business or an HR director starts from that place, many things become rather simple. In every relationship a company has with the people who provide it with the resources to do business, there is both an element of conflict and an element of collaboration. Whether company leaders are sitting down with a lender, a vendor or a labor representative, everybody wants to get the deal done, but at their own price. It’s normal for there to be some contentiousness in all relationships of this kind.

What advantages do HR departments with in-house labor experts have over those that wholly outsource that role?

Outside firms can be good sources of expertise. Yet if you depend on them for anything really critical, you run the risk that the firm’s own agenda comes into the process. What is the firm’s priority? More business? More fees? With any critical function, it’s wise to have in-house expertise in line with your organization’s interest.

Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist and freelance writer based in Georgia.

4. Links:

http://www.aflcio.org/About 

https://teamster.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amU5RX1uN1M&feature=youtu.be