Collective Bargaining In The Film 'Proof Of Matter' By Harry Katz

As noted by Harry Katz in his book, An Introduction to U.S. Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations, one of the important aspects of collective bargaining in the United States stems from the central principle of grievance and arbitration. Not only does the grievance and arbitration process serve a fundamental mechanism in resolving conflicts that arise at the workplace, the process is also a key feature in maintaining effective industrial relations. During the grievance process, employees are entitled to challenge managerial actions that they feel violate their contract rights and unions are given protection for their members from arbitrary discipline, discharge, or denial of benefits. The movie, Proof of Matter, outlined the series

Not only is it one of the few ways to protect workplace fairness and due process, it is also an effective way balancing power and resolving workplace conflict. Without the grievance process, employers can make authoritative and discriminatory decisions that harm the livelihood of their workers. Through watching the case, I received a first-hand perspective, which helped me understand the underlying reasons behind the need for a grievance process. For example, Rick Avalos and Commuter Airlines have total control over rules and regulations in the workplace. Even though Avalos did not conduct a fair investigation and expressed bias toward Daniels, he still had the power to discharge and discipline him for a minor offence. Through the grievance procedure, workers like Daniels have a fair opportunity to voice their perspective of the situation, which was not typically offered them in the workplace. However, both sides exhibited signs of hostility towards each other, which clouded the situation. The grievance process and a neutral arbitrator brought clarity and fairness into the investigation. Since the arbitrator is a third party, the union and employer can trust him to act without preexisting assumptions in instituting industrial justice. Therefore, I found that the grievance process also helped to check the power of the employer and served as an outlet for unions to challenge existing authorities and workplace rules. However, I also found the process to be highly complex and subject to the experience, skills, and impartiality of the arbitrator. Furthermore, the process slows and hinders managerial authority and the decision making process because of the various time-consuming checks and balances. When employers are going through the grievance process, they can lose money and surrender potential profit because they have to hire a