Management and Unions

1
Section 1

• Management and Unions

2
Management

• Company is generally more autocratic
• How can they remain non-union?
• Avoidance and early detection
• Locate plants in low membership areas (south and
  southwest)
• Promote potential union advocates
• Develop spy network 

3
Union Drive already underway?

• Dont voluntarily recognize union
• Handle authorization cards carefully
• Take advantage of captive audience
  possibilities
• Postpone election or strategic timing (Friday,
  just after payday)
• Preventative ways
• Have fair workplace policies, wages
• Internal job postings
• Develop feedback mechanisms
• ESOPs, bonuses 

4
Options if already unionized

• Try to decertify
• Engage in conflictual bargaining
• Dont make life easy for the union
• Cooperative approach
• Integrate employee empowerment
• Quality circles
• Labor-management part. Teams
• Autonomous work teams

5
Union

• More democratically structured (constitutions,
  bylaws, elections, ratification, etc.)
• Structure like unit of state or local govt
• Power, authority, legitimacy flow up      

6
The local union

• Point of contact for worker
• Regular meetings
• Officers and stewards
• Craft vs. industrial unions
• Distinction blurring  

7
National/International Unions

• High position of influence in collective
  bargaining
• Operates under constitution (attended by
  delegates from locals)
• Services to locals
• Negotiations
• Arbitration
• Administration
• Strike activities
• Dues/initiation fees are used to fund
  administrative and operative activities.
• Recent mergers

8
AFL-CIO

• Nationals or locals can affiliate with AFL-CIO or
  remain independent (some 41 independent national
  unions and 1,500 independent local unions)
• Around 100 affiliated unions
• AFL-CIO is U.S. Labors spokesperson to Congress,
  media, rest of world.
• Coordinates organizing efforts
• Involved in political education and lobbying, and
  voter registration efforts.
• Governance centers around Convention (every 2
  years)

9
John Sweeney (1995)

• New AFL-CIO president
• New focus on organizing efforts to revitalize
  union movement
• Women, minority, and youth focus
• Union Summer
• Are numbers turning for unions (as of 2000)?