Working Class Vs. Corporate Elite Essay

These negotiation exercises are based on management-labor relations at Hormel Foods Corporation’s main plant in Austin, Minnesota. The local union was Local P-9 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union. The simulations are intended to portray events that occurred at Hormel, rather than to reflect precise details in Hormel’s history. The company and union were intentionally disguised, with the aim of preventing possible bias in role-playing the exercises. The 1978 negotiation role-play presents a fairly accurate portrayal of management/labor relations at Hormel in 1978. The building of the new plant and the

This paper presents my reflections on the Negotiations: Strategy and practice coursework in the MBA program at Said Business School, University of Oxford. My paper will present various reflections on different themes of negotiation simulation undertaken by me during the course. This course has allowed investigating and reflecting on key drivers of negotiation techniques for me. I have learned that transparency and coalition are the core tenet of negotiation for me. For the purpose of this reflective exercise, I will conduct a comparative analysis of the process, dynamics and outcomes based on the themes such as negotiation styles, bargaining zones, power, emotion, coalitions, value claiming vs value creation etc. for the below-mentioned simulations:

a) The two negotiators in the film, Bob White and Rod Andrew, have specific and hard positions. It is easy to identify that neither of them is willing to change or modify their position. In the case of Bob White, as the union representative, his position is to achieve a raise of 3% in hourly wages for the line workers. For Rod Andrews, the GM negotiator, his position is to make the union representatives understand that GM’s profitability is fragile and for that reason it is not possible to give line workers a raise in hourly wages.

The Zinnia Labor Agreement Project was an insightful learning simulation. It was interesting, frustrating, and a unique experience. The project required keeping an open mind and approaching the simulation with an integrative approach. However, all parties involved in the negotiation process must take into consideration this same approach. Additionally, trust between management and labor union is beneficial. Trust can be a slippery thing when it comes to negotiating. Considering the reason management enters into negotiation with the other side of the table (labor union) is because there’s the hope of reaching a deal, ultimately trust is one of the things that’s going to allow both sides to

The Industrial Revolution consisted of scientific innovations, a vast increase in industrial production, and a rapid growth of urban populations which consequently shaped a new social structure in the European continent. Initially in the late eighteenth century, the new industrialization period produced dominant bourgeoisie employers and a united men, women, and children workers. The continued increase of factories coupled with a need for employees made the Proletariats within a short period of time a large, underprivileged, hungry, and desperate for money. Meanwhile, their bourgeoisie employers grew authoritative and wealthy as production and profit soared. Despite the common ties between proletariat workers upon the outbreak of the

Society has always needed to take a certain initiative; to put an halt or at least tone down a certain persisting enduring. An example of such is the imbalance in power. For long since, into the very depths of history, there has been a issue in power distribution. This is true for numerous civilizations that date back all the way to the B.C time period. A example, in specific, is the reformation. Classism was too, reflected during the Reformation. The reformation was an instance in time where a man by the name of Martin Luther, proceeded to put forth opposition toward the Catholic ideology. He wished to remove the catholic church, so he organized an organization to take down the church. Whilst the war waged on, it could be noted that some degree of classism was apparent. As said before, classism is a major, recurring issue.

For this project, I was a member on the union team and we were to bargain for a new labor contract for our union, the United Chemical and Plastic Workers (UCPW), with our employer, the Harper Container Corporation (HCC). I participated in Week 9 as our Chief negotiator.

Consistent with our bargaining strategy, we would also like to work on building a trusting relationship with management in order to get the most out of integrative bargaining. We can do this over the course of the next several months by holding meetings with them to gauge where their interests lay. Through attitudinal bargaining we can lay the ground work for open and transparent dialogue about our objectives. These bonds increase the likelihood that integrative bargaining will succeed and reduce the likelihood of an

Marx and Engels begin the Communist Manifesto by explaining the difference between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie, also known as the “modern capitalist,” can be considered the government we have today in our society. They are the one’s who provide jobs for the “working class,” also known as the proletariats. The proletariats do not have the funds necessary to produce products so they sell their services as labor in order to live. When Marx states, “the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself, “(478) he is referring to the jobs the bourgeoisie provides for the proletariats.

The idea of social inequality dates back since the time of our founding fathers. The mistreatment and unlawful equality and opportunity that these foreigners received became embedded into our history—this endless list includes, just to name a few, the Irish, Chinese, Jews, and most notably the African Americans (Blacks), who became slaves to the American people. Here in the United States, the current social class system is known as the class system, where families are distributed and placed into three different existing class—the upper class (wealthy), middle class (working), and lower class (poor). Since then, improvisations have been worked on into the class system, establishing now roughly six social classes: upper class, new money, middle class, working class, working poor, and poverty level. Social stratification is a widely common topic of debate because there have since been many arguments and debates on this controversial situation of social inequality and how it relates to social class and social mobility. According to Economist Robert Reich, he states that "The probability that a poor child in America will become a poor adult is higher now than it was 30 years ago..." (Reich, par. 5), meaning the given amount of equality, opportunity, and support that these struggle families obtain have gone mainly unnoticed by the government that it has gotten worst. The constant uproar of social inequality and injustice that these middle and lower working class families stem

Collective bargaining is the process by which conditions of employment are negotiated between management, and the labor organization representing employees in the bargaining unit. However, “collective bargaining refers to a situation in which union members and officials meet with an intent to resolve any issues or conflicts, in an attempt to maintain relationships” (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2012, p. 243). The collective bargaining process relies on four aspects: recognition of the meeting, meeting with appropriate parties, bargaining in good faith, and incorporating the reached agreement (Adam, 1997). Nevertheless, collective bargaining activities are governed by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRA requires bargaining

The negotiation simulation was a very informative and interesting assignment from beginning to end. The practical application was unlike anything else we’ve been required to complete thus far in our program. The ability to openly engage in a mock negotiation was very insightful, and allowed me to further develop an understanding of the intricate underworking’s of the personal interactions and preparations that define how the negotiation unfolds. I enjoyed the insight into the perspective of the union’s side of negotiation, as I typically assume a perspective from management when considering negotiations and their implications. This allowed me to understand the viewpoint and strategies accompanying the union’s side of the negotiation, which could prove invaluable to me in the future.

Karl Marx describes “Society as a whole [as being] more and more [split] up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other-bourgeoisie and proletariat” (Marx 124).  As Marx made his distinction between upper class, bourgeoisie, and lower class, proletariats, it is important to keep in mind the societal structure at the time.  To understand how classes were created and the disparity between the rich and poor, or, bourgeoisie and proletariat, it is necessary to examine how people came to be rich and poor.  Exploring a time before money existed will help us to process and understand reasons why the binary between rich and poor exists and how it is reflective of low and high art distinctions.

I have come to understand that a big part of what has shaped my life has been my class. I would identify myself as middle-class, due largely to my parents careers. Being middle class has come with many benefits, including the accessibility of a college degree due to my middle class status. It has only been through taking this Introduction to Women’s Studies class that I have had to reflect heavily on my privileges. Being a middle class citizen also affects how people see me as I move through the world. This status is not something that I have worked for; instead, it is something my parents have given me. This speaks to the unjustness that exists in American society. I have done nothing to deserve my status of middle-class, only being born

David Brody argues that the rise of contractual or collective bargaining relationships during the post WWII era formalized the relationship between employers and unions. The use of collective bargaining agreements to resolve workplace disputes weakened unions and the power of workers. Other actions, such as using collection bargaining as a form of substitution for direct action and using it instead of the strike for grievance and arbitration procedure served , also has weakened the unions and the power of workers. The rise of contractual or collective bargaining relationships changed the dynamic of the workplace, shifting the power from the union side to towards the employers. The perspective could best be argued suing Weber’s theory and