Employee Relations

A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a voice in improving their jobs and the quality of work within the organization. In many occasions, unions help employees of an organization negotiate pay, benefits, flexible hours and other work conditions that may arise. Unions have a role because some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management (Noe, 2003). In this paper, I will be discussing the impact of unions and labor relations within an organization.

If we try to change our working futures as individuals, we will never have the best lives we are capable of having, but if we unite as a union to stand up for what we believe in, we can successfully, positively define our futures. Without the union, the working citizens will always be treated like animals, but with the union, workers can one day be treated appropriately. One way in which the union will improve workers’ lives is by giving benefits, which means a worker take a day off of work without getting fired. This also means if someone happened to get hurt on the job, they could take as much time off as they needed, without their position being replaced. Furthermore, the union will secure workers with less working hours, so they have more time to spend with family and doing personal interests. Along with these examples of what the union will do, it will provide numerous other benefits not mentioned. Together, if we unite as one, we can create a higher quality and optimistic working future through the

“It is the refusal of employers to grant such reasonable conditions and to deal with their employees through collective bargaining that leads to widespread labor unrest. The strikes which have broken out… especially in the automobile industry, are due to such “employee trouble.” (Document G)

Because of the demand of wanting a safer working condition, shorter work week, increase in pay and recognition as a union

Workers would not be able to successfully accomplish the established goals without the help of the union.

Describe how your organisation obtains the co-operation of its employees through the contract of employment and employee involvement techniques.

Being part of a union gives members the benefit of negotiating with their employer collectively, as part of a group; giving them more power than if they were to negotiate as individuals (Silverman, n.d.). Overall, unions demand fairness which can lead to the unions influencing and changing ‘managerial decision-making at the workplace level’ for decisions in which employees are affected (Verma 2005). Unions are also beneficial to have present in the workplace because their bargaining of better condition will often benefit non-members as the conditions negotiated with management are implemented across the organization with no regard to membership status. Management is also able to avoid union disagreement by benchmarking conditions to that of an already unionized workplace.

References:Paul Blyton and Peter Turnbull (2004) "The theory of employee relations" The Dynamics of Employee Relations (3rd edition) PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Printed in ChinaJohn Gennard and Graham Judge (2002) "Employee Relations Strategies and Policies: Management style" Employee Relations (3rd edition) London: Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, WilrshireEd Rose (2004) "Theoretical Approaches to employment and industrial relations" Employment Relations2nd edition Prentice HallRasmussen & Lamm, (2002) "R&L,

The role of management and unions in society today is to protect the employee. The management team needs to make sure she/he is treating the employee fairly, needs to provide a good work environment. If management fails to do a good job and the employee feels discriminated, treated unfairly, feels discontent for different reason, management does not want the union to get involved, they feel respect for unions and will do whatever it takes to make their team happy. This is why so many companies have employee parties, employee recognitions, etc.

History shows that there has been conflict of power within the workforce between union and management. This essay will discuss if management should have the right to determine whether a union should operate within their workplace. It is necessary first to discuss the roles of unions and management in the workplace and discuss both points of view on the power distribution between unions and management in the workplace.

The company needs to get the employees on board and support them. The staff do not seem to think the company has their best needs on board and are looking to join the Unite trade union, which the company does not recognise. Trade Unions are not there just to protect their members in matters against their

Management can play a vital role in shaping their workplaces. A manager can invoke increases in co-operation and harmony amongst themselves and workers by addressing key issues that affect both groups. Management can facilitate this, for instance, by implementing plans that attempt to eliminate the issues that many workers face day-to-day such as monotony and fatigue (which have negative effects on productivity). Managers can reduce fatigue and monotony with job rotation and job enlargement, for example (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2011 p. 264). Management can attempt to increase morale in their workplace by involving workers in decision-making processes normally closed off to managerial personnel; for instance, the addition of a new technology that a group of workers will eventually have to use. A manager could adopt a normative approach to managing their employees by conveying true, not fabricated, trust and interest in their employees and the work process as well (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2011 p. 241). A manager could show this by doing the actual labour himself for a day or week or going out on the shop floor and asking meaningful questions. Since unions serve to represent the mass of workers they can work alongside management teams to better shape the workplace. The union,

Works councils may cause too much employee power in larger union industries like auto industry and fast food and cause demands for large

The union advantage is even greater when you compare the percentages of union vs. non-union workers receiving specific benefits:”

When we take a look into the organizational environment, two aspects come into play one being the union workplace and the other non-union workplace. Unionized workplace is that where the union negotiates with the employers for an agreement and makes a point that the agreement is followed out. In this agreement,the union talks about its wages, benefits and how their working environment will be. Whereas in a non- unionized workplace, the employer holds the right to make decision for the employees.This paper discusses the differences in the organizational environment of the unionized and non -unionized workplace.