Labor elations
a.) Labor unions play an integral role in the facilitation of labor relations. Labor unions are entities which are comprised of various working class people who are typically not managers. Unions may be codified according to a particular specialty related to a job skill, or by industry. They are organizations that collect dues from their members -- which is typically a finite percentage from the pay checks of the latter -- which the unions then use to procure collective bargaining and labor relations rights for the employees. Oftentimes, labor unions bargain directly with upper management staff within organizations and in industries to try to procure basic rights for their employees. This bargaining process and many of the rights the union leaders are attempting to procure are typically referred to as labor relations.

Labor relations is a term for the process by which upper level management attempts to effect policies concerning….

In relation to union power and collective bargaining, the merging of unions is conventionally deemed to increase their power of collective bargaining. However, this is not the case as the merging of union into larger unions only increases their collective bargaining power on a national scale (Moody, 2009). This has influenced larger unions such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to delve in politics owing to the nationalist outlook and representation.
However, this does not address the core course of labor unions of offering collective bargaining for their workers. This is in the sense that larger unions do not have the capability of collectively bargaining to the needs of smaller workers. For instance, it is difficult for a large union to offer collectively bargaining for the needs of a small portion of its member who do not form a significant portion of its members. This….

Labor unions are communities of workers who have come together with the purpose of fighting for their rights as a unit. These respective workers typically want fair conditions, to work with persons of integrity, and want to have a peaceful relationship with their employers, as the latter have to act in agreement with a set of requirements in order for this relationship to be possible. With the National Labor Relations Act being into place, unions are practically encouraged to function and organizations are thus left with no alternative but to cooperate in order to be able to have access to the human resource.
Employees want to be effectively represented when dealing with the companies that hire them and this is facilitated by them becoming union members. Unionized labor is in many cases the key to improving working environments for employees, but it can also reflect negatively on organizations when considering that….

In this sense the percentage of unionization in the workforce can be a more important factor than simply membership alone.
The Ashenfelter and Johnson (1969) model spells out three crucial parties to the strike negotiations: firms, workers, and union representatives. It is assumed that the major considerations for union leaders are "(1) the survival and growth of the union as an institution, and (2) the personal political survival of the leaders (Finley, 2010)." The motivations of the union leaders can be vastly different. Some way focus on the future and strength of the union while others may have their own political ambitions. However, when you consider the union on a whole, the high the percentage of the membership then the more likely the union is to be committed to achieving some goal whether it be better benefits, higher wages, safer conditions, better schedules or other issues that serve as the….

Labor Unions
These are organizations with membership drawn from the labor force of a particular economy and charged with the responsibility of representing the interests of its members in labor management issues within the work environment. Labor unions can also be specific thereby representing workers employed in various in specific trades and occupations such as communications workers for instance journalists, health care professionals including nurses and doctors, stage and theatrical employees including actors, and employees in the hospitality industry that include chefs, waiters among others. Labor unions are hierarchically organized stating with the international union, which is the highest level of the organization; this is then followed at a lower level by district councils found in the United States in every state. These council's jurisdictions cover areas such as towns and cities. It is important to note that union locals represent workers at their individual work areas.

Labor elations

This is a term,….

Labor unions are associations of workers for the purpose of improving the economic status and working conditions of the employees through collective bargaining with employers (Union pp). The two general types of unions are the horizontal, or craft, union, which is composed of members who are skilled in a particular craft, such as the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and the vertical, or industrial, union, which includes workers in the same industry of industries, regardless of skills, such as the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement orkers of America (Union pp). And a company union is an employer-controlled union that has no affiliation with other outside labor organizations (Union pp).
Essentially, labor unions are the product of the Industrial Revolution, although there were associations of journeymen under the medieval system of guilds (Union pp). After the French Revolution, there were fear of uprisings by the working classes in….

From this perspective, right-to-work laws are passed in states in which public opinion is anti- union and the labor movement is politically ineffective; in such states, employees are less attracted to unions, and it is this public opinion climate, rather than the legislation itself, that harms union growth (Abraham & Voost 2000).
The National Right to ork Legal Defense Foundation; Bureau of National Affairs (2002), reports that New Jersey does not have right-to-work laws as shown in the graph in Table 1 below, comparing this state with two of its Middle Atlantic neighbors.

Middle Atlantic States and Right-to-ork Laws

State

Right to ork (Yes/No)

Union in Private Sector

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Table 1. Comparison of Middle Atlantic States' Right-to-ork Laws. Source: Middle Atlantic Right to ork States National Right to ork Legal Defense Foundation; Bureau of National Affairs, 2002.

Similarities between Conflict Theorists and Functional Theorists in the Discussion of Labor Unions. Conflict theorists believe that in….

Labor Unions in America: A response to Hard ork by Rick Fantasia and Kim Voss.
According to the authors, why have labor unions struggled in the U.S. How does their explanation resonate with major contemporary perspectives in the field of social movements? hat do the authors have to say in regard to the possibilities and limits of labor union revitalization in the U.S. How does their view resonate with the major contemporary perspectives in the field of social movements?

One of the first problems labor unions have experienced during their various efforts at organizing in America over the past century or so of American history, is the perception that unions are foreign entities and constructions, rather than American-grown products. hy this should rankle America so, a nation of immigrants, founded upon foreign concepts and cultures, seems curious. But according to the authors of Hard ork, Rick Fantasia and Kim Voss, this is….

Labor Unions
Since their inception as trade unions in the late 18th Century, collective labor alliances have grown in numbers, power and influence . Despite the many uncertain times of recession, depression, joblessness and cost-cutting throughout the last century, the labor movement has helped to stabilize the lives and futures of many blue-collar American families. This is especially true in the case of public sector workers. Previous to the unionization of labor in this occupational arena, employee were at the mercy of the government. That is, they had very little bargaining power when it came to their own job positions. However, with the advent of labor unions, this demographic was able to collectively bargain and fight for what they want and deserve. Thus, by ensuring steady incomes, safe working conditions and competitive benefits for members, labor unions have helped this quintessential population of workers to survive. It is clear that this….

This strike was also characterized by violence. The management of the company brought numerous strikebreakers. But this was not sufficient, because the union undoubtedly won the dispute. This success determined the AA to organize another strike in 1889 because the management of the company and the union were unable to agree on the conditions of the collective contract. The AA followed a strategy similar to the previous successful strike (U.S. History, 2010).
Therefore, the strikers associated themselves with several groups of immigrants. In addition to this, the strikers benefitted from the support of the people in the town, same as in the case of other strikes. The company tried again to introduce strikebreakers to counteract the action. Even so, the union won this dispute also. However, the management of the company convinced the union to agree with certain wage reductions. The AA managed to improve its position within the company….

The internal split amongst major union movements, however, has not helped. Both major groups have essentially the same goals, but clearly differ on the best ways to achieve those goals. Critics contend, however, that the movement needs solidarity in the face of declining relevance. The split, despite the ideological differences, also had a personal component to it, and this weakness at the top levels of union leadership inhibits their ability to enact change.

Another issue for the future of the union movement is that of globalization. In response to the globalization of economies, the notion of globalizing labor has gained currency. Traditionally, labor movements have been national, due to strong differences in national legislative environments. The only two nations with any serious degree of cross-border union integration were the U.S. And Canada. Recently, the United Steel orkers joined forces with the United Kingdom's largest union, Unite, to former a union spanning….

Unions
Labor Unions

In ancient times, most labor work was done by slaves or serfs who were mercilessly exploited by their masters. Even non-slave workers were treated poorly and had little power to change their condition. It was only in the Middle Ages, that some merchant guilds and craft guilds began to appear in Europe that functioned as associations of trades-people. After the Industrial Revolution, workers began to organize themselves into organizations called Unions in order to improve their working conditions. Such Unions are now recognized by law in most countries as legitimate organizations that have the right to collectively bargain with the employers and also strike to pursue their demands. In this paper I shall discuss why workers unionize, and explain some of the pros and cons while taking a pro-union stance.

Background

It goes without saying that the balance of power between the employers is always heavily tilted in favor of the….

Furthermore these employers normally operate in third-world countries, where the cheapest possible labor is available as a result of the high demand for employment. These employers normally thrive in the import/export industry, where very high profits are to be made from goods produced at very low labor costs. The employment situation is normally short-term, and laborer turnover is high. These are not elements that affect the profit of the employer.
Higher standards employers thrive in terms of human relations and long-term quality contracts with their workers. These employees, by the quality of their work, increase the profit of the company and remain with the company as a result of incentives such as working conditions, wages and status. Thus, whereas profit is not as high initially, the employer-employee relationship grows to become increasingly profitable. This situation usually occurs locally in companies providing services rather than goods. The quality of service is….

However, they are not as relevant as they used to be primarily due to the fact that they no longer represent the majority of U.S. workers that they formerly represented. In 1970 "400,000 workers stayed off the job for 10 weeks" (Golway, 2007, p. 8) in a United Autoworkers strike against General Motors (G.M.). Golway compares that number and the length of the strike against G.M. with a one-day strike that recently occurred against the same automaker.
This time there were only 73,000 workers left to walk the picket lines. It was a reminder of how the great American job has disappeared" (Golway, 2007, p. 8). ith the disappearance of those jobs the relevance of the unions has changed somewhat. Now the unions are more likely to concentrate on matters such as arbitration, grievance handling and using their political muscle to elect or re-elect candidates who are likely to address….

Labor Unions
Discuss your opinion regarding whether unions are still relevant and necessary in today's work environment. What other means might be used to ensure the "employee voice" in the workplace? Use a reference.

Labor unions are still viable, at least in certain situations, because a single employee going up against an employer is usually not going to go well for the employer. However, labor unions are fighting relevancy for a couple of reasons. First, so much (if not all) of what leads to a unionized employee getting raises or promotions is driven by tenure…and only tenure. That may sound good on paper and many people assail what comes from a meritocracy sort of situation. However, merit-based raises are entirely legal, are widely used and have a proper place because someone who has five years of service should NOT get a job automatically over someone with four years of service just because….