Happy Trails LLC: independent living facility in suburban environment

¶ … advise the independent living home management to do? Should they oppose unionization?

Happy Trails should oppose unionization because it can create many problems for the nursing home in the form of higher wages, frequent strikes and paid vacations etc. However it will not be possible to oppose unionization without offering employees some additional attractive benefits. It is impossible to avoid unionization without offering some benefits like overtime allotment and bonuses. The reason we say this is because if employees are asked not to join unions, they may actually become more resistant to the organization's request and resent such an order. For this reason, Happy trials needs to be proactive and must reach its employees before the union has had a chance to reach them. Unions tend to fight for higher wages and other benefits but since Happy Trails has been a cost cutting program and cannot afford to raise wages, it must try to please its employees in some other manner. It must stay competitive on salaries to the extent possible and also allow for overtime and bonuses because they tend to keep employees motivated and may also keep them away from the urge to join the union.

Answer2:

What arguments or defenses might the hospital raise to the union's organizing issues?

Unions are never the best option for any organization because it is like a parallel system of management working in the organization which creates a balance of power problem. We need to understand that for any organization to function smoothly there must be only one management system. It is that management which should be allowed to make rules, conduct performance appraisals, raise wages, offer benefits etc. This should all be done by the management without pressure from a union because a management understands what the company is looking at, the targets it needs to meet and the problems it is facing and hence unionization only tends to create problems by interfering with the work for which management is otherwise responsible.

Unions can also at times mislead the employees. The management understands the financial situation faced by the company but it should also offer its employees the best it can so that employees would know that the organization is doing whatever it can for safeguard the rights of its employees. This would prevent them from joining a union because they would know that anything beyond what they are already getting would jeopardize the very existence of the organization.

Answer3:

If the company elects to resist unionization, what steps must the company follow?

If the company already has a system in place whereby employees can speak with the management about possible raises and wage increase, then a union would simply be redundant. The employees must know that they can come up to the management and speak whatever is on their minds so this open communication would lower the need for a union representative.

The company should speak with the employees and explain its stance on the issue of unionization. It must make them understand that organization would take care of their needs more readily if they do not join the union. If they do join the union, they would only be putting unnecessary pressure on the firm which may result in many layoffs. Such a proactive approach along with announcement of some additional benefits like overtime allotments would help in keeping the union at bay.

Answer4: