copyright © 2008 by john wiley & sons, inc. all rights reserved chapter 5 working with unions
TRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
CHAPTER 5CHAPTER 5
Working with UnionsWorking with Unions
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
Professionals join unions because they feeProfessionals join unions because they fee
that their work is being devalued.that their work is being devalued.
- Kate Bonfenbrenner, director labor education - Kate Bonfenbrenner, director labor education
research, Cornell University research, Cornell University
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
TALES FROM THE FIELDTALES FROM THE FIELDDo I have to join the union?Do I have to join the union?
Right-to-work statesRight-to-work states Non right-to-work statesNon right-to-work states Union’s impact on employee moraleUnion’s impact on employee morale Accepting a union as a hospitality organization’s Accepting a union as a hospitality organization’s
“business partner”“business partner”
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
CHAPTER OVERVIEWCHAPTER OVERVIEW
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) Illegal activities under the NLRAIllegal activities under the NLRA Right-to-work statesRight-to-work states Union organizational structureUnion organizational structure Key hospitality unionsKey hospitality unions Union organization processUnion organization process Why employees join unionsWhy employees join unions Creating a positive work environmentCreating a positive work environment
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
GOVERNMENT’S ROLEGOVERNMENT’S ROLE
The National Labor The National Labor Relations Act gives Relations Act gives employees the right to employees the right to join unions without join unions without management management interferenceinterference
The National Labor The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Relations Board (NLRB) enforces this right and enforces this right and ensures that neither ensures that neither employers nor employers nor employees engage in employees engage in “unfair labor practices”“unfair labor practices”
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
ILLEGAL ACTIVITIESILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
Interference:Interference: Management may not Management may not interfere, or coerce employees who desire interfere, or coerce employees who desire to act collectively or who refrain from such to act collectively or who refrain from such activities.activities.
Dominate:Dominate: Management may not Management may not dominate or interfere with the formation or dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any labor organization by administration of any labor organization by contributing money or other support of it.contributing money or other support of it.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES CONTINUEDCONTINUED
Discriminate:Discriminate: Management may not Management may not discriminate against anyone in hiring or any discriminate against anyone in hiring or any other condition of employment because of their other condition of employment because of their union activity.union activity.
Retaliate:Retaliate: Management may not retaliate, Management may not retaliate, discharge, discipline, or otherwise discriminate discharge, discipline, or otherwise discriminate against employees who have exercises their against employees who have exercises their rights under the act.rights under the act.
Refuse:Refuse: Management may not refuse to Management may not refuse to bargain in good faith with employee bargain in good faith with employee representatives.representatives.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARDBOARD
The NLRB enforcesThe NLRB enforcesemployees’ rights to join employees’ rights to join labor unions and to bargain labor unions and to bargain with management about with management about wages, hours, and other wages, hours, and other working conditionsworking conditions
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
RIGHT-TO-WORK STATESRIGHT-TO-WORK STATES
Right-to-work states have passed laws Right-to-work states have passed laws that ensure that new employees are not that ensure that new employees are not required to join an already-established required to join an already-established union as a condition of retaining their jobs.union as a condition of retaining their jobs.
Non right-to-work states have no such Non right-to-work states have no such laws, and employees in these states may laws, and employees in these states may be required to join the union and pay dues be required to join the union and pay dues if the union contract requires new if the union contract requires new employees to do so.employees to do so.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
In non right-to-work states shown in white, new employees may be requiredto join an already existing union and to pay dues to the union if the union contractrequires them to do so. Failure to comply would mean losing one’s job.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
THE LOCAL UNIONTHE LOCAL UNION The local union structure most likely The local union structure most likely
includes a president, a secretary-includes a president, a secretary-treasurer, a business agent, a grievance treasurer, a business agent, a grievance committee, and a bargaining committeecommittee, and a bargaining committee
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
This organizational chart reflects the localunion’s relationship with the national union
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
THE UNION STEWARDTHE UNION STEWARD
The union steward is The union steward is an employee of the an employee of the hospitality business hospitality business that is unionized and that is unionized and is elected by fellow is elected by fellow employees to serve employees to serve as a liaison between as a liaison between management and the management and the union -union -
The union steward The union steward may also represent may also represent the first step in the the first step in the grievance process grievance process should an employee should an employee or the union feel that or the union feel that some element of the some element of the union contract has union contract has been violated -been violated -
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
STEPS IN THE GRIEVANCE STEPS IN THE GRIEVANCE PROCESSPROCESS
1. The employee with the complaint meets with the meets with the supervisor and the union steward to discuss the grievance. Most grievances are resolved at this step.
2. If the grievance is not settled, there is a conference between the union steward, the employee, and the supervisor’s boss or another manager such as a human resources manager in larger operations.
3. If the grievance continues to be unsettled, representatives from top management at the operation and top union officials try to settle it.
4. If still unsettled, the grievance is given to a neutral third party such as an arbitrator or a mediator.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
ARBITRATION AND MEDIATIONARBITRATION AND MEDIATION
THE MEDIATOR THE MEDIATOR listens to both sides listens to both sides and suggests ways to and suggests ways to solve the grievance, solve the grievance, but has no authority but has no authority to force either party to to force either party to accept the proposed accept the proposed terms -terms -
THE ARBITRATOR THE ARBITRATOR makes a decision makes a decision which will be final and which will be final and binding on both binding on both parties, provided that parties, provided that both parties have both parties have agreed in advance to agreed in advance to submit their dispute to submit their dispute to arbitration -arbitration -
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
THE ORGANIZATION PROCESSTHE ORGANIZATION PROCESS
Union authorization cards are passed out to Union authorization cards are passed out to employeesemployees
If 30% of the hospitality operation’s employees If 30% of the hospitality operation’s employees sign these cards, then the NLRB will hold a sign these cards, then the NLRB will hold a hearing and set a date for a union electionhearing and set a date for a union election
During the election, if the majority of employees During the election, if the majority of employees vote in favor of the union, then management is vote in favor of the union, then management is required by law to recognize the union and to required by law to recognize the union and to bargain in good faithbargain in good faith
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY UNIONSHOSPITALITY INDUSTRY UNIONS
Atlantic CityAtlantic City BostonBoston ChicagoChicago DetroitDetroit HonoluluHonolulu Las VegasLas Vegas Los AngelesLos Angeles New YorkNew York San FranciscoSan Francisco Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
The largest segments of union representation in the U.S. are in these cities:
UNITE HERE labor union represents workersin hotels, casinos, foodservice operations, airport concessions, and restaurants
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
WHY EMPLOYEES JOIN UNIONSWHY EMPLOYEES JOIN UNIONS
WagesWages BenefitsBenefits Job securityJob security Seniority issuesSeniority issues Unfair treatment by Unfair treatment by
supervisorssupervisors Physical work environmentPhysical work environment
Employees join unions when they feel that management is not being responsive to the issues they’ve raised relating to their job satisfaction. These issues often include the following:
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
CREATE A POSITIVE WORK CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT
Design jobs that are Design jobs that are personally satisfying personally satisfying to employeesto employees
Develop plans that Develop plans that maximize individual maximize individual opportunitiesopportunities
Establish meaningful Establish meaningful performance performance objectivesobjectives
Train workers and Train workers and managers so that managers so that they are able to they are able to achieve expected achieve expected levels of performancelevels of performance
Provide ongoing Provide ongoing training and training and professional professional developmentdevelopment
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved& Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
SUMMARYSUMMARY
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) Illegal activities under the NLRAIllegal activities under the NLRA Right-to-work statesRight-to-work states Union organizational structureUnion organizational structure Key hospitality unionsKey hospitality unions Union organization processUnion organization process Why employees join unionsWhy employees join unions Creating a positive work environmentCreating a positive work environment