Rev: WO 6: Collective Responses to Work

The labor movement uses the power of the strength in numbers to seek a greater share of society's resources for labor movement members, workers, & other selected group w/ which they have allied

Workers form unions to redress grievances in the workplace such as inadequate or unfair wages, work that is too rapidly paced, unfair retention & promotion practices, & exclusion from decision making

When workers first have problems in the workplace they tend to blame themselves, then they discuss the problems only w/ a few trusted coworkers, & thus workers may been seen as going through THREE stages

Workers deal w/ problems in the stages of individualism, work group support, & collective action

Workers deal w/ workplace problems in stage one by being individualistic, apathetic, withdrawn, & by quitting

In the second stage of addressing workplace problems workers go to the informal work group in the hopes it will provide a medium for airing complaints in collective terms

In the second stage of addressing workplace problems workers may also rely on family, community or ethnic group ties

Solutions in the second stage of addressing workplace problems tend to remain largely personal

In addressing workplace problems, some specific events may stimulate the transition from the second stage of work group support to organized collective action

The transition to collective action frequently requires leadership from one or more outspoken workers

Collective action will occur only if workers are committed enough to their jobs to forgo the option of leaving & if a significant core of workers sufficiently overcomes fears of mgt reprisal to start organizing coworkers

The third stage of addressing workplace problems is some form of collective action which may include forming a union, forming a workers' committee to represent workers to mgt & address problems, going outside the workplace to some other org such as a govt. agency, etc.

What Do Unions Do?

Unions have SEVEN major functions, including:

a. addressing the needs of the union membership & other workers

b. organizing & rallying workers to join a union

c. negotiating via collective bargaining over wages, hours, benefits, workplace rules, etc.

d. implementing contracts by overseeing the workplace to ensure compliance w/ contracts & govt rules, regs, laws, etc.

e. addressing grievances; where the union perceives workers are treated "illegally," the union will be an advocate for them

f. lobbying the govt & bringing court cases to shape the law of the land to address workers' needs

g. participate in politics through participation in the formation of public policy in light of workers' needs

Unions collectivize bargaining power & attempt to create monopoly power

Unions give workers voice power

Unions organize workers, campaign to win representation, conduct elections, & negotiate for wages & benefits for the members

Unions negotiate contracts: aka engage in collective bargaining for:
   wages
   fringe benefits
   hours
   working conditions
   grievance settlements
   union security (right of one union to represent workers)

Unions organize strikes & other disputes

Unions lobby

Unions implement apprenticeship programs

Other union activities in running hiring halls & education of union members & the public

Which Side Are You On?' Why Organize?

Workers join unions because of perceived "injustices" & because their expectations are not met in workplace

Perceived net worth from union (benefits - cost = worth) FIGURE 1 - 2

List benefits & costs of unions

Workers are voting for an indirect voice through representation

For a union to represent a group of wkrs, the majority of workers must choose the union

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Outline on the Effects of Unions & the Labor Movement

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Unionization has created a movement of workers from the lower class to the middle class & the upper middle class

Union members have by & large moved from the lower class into the middle class as a result of unionization

Unions have taken many nonunion workers with them into the middle class

Within the framework of the labor movement, many unionists wanted their children & grandchildren to get a higher education and escape the factory

The Labor Movement:

- formulated & founded the American Dream

- created upward, structural social mobility

- discouraged radical political activity

- created economic systems that kept workers' satisfaction high

Has this aspiration been achieved?

A failure of this aspiration would

- encourage more political activity

- lower worker satisfaction

- increase multi generational unionism

As a classic dialectical outcome, the Labor Movement has had the effect of unionist children NOT becoming union members

The Labor Movement has created an entire socio political system of Labor Mgt relations

The Labor Movement has stabilized the regulated monopoly capitalist economic system

The Labor Movement has created a divided workforce

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Outline on Union Membership

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Union demographics

Today, there are approximately 20 million US Union members

Gender make-up of Union Membership in the US is approximately 65 % male & 37 % female

21.3 % of working males are union members

14.8 % of working women are union members

Two of the 95 unions in AFL CIO have female president & women in other leadership positions have similar numbers

At the local level, women have a greater role than at the national level, but not proportional to men's number

Women are not generally involved in bargaining & grievance settlement

The racial demographics of the Labor Movement approximates the racial demographics of the working population they represent

Thus, the Labor Movement is nearly racially representative of the overall population, but is somewhat voluntarily concentrated by race because races & ethnic groups are occupationally concentrated

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The Table on Union Membership shows that participation in the Labor Movement grew until the 1950s, declined slowly until the 1980s then rapidly declined & has recently stabilized

Unions peaked in power from 1945 to 1955 when union membership percentages were the highest

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The Table on Who Belongs to Unions? shows that union membership varies somewhat by various factors including industry, occupation, region, age, gender, race, education, & work status

Workers in transportation, govt., manufacturing, mining, & construction are more likely to be union members than workers in trade & services

Manual workers are more likely to be unions than are professionals, service, clerical, or farm workers

Workers in the Midwest, Northeast, & West are more likely to be union than are workers in the South

Because of more commitment to their jobs, older workers are more likely to be union

Men are more likely to be union than women, but women are being organized at a faster rate

In relation to union membership, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, et al are more likely to be union than are Whites

In reference to education, the largest segment of the unionized population has a high school diploma

Full time workers are more likely to be union that part time workers

Link

The Table on the 25 Largest Labor Unions in the US shows that in general, big unions are going, but the reason the percentage of the workforce is declining is because the unions grow at a slower rate than the workforce

Unions are no longer confined to blue collar jobs in the manufacturing sector

In recent yrs., the white collar, professional, & service sectors are important growth sectors for the labor movement

	The Individual & the Local
	The union security clause in the collective bargaining agreement requires
	- members to join the union
	- nonmembers to pay an agency fee for representation
	In right to work states, the nonmembers pay nothing
	In some jobs (e.g. construction, maritime), unions the take lead in skill training & entry to employment
	Joining & Socialization
	We are socialized on the job by mgt., workers, the union, customers
	A union often exempts new workers from joining the union for a probationary period
	W/ a union shop, workers join immediately, & pay an initiation fee
	The steward introduces worker to union, union role, etc.

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Table on US Union Membership 1930 - 2000

Year

Total Wkrs
in millions

Union
in millions

% in Unions

% Change

1930

29.4

3.4

12%

1935

27.1

3.6

13%

+ 1 %

1940

32.4

8.7

27%

+ 14 %

1945

40.4

14.3

36%

+ 9 %

1950

45.2

14.3

32%

- 4 %

1955

50.7

16.8

33%

+ 1 %

1960

54.2

17.0

31%

- 2 %

1965

60.8

17.3

28%

- 3 %

1970

70.9

19.4

27%

+ 1 %

1975

76.9

19.6

25%

- 2 %

1980

87.5

20.1

23%

- 2 %

1985

94.5

17.0

18%

- 5 %

1988

101.4

17.0

17%

- 1 %

1990

102.4

16.8

17%

1998

116.7

16.2

14%

- 3 %

1999

16.2

2000

15.4

The Table on Union Membership shows that participation in the Labor Movement grew until the 1950s, declined slowly until the 1980s then rapidly declined & has recently stabilized

Red denotes the high in union membership in absolute numbers & in percentage, respectively. Note that unions peaked in power from 1945 to 1955 when union membership percentages were the highest

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Table on Who Belongs to Unions?

HS0206

Criterion

% Represented in 1993

% Represented in 1999

Industry

Manufacturing & mining

21 %

Mining

Construction

Transportation

Trade

Service industries

Govt.

Occupation

Professional

Service occupations

Clerical

Manual

Farm

Region

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

Age

16 - 24 yrs.

25 - 64 yrs.

Gender

Men

Women

Race

Minority

Hispanic

Black

White

Education

Less than high school

High school or more

Work Status: Hours

Full time

Part time

Total

Table 6.1 Who Belongs to Unions? shows that union membership varies somewhat by various factors including industry, occupation, region, age, gender, race, education, & work status

US Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1993e, 1999; Statistical Abstracts of the US, 1993, 2000; Washington, DC, US Govt. GPO, p.436

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Table on the 25 Largest Labor Unions in the US

HS0206

Labor Organization

Members in Thousands, 1993

Members in Thousands, 1999

NEA

2,001

Teamsters

1,379

1,271

AFSCME

1,191

1,236

SEIU

881

1,081

Food & Commercial Workers

997

989

UAW

840

766

AFT

573

694

IBEW

730

655

CWA

492

504

Steelworkers

459

499

IAM

534

431

Carpenters

494

324

Laborers

406

298

Operating Engineers

330

294

Postal Workers

228

279

Paperworkers Intl Union

202

226

Hotel & Restaurant Employees

269

225

Plumbing & Pipe Fitting

220

Letter Carriers

210

Am. Fed. of Govt. Employees

151

170

Firefighters

151

156

Electronic, Electrical, & Tech Wkrs.

160

128

ILGWU

143

Transit Workers

Bakery, Confectionery & Tobacco Wkrs.

Clothing & Textile Wkrs.

154

UMW

240

Table 6.2 The 25 Largest Labor Unions in the US shows that in general, big unions are going, but the reason the percentage of the workforce is declining is because the unions grow at a slower rate than the workforce

US Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1993e, Statistical Abstracts of the US, 1993, Washington, DC, US Govt. GPO, p. 435. Court Gifford, ed., Directory of US Labor Orgs. Washington, DC, Bureau of National Affairs

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Time
Period

Outline on a Historical Overview of the Labor Movement

External
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Introduction: Marx 1818 -1883
Wealth could only be created by labor
Another class: owners: monied aristocracy
10 % own 90 % of the wealth, & thus also have more power
In a democracy, unions are necessary to help balance this power
1999 in US: richest 17 mm have same amount of wealth as poorest 100 mm
Most of the Labor Movement want this inequality leveled out to a certain extent

Summary: Before unions, workers had almost no voice in determining wages, hours, working conditions, etc.
Since the shift from agricultural econ to the industrial economy, there was a consistent surplus of labor
Workers always recognized that collective power was greater than individual power
From the very beginning, those in power regarded unions/ guilds / prof assoc as immoral /illegal etc.
The US the courts viewed unions as illegal until the late 1800s, & it wasn't until the early 1900s that actual union legality was established

10 K
BC

Early Worker Associations formed estbing the Labor Movements prior in the Pre Empire Era circa 10 K BC - 500 AD

Early Worker Associations, circa 1500 BC, were closed groups of profl assocs which arose as a collective response to exploitation

The qualities of the early professional associations influenced the modern Labor Movement

500

Guilds were common in the Labor Movement in the Middle Ages circa 500 - 1300

Craft Guilds developed during the Medieval Era, circa 400 - 1600

Craft unions & guilds spread from Rome to Europe, & eventually to the US

Guilds evolved into other types of labor associations

1300

The Labor Movement during the early industrial revolution began its move from craft guild to labor unions circa 1300 - 1700

The Industrial Revolution created the decapitalization of Labor

Labor Parties first developed in Europe

Craft unions came to US via European immigrants

There were many early US Labor Movement actions

1700

The Labor Movement during the Industrial Age gained power & legitimacy circa 1700 - present

Illegality to Legality
In the early 1800s, unions were illegal & forced to exist as secret societies
In the mid 1800s, unions became legal, but strikes were still illegal

During the industrial age, many unions were born, some have gone out of existence
NLU    1866 - 1872
KOL     1869 - 1899
AFL      1869 - 1955
IWW     1905

During the industrial age, court cases were very important for the Labor Movement

There were many historic strikes, & other forms of labor unrest during this era
Molly Maguires                   1865
Haymarket Square Riot       1886
Homestead Strike                1892
Pullman Strike                     1894
Danbury Hatters Boycott     1906

During the indl age, some noteworthy legislation was passed, but legislation legalizing Labor Movement as we know it today does not occur until the next era

1910

The Labor Movement & Global Capitalism, as global capitalism developed, Labor lost power

During the era of global cap, the Labor Movement gained full legitimacy in the form of all the rights & obligations it possesses today

During the era of global cap, more important unions were born including the
CIO 1935 - 1955
AFL CIO merged in 1955

During the era of global cap, there were many historic strikes, & other forms of labor unrest, especially the
Triangle Fire 1911
Ludlow Massacre 1914

During the era of global cap, the cornerstone labor relations legislation was passed, legalizing the Labor Mvmt as we know it today

Business Unionism, aka "The Great Labor Compromise," allowed the Labor Mvmt to gain legitimacy but limited Labor's options

1970

The Labor Movement During the Post Industrial Age lost much influence & struggled to reinvent itself

During the post indl era, public employees unions came to the fore front

Labor law in the 1970s addressed the issues of public sector wkrs

During this era, the Labor Movement experienced its greatest decline & also began its resurgence

2000

The Future of the Labor Movement

The Future of the Labor Mvmt is fraught w/ many challenges related to changes in the economy, govt support, etc., but the assets of the Labor movement, such as a committed leadership & membership, will find opportunities in new sectors of the economy & in unorganized workers

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Outline on Race & the Labor Movement

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Well after WW 2, some labor unions, esp. in the building trades, keep out minorities or restricted them to lower paying jobs, or jobs in specific neighborhoods

Minorities participate equally in Locals, but are often under represented in officer positions

One major reason for the continuing segregation in unions is that firms have the right to hire who they want

Segregated union patterns generally follow segregated workplace patterns

Occupational segregation is widespread

Occupation segregation is greatest btwn the genders in that there are men's jobs & there are women's jobs

There are some occupations that are segregated by race or ethnicity: farm workers are often Hispanic; uranium miners are often Native American

Unions have traditionally favored civil rights, but have not been able to enforce them in the workplace

Civil rights in the workplace is considered to be a mgt. prerogative

Unions now have policy of no discrimination in the union, but union leaders at the national level do not necessarily reflect the demographics of the members

Except for minority dominated unions, there are no minority national union presidents

The racial demographics of the Labor Movement approximates the racial demographics of the working population they represent

Thus, the Labor Movement is nearly racially representative of the overall population, but is somewhat voluntarily concentrated by race because races & ethnic groups are occupationally concentrated

Racism, discrimination, & specifically keeping minorities out of, or restricting them in the building trades & other occupations continued into the late 60s, i.e. until the Civil Rights Mvmt was powerful

The trades of plumbing, electrician, sheet metal workers, & more discriminated against minorities until the Civil Rights Mvmt, & the legislation that resulted, forced change

By the late 60s many unions & trades had substantial percentages of Blacks & other minorities

The AFL CIO, the lead & umbrella labor org in the US, had become a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Mvmt

The AFL CIO was a lead player in getting the equal employment opportunity section, Title VII, included in the Civil Rights Act of 1994 (Marshall & Briggs, 1989)

Today, Blacks are more likely to be union members than Whites (DeFreitas, 1993) & they have secured many leadership positions (Cornfield, 1989)

During the 60s, the Labor & Civil Rights Mvmts often worked together on policies beneficial to both

On Feb 12, 1968, Black sanitation wkrs struck in Memphis, TN w/ the active support of the local Black community, the AFL CIO, & civil rights orgs such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Martin Luther King spoke at labor / civil rights rallies in Memphis 3 times & was assassinated there on April 4, 1968 during his 3rd visit in support of the strike

The union practice of basing layoffs (or advancement) on the basis of seniority has the quality of institutional racism in that it has the unintended consequence of laying off new hires, who are often minorities

The courts have weakened a purely seniority based layoff system, allowing race to be considered as a factor in addition to seniority

Asian Am are the only minority group significantly less represented in the Labor Mvmt today than their percentage of the population would indicate

Labor organizers are trying to increase Asian participation in unions by organizing garment wkrs, hotel & restaurant wkrs, & medical wkrs (Chen, 1993)

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Outline on Women in the Labor Movement

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Women have been active in the Labor Mvmt since its inception

Women's representation in officer positions is nearly proportional to their membership

As the Women's Movement grew in the 1960s & 70s, the AFL CIO became strongly influenced by it

The AFL CIO was a strong supporter of the ERA

During the 1970s, a group of female trade unionists formed the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

See Also: Deindustrialization

From 1970 to 2000, the Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union declined from 754,000 to 431,000

Unionized steelworkers declined from a peak of 1,062,000 in 1975 to 500,000 by 2000

Because of low wage competition from less developed nations, Am indl goods became less competitive on the world mkt

Because they can get better deals in less developed nations, many corps have contracted concessions from labor, & even eliminated unions

In the 90s many auto plants in the US & Canada have closed as mkt share has been lost to Japanese & Euro car makers & as US corps have moved production overseas

Demands for wage concession reached a peak in the early 80s when unemployment climbed above 9% & have declined since then

High unemployment has produced a new bargaining env that encourages a much more aggressive stance by corps

Worse yet, direct plant closings & downsizings have often replace demands for wage concessions

In 2006 Ford adopted a plan to close 18 plants, mostly in No Am

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Outline on Corporate Activity & the Labor Movement

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- Project: Union Avoidance

Link

- Project: Video: Walmart: Envl Factors affecting Union Avoidance

Link

- Supplement: Video: Walmart & the Labor Mvmt 19:36

Link

Union busting is now a professionalized business consulting service

There are now more “consultants” in the field of antiunion consulting than there are union leaders

Businesses have improved conditions which unions traditionally fought for: wages, hours, benefits, working conditions

Unfair labor practices have increased making workers more reluctant to join unions & face up to mgt power

Charges of firing for union activity makes workers reluctant to join unions

Mgt opposition to unionism, including legal & illegal labor campaign tactics, a major determinant of NLRB election results, makes it more difficult for unions to win elections

Paid spies, sophisticated antiunion consultants are used by corps. to discover & eliminate pro union workers

75% of employers who experience union organizing hire antiunion consultants (Levitt, 1993)

In the 1980s, businesses spent over $100 mm annually for antiunion activity

There are FIVE major environmental factors that affect union avoidance

a. Locating the business in a nonunion region

b. Locating the business in a non urban region

c. Establishing the business in small plants

d. A high % of women in the workforce

e. A high % of professionals in the workforce

Union avoidance can be enhanced through a human relations program that creates a culture of anti unionism

Union avoidance can be enhanced through a human relations program that creates a culture of reluctance to engage in industrial conflict

Substantive policies of a human relations policy often include:

a. employment security

b. a policy of promotion from w/in

c. influential & proactive personnel dept.

d. satisfactory compensation & benefit programs

e. effective feedback mechanisms including communications programs & complaint procedures

f. careful selection, development, & evaluation of managers

In order to implement a strong human Relations programs, firms must be:

a. profitable

b. growing

c. undiversified

d. active founders

e. & the best HR programs occur in light industrial manufacturing or service companies

Corps believe that a corporate strategy of union avoidance is successful by establishing trust, cooperation, confidence, & enhancing human values, working together, ultimately resulting in the efficient & effective long run functioning of the firm

A corporate strategy of union avoidance has FOURTEEN effects of:

1. creating a more flexible organization

2. no strikes

3. lower turnover & absenteeism

4. reducing 3rd party interference

5. more responsive & committed employees

6 employees' believing the firm is committed to security & equity

7. positive employee attitudes

8. high morale

9. open & direct communications

10. the majority of the employees not wanting to join the union

11. an absence of adverse relationships btwn employees & mgt.

12. creating the perception that the firm is a desirable place to work, which results in the number of applicants exceeding the number of openings

13. creating higher productivity

14. creating strong mgt employee relationships

Workers' Voice: Giving the workers a voice creates a lower employee turnover rate

Unions know that their efforts create voice for the workers, which has the effect of a lower employee turnover rate

Voice, which deals w/ immediate issues, is generally created by grievance procedures

Voice, which deals w/ long run issues, is generally created through negotiations

Grievance procedures, whether developed through a union, or independent of it, increase employee satisfaction

Many firms have developed a strong grievance system that mgrs take seriously

Most grievance systems have a no reprisal policy

IBM mgrs. have direct, anonymous access to hi level mgt. on complaints

Most grievance systems require that remedial action be communicated back to the grievant

Many grievance systems have a worker review board that impartially resolves grievances

Many grievance systems have peer review panels to oversee grievances

Many grievance systems have attitude surveys to stay in touch w/ employees' issues

To understand grievance systems it is necessary to understand justice systems

There are THREE types of justice systems

A distributive justice system ensures that punishment is proportionate to the issue at hand

A procedural justice system ensures that methods are just by focusing on, for example, representation, appeal, etc.

An interactional justice system ensures that all parties have all the info they need to achieve justice, esp in relation to resolution

Other innovations that enhance human relations include vertical staff meetings & employee involvement committees

The non unionized workplace often exhibits particular qualities or structures which evolved in unionized wkplace such as:

a. a high level of info for workers about productivity, etc.

b. discussions of quality & productivity

c. employee involvement methods

d. autonomous work teams

e. a formal complaint systems

f. a reduced number of job classifications

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Outline on the Growth Areas for the Labor Movement

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Despite the development of deindustrialization, globalization, the service econ, & the resistance of corps, the Labor Mvmt has experienced growth

A recent spurt in growth in the overall membership numbers of the Labor Mvmt preceding a few decades of decline actually serves to hide the actual numbers of new members in unions

Because the traditional econ sector of mfr has experienced such a steep decline, unions had to aggressively organize just to slow their membership loss

The Am Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employee (AFSCME) is one of the fastest growing unions

See Also: AFSCME's website at www.afscme.org

Link

The Am Federation of Teachers (AFT) more than quadrupled its membership in the last 3 decades from 165 K to 694 K members

In 2000, the 2 of 3 largest unions in the US, AFSCME & the United Food & Commercial Wkrs, each w/ more than 1 mm members, represented white collar & service wkrs

Wkrs in large public institutions such as hospitals & schools have been organized aggressively

Public sectors unions have helped keep the Labor Mvmt afloat in the last 3 decades

42% of public sector wkrs are unionized compared to only 15% in the private sector

One reason that more public sector wkrs are unionized is that in the public sector, mgrs are more restricted from intimidating wkrs as compared to the private sector through firing & because public sector mgrs must answer to the pubic for any poor human relations in the wkplace

In the private sector, stockholders are much less likely to punish mgrs for poor or intimidating human relations in the wkplace compared to the voting public, who will punish public mgrs

Union membership has grown among clerical wkrs in the insurance industry

Clerical wkrs have unionized because of the increasing size & anonymity of those corps & because of office automation which has weakened job security

Service wkrs, including hospital & hotel wkrs & janitors are also a growth are for Labor organizing

The expansion of organizing in the service sector is a revival of serving the poorest segments of society

A nationwide group called "Justice for Janitors" has made gains organizing janitors by using 60s style sitdowns & demonstrations to pressure building owners into negotiating

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Outline on International Unions

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INTERNATIONAL UNIONS

Most national unions are international because they have members in Canada & US, but many are still just called national

Internationals are the unit in which authority is vested w/in union mvmt

Most locals are chartered by parent nationals or internationals

Many local activities are constrained or must be approved by the national

There are 135 national bodies

There are 78 nationals affiliated w/ AFL CIO

57 nationals are not affiliated

Affiliated nationals have 80% of US membership of 16.3 mm or 13.4 mm

36 unions have more than 100,000 members

The median number of locals affiliated w/ a national or international is 350

Over half of all union members belong to one of 7 largest national or international unions

Even international unions have NOT reached that truly international stage of development in that most have affiliates in only a few nations

International businesses established multinational conglomerates decades ago

Businesses are now considered global in that national boundaries have ceased to be much of an obstacle

Union structure is thus about a century behind business in reference to globalization

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

Representatives of labor groups from about 55 nations, including the American CIO, founded the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) in 1945

But the CIO withdrew from the WFTU in 1949, after orgs from Communist countries gained control of the federation

That same year, representatives of the AFL, the CIO, and other labor groups from non Communist countries established a new federation

The org created to oppose the Communist policies of the WFTU, was called the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)

The WFTU's goals included the promotion of free unions & better wking conditions throughout the world

EXAMPLES OF INTERNATIONAL UNIONS:

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union serves as a craft union for skilled butchers in stores

But it is an industrial union in the meat packing industry, where it represents all wkrs regardless of the work they do

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is the largest international

In the 1990's, the US. govt took control of several unions, including the Teamsters in an attempt to reduce union corruption

In Canada, labor unions are usually called trade unions

The history of labor in Canada is similar to that in the US, and unions in both nations are much alike

Most Canadian unions are in a federation called the Canadian Labor Congress (CLC)

It includes the Canadian locals of international unions that in the US belong to the AFL CIO

A smaller federation, the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU), consists mostly of French speaking unions from Quebec

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS:

Link

The Table on International Comparisons in Union Membership shows that the US has the lowest rate of unionization of all the industrialized Western nations & that Sweden & Denmark have the highest rate

Unionization in the US has declined, & the US currently has the lowest rate of unionization of all the industrialized Western nations

Slower workforce growth, more gradual industrial restructuring, a tighter labor mkt, & more efficient organizing strategies all suggest the stabilization or reversal of this trend of the declining unionization rate (McDonald, 1992)

There is a large reserve of wkrs in the US who want to be unionized but who do not have a union in their wkplace

Among wkrs who do not have a union, 33% say they would vote in favor of union representation

The US has always had the least friendly toward Labor laws which has limited unionization

The US has always had the most aggressive anti Labor corps which has limited unionization

All other major industrialized nations, except Japan, have Labor Parties which serve to increase the power of Labor

All other major industrialized nation manage to estb strong unions & very efficient wkforces

Labor Mvmts are weak in many developing countries because corps are able to use anti Labor tactics that are not allowed in the West, as well as violence

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Table on International Comparisons in Union Membership

HS0306

Percent of Total Civilian Wage & Salary Employees

Year

Canada

Australia

Japan

Denmark

Germany

Italy

Sweden

Average

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

15.4

The Table on International Comparisons in Union Membership shows that the US has the lowest rate of unionization of all the industrialized Western nations & that Sweden & Denmark have the highest rate

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Outline on an Overview of Democratic Organizations

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Links

A democratic org is one where the system of mgt or administration is chosen by the employees who enjoy freedom of expression, & ownership of the org

A dem org is similar to the traditional bureaucracy as understood by Weber, et al; however, Weberian bur usually locates control of the org outside of the org in the hands of investors in the case of a business, or the govt. in the case of a govt. service org

A dem org locates control of the org inside the org & its relationship of investors & mgt. / admin is as services hired by the firm, as controlled by employees, rather than as org actors who control the org

In practice, most orgs today are strictly bureaucratic, making only a nod to democracy & participation

In practice, democratic orgs today are a combination of democratic org structures, employee participation programs, employee ownership plans, etc. & traditional bureaucratic authoritarianism

Conflicts over participation rights, control rights, return rights, the historical antipathy of employers, & adversarial relationships in labor mgt. relations have made the creation of joint problem solving / democratic orgs difficult

Some movements toward a democratization of an org have been made via union mgt. cooperation to jointly accomplish their separate goals

Many cooperative experiments are initiated through side letters in the contract or through agreements to suspend contract provisions to experiment w/ new methods

Union mgt. cooperation is established through integrative bargaining during contract negotiations & in part through the development of ongoing cooperative relationships

There are many types of employee involvement programs (EIPs) that have evolved since the human relations school of mgt came to the forefront in the 1930s

Labor law & employee involvement programs, quality control circles, workplace democracy, etc. are all factors that interact & shape orgs & thus the orgl env

The Taft Hartley Act forbids the dominance of a Labor or union org by a firm, i.e., no "business unions" are allowed

The court judgment on the firm Electromation narrows all firms' ability to ask workers to consider & be involved in deciding workplace issues

Involvement of workers in non mandatory bargaining issues is generally accepted & legal

Communications & employee involvement programs, quality control circles, workplace democracy, etc. are all factors that interact & shape orgs & thus the orgl env

Communications activities are similar to collecting survey data

Enables both sides to /\ understanding of their perceptions of problems

Supervision structures, employee involvement programs, quality control circles, workplace democracy, etc. are all factors that interact & shape orgs & thus the orgl env

Some employee involvement (EI) committees supplant supervisory tasks & actually eliminated supervisory jobs

Wk grps may make own their wk assignments, create & op training, make recommendations on staff decisions, manage day to day activities, & more

Thus E I programs, which have the effect of giving power to workers, threaten both low & mid mgt as well as unions

Internal
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Outline on Quality Circles

External
Links

- Project: Your Quality Circle

Link

QUALITY CIRCLES (QCs) CONSIST OF A GRP OF WKRS WHO MEET TO APPLY STATISTICAL PROCESSES CONTROL METHODS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTION

A QC is a grp intervention that give wkrs the opportunity to have greater input into issue at work

QCs are teams of wkrs supported by mgt who meet regularly to examine product & service quality or other issues

QCs take initiative for developing incremental changes in production techniques that help increase productivity through continuous improvement (Demming, 1982)

Typically a QC is comprised of people who have similar jobs in mfr orgs, & discussion revolves around issues of product qual & production efficiency

In both union & nonunion setting, the leaders or facilitators are not usually the supervisors of the wk grp, particularly where the circle cuts across functional areas such as production & quality assurance

QCs HAVE BENEFITS FOR BOTH WKRS & ORGS

QCs have benefits for both wkrs & orgs

QCs allow individual wkrs to enjoy greater participation, which many find stimulating & enjoyable

A QC meeting can be a welcome break from routine work to spend time discussing work problems w/ colleagues

For the org, this should mean better production procedures b/c the people who do the wk are often the most knowledgeable about what the problems are & how they can be solved

Research has shown that wkrs in a QC were more productive & had fewer absences than wkrs who did not

YOUNGER WKRS ARE MORE OPEN TO QCs THAN TRADITIONAL WKRS

In relation to quality circles, younger wkrs often:

- find the QC experience more rewarding

- believe the union should be involved in QCs or other employee involvement programs

- were less likely to be involved in the union

- were more often involved in suggestion programs

- desired more participation in the workplace

- had more info on QCs

CENTRAL FEATURES OF QCs

The central features of QCs include innovation, wk grps, trust, job security, lifetime employment, cooperation, enhanced productivity, concern w/ wkrs, error prevention instead of error detection, etc.

1. Japan is a leader of innovation in a number of aspects of labor relations & production tech, esp in relation to the development of QCs & other employee involvement plans

2. Central to QCs & other EI programs is a reliance on wk grps

3. Systems of teamwork depend on first estbing trust btwn the wkr & the firm

Once loyalty & trust are estbed, wkrs are willing to cooperate w/ teammates & supervisors to promote productivity

In QCs & other teamwork systems in large corps, there are many positive consequences for both productivity & the quality of working life

4. Job security means that wkrs do not fear tech innovation & instead wk to implement innovations as effectively as possible

In Japan, large enterprises are more concerned w/ workers' welfare than is typical in Western state regulated capitalist societies

5. Trust is achieved through the assurance of lifetime employment for many wkrs, something that is virtually unheard of in the US

The Japanese system of job security & team org makes it possible for firms to integrate quality control operations into production areas

6. Because wkrs are committed to the success of the firm, they are more eager to cooperate to improve quality than wkrs in other advanced cap sys

7. Enhanced productivity is gained through a critical mass of cooperation btwn labor & mgt on all substantive issues & esp through error checking.

In W cap firms, wkrs are rewarded only for the wk they directly perform

US & Brit firms do their quality control checks after production is complete

Firms which check quality at the end of the production line have to go through the costly process of fixing mistakes that the Japanese sys encourages wkrs to avoid making in the 1st place (McMilli, 1984, p 163)

8. Firms w/ QC type innovations of labor mgt cooperation estb a process whereby production errors are discovered & corrected during the production process, rather than at the end of the production line

Error checking in process mean less wasted time on completing flawed products, & less waste overall because fewer errors become serious

	GERMANY HAS APPLIED THE PRACTICE OF QCs TO HEALTH EFFICIENCIES ON THE JOB FOR WKRS
	In Germany the QC has been adapted to focus on wkr health rather than job performance
	The German Health Circle is an intervention team where wkrs discuss ways to improve health & well being

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Outline on Employee Involvement Programs: Opportunities & Threats

External
Links

Employee involvement (EI) committees are known as QCs, QWLs, Circles, ECs, or Committees

Employer / employee committees, often called quality circles, are formed so that workers can make recommendations to mgt. about hiring, personnel assignments, hours, terms & conditions of work, & other similar issues

The issues that are dealt w/ in EI are frequently the same issues that are the subject of collective bargaining in unionized workplaces

The Taft Hartley Act forbids the dominance of a Labor or union orgs by an employer, thus outlawing "business unions"

The Electromation court judgment narrows an employer's ability to broadly ask employees to consider employment issues

The involvement of workers in non mandatory bargaining issues is unlikely to lead to charges of employer domination, even though this is one of the gray areas where some workers may feel pressure, but are unable to prove it

Unions should be aware that QCs & other EI programs can weaken union influence in the org, & therefore, control of the org

Wkrs will identify increasingly w/ the firm if the union doesn't support opportunities for interest employees to be involved

Communication activities in EI programs are often similar to collecting data w/ a survey & using this data as a representation of wkr attitudes

Some EI programs are vested w/ supervisory tasks

General Foods established work groups & the groups made their own work assignments, created & operated training programs, & made recommendations on staffing

The employee involvement program groups in the Gen Foods org was found, in a court case, not to be an employer dominated labor org

Productivity studies find that giving workers more control of work increases productivity

Today, there are greater competitive pressures because of

- deindustrialization (conversion of old, heavy industry to new light industry & information age-- & to services)

- globalization, global competition, & the movement of multinational firms to foreign lands

Because of the competitive pressures of deindustrialization & globalization, many firms are attempting to design more efficient work relationships & quality circles are one design for increasing efficiency

EI programs include FOUR components, including:

1. improving the wkplace climate

2. generating commitment in both mgt & wkrs

3. implementing change

4. creating benefit for both mgt & wkrs through increased productivity, higher product quality, etc.

In planned programs, climate & commitment lead to change

In evolved programs, the climate leads to change which leads in turn to commitment

In induced programs, change leads to appropriate climate & commitment

Union willingness to become involved in QWL programs is related to the progressiveness of the firm & increase foreign competition

Increased involvement in traditional wkplace decisions is related to deregulation, changing demographics, & support by a parent national union

Cooperation in strat dec mking is often increases as a result of foreign competition & decreases as a result of domestic competition because unions often represent wkrs in competitive domestic industries & therefore are less willing to pit one firm against another

In an EI program w/ GM & the UAW, grievances, discipline, absenteeism, number of local contract demands, & negotiating time were reduced

EI programs result in higher product quality & reduced grievance rates

Product quality & productivity decreased when labor mgt conflict increased

EI programs are associated w/ reduced absenteeism, accidents, grievances, & quits

EI programs lead to greater loyalty to the union, rather than undermining commitment

The effectiveness of the grievance procedures is a stronger predictor of attitudes to the union than EI participation

EI is associated w/ improved job satisfaction & enhanced commo skills

EI programs increase "orgl citizenship" both through participation & changing job characteristics that require more task sharing

Union antagonism toward EI does not influence employee attitudes, but it does reduce participation

THE LEGALITY OF COOPERATION PLANS

Among unionized firms, cooperation plans meet the requirements of the labor acts because they are jointly agreed to by unions & mgt

Firms & nonunion firms estb joint mgt employee committees to deal w/ production & employment issue

Joint mgt employee committees may violate labor law unless the process & the subject of their work is closely regulated

The Taft Hartley Act (THA) forbids firms from creating & operating employer dominated labor orgs

Discussion of employment issue or proposals by committees for taking action on areas related to wages, hours, terms, & conditions of wk which intrude into the mandatory bargaining issues specified in the act

The NLRB was faced w/ ruling on the legality of an employer sponsored committee in the Electromation case

In the Electromation case the NLRB asked when does a mgt wkr committee lose its protection as a communication device & become a labor org, i.e. a business union?

In the Electromation case the NLRB asked what employer conduct is interference or domination of mgt wkr committees?

In the Electromation case the firm had set up five volunteer committees to look at absenteeism, pay bonuses, etc.

The firm initiated the committees, drafted their goals, & had mgt reps to facilitate

The NLRB rules that the Electromation wkr mgt committee was a employer dominated labor organization

While it is difficult to determine what is a legal wkr mgt committee in a nonunion setting, such committees are still going ahead in many firms

HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK ORGS (HPWOs)

High performance wk orgs are firms that have adopted many EI & other wk practice innovations that increase wkr participation in or control of the the wkplace

Research indicates that firms need to implement a coherent set of practices in order to enhance orgl performance

A study of minimills found that plants that implemented a combination of problem solving teams, flexible job assignments, training for multiple jobs, guaranteed employment security, & flexible pay plans were more productive & profitable than firms that implemented smaller combinations of these

Operating up time & added value were proportionally greater as more EI programs were added

Wkrs are proportionally more satisfied w/ work as more EI programs are added

WORKPLACE RESTRUCTURING

Because of globalization in the form of increased foreign competition, a great deal of wkplace restructuring has taken place over the past 20 yrs

This has been the orgl env in which EI programs have been born in US Labor mgt relations

Restructuring increases the intensity of wk, reduces the number of wkrs in mfr jobs, reduces mid mgt, & has outsourced many jobs

Wkplace restructuring & firm performance improve when the local union has horz & vert commo network ties & internal political vitality

Firms that implemented substantial EI programs during the early 90s had higher layoffs & no net increase in pay

Restructuring, overall, has been negative for wkrs, & had mixed results for the firms themselves as seen in smaller sales gains & smaller export gains

EI programs have neither increased job security nor pay except where the org's revenues were growing

Unions have also not made gains where EI programs were implemented

THE DIFFUSION & INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF CHANGE

An imp issue for labor & mgt is how successful changes get diffused both w/in an org, as well as among orgs & become commonplace, the norm, i.e. institutionalized

EI needs a stable env to grow, & yet it is apparent that EI in the US has grown in the era of globalization, deindustrialization, downsizing, sourcing, restructuring, etc.

In any EI program, the union needs to avoid or isolate collective bargaining shocks & mgt needs to avoid strategic shocks

Layoffs create problems for teams because wkrs use competitive seniority rights to bump in & out

Changes are aided by implementing them in new facilities w/ new wkrs & then diffusion of successful changes can them move to estbed setting

Unions can assist change best when they have a role in strat dec mking such as plant locations

They may provided needed concessions & wk rule changes to make existing facilities economically viable

Training in new tech, increased job security, ensuring the viability of the firm, & satisfying wk processes are imp issues to wkrs & unions which EI programs can address

Labor should recognize that gainsharing & innovative participation are a logical pieces of successful labor mgt relations in today's wkplace

The ability to institutionalize change depends on high levels of trust & commitment by union leaders, union members, wkrs, supervisors, plant mgrs, & corp execs

Each of these orgl actors has different interests, a different status quo to protect, a different perception of EI programs, & a different role to play in advancing EI & a stronger wkplace

Estbing trust is not easy in the era of globalization, but it can be done, & it will improve the wkplace for all actors

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Outline on Democratic Organizational Structure

External
Links

- Project: Bureaucratic & Democratic Orgs

Link

- Project: Govt Orgs & Democracy

Link

- Project: Democratic Orgs' Effect on Society

Link

Democratic organizations use the structures & culture of democracy to disseminate power w/in the organization to achieve the advantages of democracy

Most orgs are authoritarian in that the boss/owner is the absolute ruler

Organizations range in political authority, as do countries, from authoritarian to democratic

Most organizations are totalitarian / authoritarian

Few people feel / see the contradiction of living in a democratic country & working in an authoritarian workplace

Link

Democratic workplaces typically demonstrate increased efficiency

Productivity studies show a general increase in productivity when workers control the process of the work

During the 1960s & 1970s, the US fell behind Japan and Europe in terms of productivity

Japanese workplaces have made TWO democratic innovations

1. QCCs are small to medium sized groups that make suggestions on how to improve the organization

QCCs have FOUR Functions

a. QCCs function to improve & develop the organization

b. QCCs function to increase respects for workers, improve human relations & enhance worker satisfaction

c. QCCs function to utilize workers full potential

d. QCCs function to lower production cost, improve product quality, while taking into account worker needs

Thus the purpose of QCCs is both financial & psychological
While Japanese wages quadrupled between 1969 & 1979, American wages fell during this time

Link

2. Lifetime employment, called tenure by Weber, fosters loyalty & commitment

Link

One limitation of the Japanese innovations is that they are limited to the shop floor

Link

Worker management relations in Japan are less conflicted than in US

Scandinavian workplaces have made TWO democratic innovations

1. Cooperative work agreements are contracts designed to allow high levels of employee input/power in workplace usually resulting in innovative work processes

Example: At Saab the workers did away w/ the "holy grail" of the assembly line & developed pod production

2. Democratic unions are those that voice for workers at all levels of the firm, including the shop floor, middle mgt. upper mgt. & the board room

If democracy is to succeed as an alternative to bureaucracy, Rothschild-Whitt has found that FIVE characteristics are important
1. Small size
2. Sense of community
3. Socialize outside the job
4. Limits on terms of office
5. Organized political groups which were institutionalized

Work Without Bosses: Organizational Democracy As the Alternative to Bureaucracy
RM Kanter found that cooperatives & collectives utilize FOUR techniques
1. Minimum written rules
2. Shun specialization through the development of job rotation & job enlargement
3. Eliminate formal positions
4. Democratic/consensus decision making

RM Kanter found that in order to understand the fundamental differences btwn cooperatives & collectives & traditional organizations, one must distinguish among THREE types of rationality

Traditional orgs use either economic rationality or Formal rationality

Cooperatives & collectives utilize substantive rationality

Orgs that utilize economic rationality focus on developing the most efficient path to achieve a goal

Orgs that utilize formal rationality focus on adhering to rules & procedures, with goals being secondary

Orgs that utilize formal rationality focus on adhering to values over goals, rules, or procedures

Examples of democratic orgs
a. United Airlines            ( ESOP )
b. Saab                           ( team structure )
c. Saturn                         ( team structure )
d. Avis Car Rental          ( ESOP )

There are FIVE orgl features that are important for orgl democracy to succeed in the US & there are several types of each of these orgl features.

1. Democratic organizational structure has FOUR features

a. Democratic orgl structure has the feature of direct or representative democracy

b. Democratic orgl structure has the feature of including democratic unions

c. Democratic orgl structure has the feature of supplementing democracy w/ cross division QCCs

d. Democratic orgl structure has the feature of bring democratic features to all areas of the organization

2. There are THREE major forms of employee ownership
a. Corporation w/ employee stock ownership of at least 51% w/ no one person w/ a controlling block
b. Cooperative
c. Partnership

3. There are THREE major forms of pay linked to productivity
a. Piecework pay
b. Innovation pay
c. Org wide bonus
On average, top level managers cannot earn more than four times the pay of lower level workers

4. A Cooperative organizational culture has SIX aspects
a. Psychologically prepared democrats
b. Internalized social controls are
c. Commitment to participation
d. Ability to be proactive
e. Commitment to equality of opportunity & outcome
f. Commitment to social responsibility

5. A minimum division of labor may be accomplished through FOUR work processes
a. Rotation of work
b. Job enlargement
c. Work teams
d. Cross training

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Democratic workplaces increase efficiency
Productivity studies find that workers w/ control of the work process show /\ prod
Today: greater competitive pressures so we are attempting to design more efficient workplaces
US fell behind industrial world ( Japan & Europe ) in this is playing catch up now

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2. Lifetime Employment
Has made Japanese work organizations more efficient
Workers are less likely to leave for a better job elsewhere
The employer is expected not to lay off workers to cut costs
Top mgt. takes wage cuts
Workers are retrained & reassigned
Japanese top execs earn less than American execs 3x 10x

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Japanese Innovations are limited to shop floor

Workers have power mostly at the shop floor level. They still receive goals from top.
QC circles act w/in framework of goals set by management

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Worker Management Relationships in Japan are less conflicted

Also, there is less of a history of worker management. conflict in Japan.
QCCs have not been widely accepted by unions

Internal
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Outline on the Labor Movement & Workplace Democracy

External
Links

- Project: Democracy, the Labor Mvmt, the Workplace

Link

A BROADER ROLE FOR UNIONS

Historically, the Labor Movement is the most developed in the manufacturing sector, & therefore Labor has advanced workplace democracy the most in the manufacturing sector

Unions have focused on increasing the participation of workers in managing work & setting orgl goals (Appelbaum et all, 2000)

The UAW negotiates w/ the auto makers for training programs jointly managed by the union & the firm

Workers are trained to learn the skills needed to participate in devising strategies for the efficient use of new technology

In the GM Toyota joint venture in Fremont, CA, the participation program includes daily meetings of senior union representatives & plant managers about the operation of the plant, as well as a role for teams of workers & supervisors who meet to increase efficiency at every level of the org

In Ford plants, UAW workers have originated over 1,150 proposals for change in design & production methods

The Ford participation program is coupled w/ a profit sharing plan that results in a bonus of up to $1,200 annually for each worker (Schlossbergy & Fetter, 1986)

As part of the package of workplace democracy, the UAW Ford contract stipulates that Ford cannot lay off workers if the reduction in force results from transferring employment to overseas subsidiaries or suppliers

Union goals in the manufacturing sector include improving the quality of work life, as well as product quality

Most social scientists agree that a quality of work life results in increases in long term productivity

In a joint UAW Harman Industries worker participation experiment in Bolivar, TN, 30 shop floor committees of workers made changes at the plant, which makes rear-view mirror assemblies

In the UAW Harman Industries worker participation experiment, suggestions included
- a credit union
- a community child care center
- painting the walls to redesigning the assembly line to starting
- a school open to workers, their families, & community members
- a "compensatory leave time" arrangement for accumulating overtime credits (in place of overtime pay)

The success of UAW Harman Industries worker participation experiment rested on input from workers, rather than those of mgrs or consultants about what would improve efficiency & the working environment (Zwerdling, 1980)

While Labor has a strong interest in worker participation programs, they have reservations stemming from a concern w/ job security

If worker participation programs are to succeed, wkrs must be assured that wkr initiated improvements which increase productivity are NOT used to reduce the wkforce or create speed ups

While wkrs support piece rate pay in theory, experience has taught them that mgt will either reduce the wkforce or decrease the piece rate of pay

Large corps are engaged in antiunion campaigns at the top levels of strategic planning (Appelbaum & Batt, 1994)

Antiunion campaigns call for moving plants to regions of the country less hospitable to unions or even building new facilities overseas to avoid unions

An antiunion strategy is a poor env in which to originate & foster wkplace democracy, yet it is frequently the env in which Labor finds it must operate

Labor finds that local mgt is a willing partner in participation programs that fulfill productivity objectives but that top mgt. is simultaneously undercutting American jobs & wages by moving facilities to lower wage areas & even overseas (Parker & Slaughter, 1994)

Wkplace participation programs are often a short run strategy to get more work out of wkrs prior to layoffs

Quality Circles & other workplace participation programs are used to encourage wkrs to spy on each other & report union organizers & sympathizers to mgt (Grenier, 1988)

Quality Circles can be a carrot w/ a stick since increased productivity & increased quality are essential for the long term survival of high paying jobs

Because wkplace democracy is used against wkrs, labor seeks to increase the rights of wkrs over investment decisions

Investment rights can be manifested through various forms of wkr ownership

In 1988, 400 union wkr bought out their failing shipbuilding company in Seattle & the company emerged from bankruptcy w/ wkrs in control of the common stock & the board of directors

In the wkr owned ship building firm in Seattle, the Union President became the CEO (Egan, 1988)

ALTERNATIVE GOVERNANCE FORMS

Union mgt cooperation changes both the production process & wkplace governance

EI in dec mking shifts the focus of collective bargaining from structural rules to processes

Traditional collective bargaining offers less participation than other forms of governance

Link

The Table on Joint Governance & Other Governance Forms shows that the relationship btwn indl relations practices & various EI programs influencing governance in the wkplace is complex & multidimensional

UNION POLITICAL PROCESSES & THE DIFFUSION OF CHANGE

An adversarial indl relations climate is antithetical to collaboration in the wkplace

Major political changes are necessary to implement cooperation at nat & local union levels

A stable plant env & progressive mgt are necessary to ensure the safety net of union leaders need to the advocate change to EI programs

Unions adopt one of FIVE different approaches to innovative wkplace changes including:

a. "just say no"

b. let mgt lead & see what happens

c. become involved to protect the union politically

d. cooperate & collaborate

e. use EI to assert union interests

Local union defensiveness is not irrational because mgrs interpret cooperation as a willingness to make concessions & increase productivity, even as mgt efforts to undermine the union continue

When unions see themselves in an unequal power relationship w/ mgt, cooperation is hared to introduce

At Western Airlines, participation became effective only when unions gained power to constrain mgt rights & jointly formed a vision for survival

Union leaders can take advantage of commo about econ problems to further wkr interests

Cooperative programs offer an opportunity to negotiate permanence for EI in contracts

EI development is enhanced by intl union ed & the willingness of locals to be involved

Participation programs can benefit unions since active participants are more satisfied w/ their unions & involved in union activities

Union support is not undermined by member participation in EI programs per se, but may be if the union allows such programs to be developed only through mgt initiatives

Proactive behavior of leaders toward EI increases member commitment to the union, but members who are negative toward the firm & the union before EI programs are not changed regardless of the success of the programs

MGT STRATEGY

Labor mgt cooperation programs are often implemented at the plant level although there are some corporate wide strats such as the Ford UAW EI program

Mgt may encounter situations in which wkrs, across plants, are represented by several different intl unions, each w/ its own approach toward union mgt cooperation

Research on mgt strats toward collective bargaining, cooperation, union avoidance, & firms performance suggest that firms improve profitability through extensive collaboration btwn mgt & labor

Performance is also improved by closing existing unionized facilities & opening or acquiring new nonunion plants

Deunionizing efforts in any existing plant has a negative effect on performance & destroys the trust necessary to foster joint labor mgt EI strats

Steel mills, like many firms, follow either a cost reduction or product differentiation strat

Cost reduction strats are associated w/ labor mgt conflict & the use of formal grievance procedures

Product differentiation requires flexible manufacturing & is associated w/ wkr commitment, collective bargaining, & the informal solution of problems

Wages in steel mills following a production differentiation strat are higher & wkrs add more value to the products

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Table: Joint Governance & Other Governance Forms

External
Links

Dimensions

Hi Involvement
Nonunion System

Traditional
Collective
Bargaining

Trad
Labor Mgt
Committees

Labor Reps
On the Board

German Style
Work Councils

Mutually Agreed
Joint Governance

Conflict vs. Coop

Heavy emphasis on coop; only interpersonal avenues for conflict resolution

Formal conflict resolution procedures w/ limited emphasis on cooperation

Cooperative forum w/ no decision making role & no formal conflict resolution procedure

More of a cooperative forum; some room for expressing conflict

Potential for cooperation; conflicts can be taken to labor courts

Potential for cooperation & room for surfacing & resolving conflicts

Procedural v. Substantive Work Rules

Few formal work rules; heavy emphasis on informal resolution

Heavy reliance on substantive rules enforced by the grievance procedure

Procedural rule making

Procedural decision making

Heavy emphasis on procedural decision making

Direct v. Indirect Participation

Heavy emphasis on direct participation

Mostly indirect; little emphasis on direct participation

Indirect

Indirect; informal direct participation

Indirect; creates pressure to introduce direct participation

Admin v. Political Skills

Admin skills taught to employees at all levels

Mgt concentrates on admin skills; union on political skills

Some overlap, but lack of decision making role prevents further diffusion

Labor reps develop admin skills bu only marginal diffusion of political skills among mgt

Labor develops admin skills; plant mgt develops political skills

Labor develops admin skills; mgt dev political skills

Joint & Equal Decision Making Power

Yes, but in bargainable issues & at bargaining time only

May contain equal number of labor & mgt reps, but equality is less significant because the role is mostly advisory

No, w/ the exception of the German law of 1951 covering the iron, steel, & coal industries

Yes

The Table on Joint Governance & Other Governance Forms shows that the relationship btwn industrial relations practices & various EI programs influencing governance in the wkplace is complex & multidimensional

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Outline on Union Democracy

External
Links

LOCAL UNION DEMOCRACY

Local union democracy has a quality similar to municipal politics

Elections generate moderate to low interest

In union elections, incumbents are usually reelected unless a critical issue is at hand/mishandled

Union locals have regular business meetings which are open to all members

Business meetings often have low attendance: equates w/ relative satisfaction

A contentious workplace may lead to suppression of dissent w/in union in order to maintain a united front

FUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY

Functional democracy denotes that although an org may not have regular elections & other features of a democratic system, democracy is maintained through some democratic structures, but more importantly through a value commitment to democracy

W/ reference to democracy, unions typically do not typically have a party system

Unions must apply the contract equally to all workers as required by the Taft Hartley Act of 1947

Union elections are every 3 yrs as required by the Landrum Griffin Act of 1959

With reference to democracy, workers generally want representation not participation

Members do have the right to become involved & to offer alternative priorities or candidates

Union locals may be less democratic than municipal politics, but union members are probably less diverse & thus more satisfied w/ less democracy

MEASURING UNION DEMOCRACY:

Union democracy can be measured by measuring the degree of control members have over SIX types of major decisions related to:
a. contracts
b. contract administration
c. service to members
d. union administration
e. political activities
f. communities

There are FIVE types of control members have which can be used to measure the level of democracy, including:
a. complete control
b. limited control
c. consultation control
d. veto control
e. or no control

DEMOCRACY IN PRACTICE

National unions are required by law to hold a convention at least every 5 yrs

Unions which elect executive board on geographic basis are less responsive to factions

At large elections results in leadership responsive to factions

Most leaders come up through the ranks

Less democratic appearing unions manage to exist because of a general consensus of ideas

EXAMPLES

Unions support democracy through the general support of programs that give people an effective voice in govt, community, region, & society in general

The CA Federation of Teachers developed a set of lesson plans for teaching about the role of trade unions in resolving wkplace conflicts

A large majority of people approve of unions, & the union image has increased since 1980

Unions are taking active roles in other social mvmts & NGOs such as the United Way, NAACP, NOW, Greenpeace, & more

Unions support the increase of internal democracy in both unions & corps

A study of the International Typographical Union (ITU) revealed a strong & dynamic role of internal political parties in unions as long ago as the 1950s (Lipset, et al., 1956)

The Teamsters, who was connected to organized crime, has developed an internal group called the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU)

The TDU has over 9,000 members in 35 chapters, publishes its own newspaper, runs an opposition slate of candidates at conventions, & holds 30 local elected offices (Friedman, 1982)

In the UAW, the New Directions Movement has fostered an internal debate over increasing union & corp democracy

Organizing campaigns using greater member participation are laying the groundwork for greater internal democracy in new & emerging unions

Internal
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An Overview of Organizing

External
Links

- Video: Norma Rae

Link

- Project: Organizing Tactics

Link

Organizing wkrs is the process of bringing wage earners together into a union

In some cases, the wkrs themselves form a union to increase their bargaining power

In other cases, an existing union decides to organize the employees of a particular plant or industry

The union sends men & women called organizers to persuade wkrs to join

Unions have the right to exclusive representation

Like the American Congress & Presidency, unions have a winner take all policy

Unions do not want to share the privilege of representing the wkrs with any other grp

Most unions insist on being the sole representative of a particular group of employees

The practice of being the sole representative for wkrs is called the principle of exclusive jurisdiction

The National Labor Relations Board conducts secret ballot elections at firms to determine which union wkrs want, if any

Under the law, only one union may represent a bargaining unit

In the Parliamentary System, in Europe & many other nations, in a district, parties receive candidates in proportion to their share of the vote

They then must build a coalition to elect the Prime Minister, which is equivalent to the American Presidency

Unions have several reasons for organizing, including that:

a. it is easier to get wage benefits if more workers are organized because this increases monopoly power of Labor

b. organizing increases financial resources available to the union

c. organizing is a means to increasing union effectiveness & power

Campaigns to organize begin at the local or national level

National level campaigns target specific firms & send professional organizers

Organizers sometimes apply for jobs at the firm they are trying to organize

Most organizers attempts begin at the local level when some worker voices interest

The Labor Movement was conservative & cautious in the 1980s & 1990s because of declining membership, the corporate anti union strategy, an unfriendly political environment, & a difficult economic environment

The Labor Movement has become bolder & more innovative in the 2000s because it determined that failure to "join the battle" was not a safe haven

ORGANIZING STRATEGIES: THE CORPORATE CAMPAIGN & THE INSIDE GAME

Two new Labor organizing & bargaining strategies are now in practice, including the corporate campaign & the inside game

The corporate campaign expands union activity outside the workplace by targeting a corporation's network w/ traditional organizing & bargaining tactics such as distributing literature linking the target corp. w/ wage cuts, unsafe work practices, layoffs, shutdowns, discrimination, sexual harassment, or whatever issue the workers have w/ the corp.

In a corporate campaign, the union may address the financial backers of the corp., consumers, & the public

Some unions have closed accounts w/ the lenders of the target corp to pressure corps to come to terms w/ their wkrs (Peterson, Lee, and Finnegan, 1992)

Public boycotts of lenders can be encouraged

Negative publicity can have a strong effect on the target corps

The inside game is a bargaining tactic whereby union members utilize informal shop floor activities to demonstrate workers' resolve, power, & issues

The inside game may use the old tactic of "work to rule" where workers follow procedures to the letter of the standard operating procedures

Working to rule slows down production dramatically

Workers may stop work & collectively discuss grievances w/ supervisors, especially grievances about safety issues

The inside game operates in the gray area btwn appropriate procedures & sanctionable offenses

For the inside game, workers may wear union buttons or a single color of style of clothing to build solidarity & bolster courage

The advantage of the inside game is much like the sit down strike, the wkrs gets to stay on the job & draw pay while pressuring the corp

A union tries to get all the wkrs in a plant or industry to join the union

In some establishments, the union & the employer agree to set up a union shop

In a union shop, the employer can hire anyone but they must eventually join the union

But new employees must join the union w/in a certain period or pay the equivalent of union dues

The arrangement of joining or paying dues spreads the cost of union representation evenly among the employees, who also share any benefits the union wins

But individuals who oppose the union must contribute to it against their wishes

Twenty one states, most of them in the South, have laws banning union shops

Laws banning union shops are called right to work laws because they guarantee a person's right to obtain employment without joining or supporting a union

A business that employs both union & nonunion wkrs is called an open shop

Union dues are higher in most open shops than in union shops because fewer people share the cost of union representation

In a closed shop, which is now generally illegal, the employer could hire only union members

During the 1800s & early 1900s, many employers insisted that their wkrs sign a promise not to join a union

An agreement promising not to join a union was called a yellow dog contract

The Norris LaGuardia Act of 1932 said that an employee could not be sued in fed court for breaking a yellow dog contract

As a result of the inability to sue to enforce yellow dog contracts, such agreements became unenforceable and gradually disappeared

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Outline on Organizing Low Wage Workers

External
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The growth of low wage industries & services has increasingly made the US a two tier society

The upper tier includes reasonably well paid jobs, while the lower tier includes marginal jobs

Lower tier jobs provide a major locus of union organizing in the early 1900s, & now again today

The first round of organizing low wage wkrs resulted in the creation of the middle class in the middle 1900s, which had the effect of focusing unionization on middle class indl wkrs & not on the low wage wkrs

W/ the econ shifts of the US, including deindustrialization & the development of low paid service jobs, unions are again organizing low wage wkrs

Low wage jobs usually have no fringe benefits

Unions promote the theme of social justice for low wage wkrs who are excluded from the mainstream of Am society

Unions are making advances in organizing low wage wkrs in the healthcare ind including hospital wkrs as well as wkrs in residential homes for the elderly, the mentally handicapped, & the physically disabled

Unions are also making gains in the restaurant & hotel ind

For example, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organized 400 mostly Black & Hispanic wkrs in 1999

Organizing low wage wkrs open the frontiers of organizing women & minority wkrs, as well as the historically hard to organize South

The fast food industry is also being organized

Unions are also organizing wkrs on the margins of society such as illegal farm wkrs, sweat shop wkrs, topless dancers, illegal home wkrs (nannies), & others

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Outline on the Future of the Labor Movement & Unions

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- Project: The Future of Unions

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The future of the labor movement is fraught w/ many challenges related to changes in the economy, govt support, etc., but the assets of the Labor Movement, such as a committed leadership & membership, will find opportunities in new sectors of the economy & in unorganized workers

To the present, the Labor Movement has experienced:

- a violent birth

- a youthful period of growth

- a loss of numbers & support

- a decline since it's peak in the mid 1940s & 50s

- pessimism since the 1980s

- the negative effects of deindustrialization & globalization

- a political climate that has shifted away from Labor
- less enforcement of Labor laws & regulations
- less public support for Labor

- so much success that many workers are relatively satisfied w/ working conditions & outcomes

There are ELEVEN Factors, related to Labor Movement growth, which will be important in the future, including

1. slower workforce growth

2. more gradual downsizing

3. tighter labor markets

4. more efficient organizing by unions

5. immigration

6. more globalization

7. economic development including industry, services, high tech, biotech, internet, computers, robotics, & ?

8. environmental effects

9. greater diversity in the workforce

10. an aging workforce

11. a more educated workforce

Other?

While the Labor Movement can influence many social trends to an extent, as can the govt, mgt., & other social actors, there are some factors over which Labor has a high level of control

There are SEVEN Factors, related to Labor Movement growth, which will be important in the future which Labor can directly influence, including

1. A narrow set of collective bargaining issues

2. The voice of workers

3. Member solidarity in that orgs can increase solidarity

4. Leadership skills & responsiveness to members interests

5. Involved in technological development in the workplace

6. Public image / support of policies, strikes, etc.

7. Political power / public policy to address the TEN Factors related to Labor Movement Growth

There has been increased support for unions in the last two decades

More unskilled workers are joining unions

Enterprise unionism is the focus on local negotiations is more popular since it mitigates against plant closing more effectively than national bargaining

	The Union Agenda for the Future includes:
	1. the expansion of & protection of union organizing against consultants
	2. the expansion of strike power to the public sector
	3. reinstatement of the sympathy strike
	4. pass plant closing legislation
	5. promotion of full employment
	6. passage of right to know legislation
	7. the establishing of Universal health care
	8. passage of pension regulation legislation or rules
	9. flex-time regulation (1997 attempt failed)
	10. limited participation in mgt.: Inside the Circle
	11. profit sharing regulation
	12. organizing low wage workers
	13. implementation of corporate campaigns
	In a corp campaign, unions use pension funds & union-controlled funds as any investor would, i.e. to advance their own interests
	14. improvement of the union image w/ the public & their members
	Unions have a tarnished image because they have been involved in graft, discrimination, conservatism, & authoritarian orgs
	Prosperity in the 1950s & 60s led many to believe that unions were no longer necessary
	The econ stagnation of the last decades of the 20th C reawakened concerns about job security & wages in the Am wkr & unions
	Awareness of the problems of job security & wages came at a time when union membership was declining because of layoffs & employers were showing increased aggression against unions
	Business blames Labor for the nation's economic problems
	Labor is giving attention to issues of general interest rather than issues that affect just one group of workers
	The AFL CIO initiated a multimedia project called "Union, YES!"
	The Boy Scouts have developed a Labor badge as a result of efforts by the AFL CIO
	The CA Fed of Teachers developed a set of lesson plans for teaching about the role of unions in resolving workplace conflicts
	Recent polls show that a strong majority approves of unions & that unions' approval ratings have been improving since bottoming out in the early 1980s (Freeman and Rogers, 1999)
	Unions are returning to the practice of taking an active role in community service programs such as the United Way
	15. promotion of safety & health in the workplace
	The concern for safety & health have gained attention because of the use of hazardous chemical in the workplace & increased public awareness of health issues
	Related to safety & health issues are right to know legislation which would require labeling of chemical used in the workplace
	Labor supports more stringent limits on industrial chemicals proven to be hazardous & increased information & education for workers on workplace hazards
	Labor has worked to limit the hazards of video display terminal in the workplace & associated joint problems from prolonged sitting & repetitive wrist movements
	16. increase union democracy
	See Also: Union Democracy
	Unions have always been more democratic than the corps they organize in that their leaders are elected
	However, unions have not met the level of responsiveness & democracy that the public & members would like to see because, for example, in some unions leaders have been re-elected for many terms creating the image of union bosses; however, one should note that even these re-elected leaders are more democratic that corp leaders
	Never the less, many unions are struggling to increase democracy beyond a simple representative system to one that is closer to a direct democracy model
	See Also: The Teamsters	Link
	See Also: The TDU www.tdu.org	Link

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