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Introduction on employee rights
Rights of employees and employers
Rights of employees and employers
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In the case study I am asked the major differences between public and private sector labor relations. Throughout my research I will use the text along with outside sources to help in finding the significant differences between the two. Furthermore as outlined in the text of (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2012) have indicated some of the major differences between public and private sector including the market economy such as the relationship between the budget and the bargaining process, employee rights and obligations, and collective bargaining structures and decision making processes. Furthermore, we must consider the differences within dispute resolution between private and public sector labor relations.
As stated in (State Budget Solutions,
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In particular public sector grievances are generally not settled at the first step but tend to be settled at the second and third step unlike the private sector (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2012). In private sector labor relations, the right to strike is considered a fundamental bargaining tool in aiding the union to gain leverage for management to break to their demands. In the public sector, in most states strikes are illegal (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2012). In addition prohibit employees from striking when their demands are rejected. Employee recourse is solely through the political process where their demands for higher pay are pitted against the voters ' resistance to increased taxes (Summers, C. 2003). Although private and public sector employees may be disciplined or discharged for events that have happened off duty. To further explain both private and public sector employees retain the right to conduct their private lives the way see they fit and an employer can only discipline employees if there is a nexus between the off duty conduct and the employment. Therefore, public employees are generally under heightened scrutiny for reasons for being in the public eye as being trusted by the public for services such as teacher, fire fighter, police officer, or postal
To conclude this analysis on the basis of the labor’s extensive history, Sloane & Witney (2010) propose, “it is entirely possible that labor’s remarkable staying power has been because of the simple fact that to many workers, from the nineteenth century to the present, there really has been no acceptable substitute for collective bargaining as a means of maintaining and improving employment conditions” (p.80). In the end, it is important to anticipate unions and employers presently work together to find solutions that will enhance collective bargaining strategies and practices to serve the interest of both parties.
David Brody argues that the rise of contractual or collective bargaining relationships during the post WWII era formalized the relationship between employers and unions, but simultaneously began to put a break on shop floor activism. Explain Brody’s argument and, where relevant, incorporate Weber’s theory of bureaucracy.
against their employers, employees were able to go on strike and prove a point. Some
Across the United States there has been a decline in union membership. Looking back as far to 1954 the union work force had peaked at 34.7% but has since been in decline. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of union members fell by 400,000 in 2012 to 14.3 million even though the nation’s overall employment rose by 2.4 million (Greenhouse, 2013). In 2011 the percentage of union workers was 11.8% and in 2012 dropped to 11.3%, which is the lowest union membership has been since 1916. The percentage of private sector unions in 2012 was down to 6.6%, which left many labor specialists questioning whether private sector unions were sinking towards irrelevance (Greenhouse, 2013). What are the reasons for this decline? And what does this mean for the future of private sector unions? This essay will take a lot closer look at these two questions.
Holley, Jr., W., Jennings, K. & Wolters, R. (2012). The labor relations process. (10th ed.). Fort
Early in American history during colonial times and into the middle of the 19th centry, relations between employers and those whom they employed were many times hostile and adversarial. Sometimes these disagreements between employee and employer would explode into violent confrontations. Workers wether skilled or not would fight with management over improved/safer working conditions, fair pay, long exhausting hours by uniting and form...
This myth exists because people often criticize unions, saying that they should stay out of politics and focus only on labor related issues. However, the reality is that the workplace does not exist in isolation and there is a strong relationship between politics, law, and the workforce.
The term collective bargaining is quite common within organizational circles. The term captures the reality of the issues that exist in the relationship between employers and workers. Indeed, employers need employees to provide the necessary labor to achieve organizational goals. Irrespective of whether the employer is the government or from the private sector, collective bargaining is an important element for ensuring a better working relationship with employees. To understand this, it is prudent to provide a definition of collective bargaining because it captures its essence. Collective bargaining entails a negotiation process between employers and workers regarding better employment terms and working conditions. Often, employers and employees
What does an umpire say when you miss the ball three times in a row? “Strike your out!”, but in this case a strike is a bit different, this particular type of strike is when a group of employees refuse to work until issues within the workplace are resolved, and although this rule exempts all public sector workers, like the teachers participating in the teachers’ strike in Chicago of September of 2012, public sector workers may still strike if conditions within a place of work are unbearable or if rules or policies are unjust. If other workers are allowed to strike why shouldn’t public sector workers have this privilege? Public sector workers should be allowed to strike.
The New Deal Era (1930’s) pushed for the legalization of collective bargaining among several other labor laws, which resulted in the formation of unions. When looking back, the result of collective bargaining can be seen around the world. Countries worldwide have unions to protect both employees and companies, and even governments. China, for example, maintains labor unions to pacify angry workers and aid in keeping governmental control. Without collective bargaining statutes how could unions exist? Employees would not have the protection, the negotiation capabilities, or the assistance in finding new work. The Wagner Act also provid...
Collective bargaining in the private sector is more common, the public sectors are usually run by the state, and have their own laws (Varone, 2012). Public employees have no constitutional right to bargain collectively. There are only a few states that have it in their state constitution (Varone, 2012). Collective bargaining for public sector is probably run by ordinances, statutes, and executive order. When dealing with the civil service it is usually straight across the board, the International Association of Firefighters is the main advocate for firefighters (Varone, 2012). In the public sector when dealing with collective bargaining they are restricted on what they can do. A lot of states and municipalities have the people vote for collective bargaining rights and what it entails.
Unions have an extensive history of standing up for workers. They have advocated rights of steelworkers, coal miners, clothing factory employees, teachers, health care workers, and many others. The labor movement is based on the idea that organized workers as a group have more power than individuals would have on their own. The key purpose of any union is to negotiate contracts, making sure workers are respected and fairly compensated for their work. “In theory” unions are democratic organizations, resulting in varying inner authority. Workers look for security within a job a...
The 21st Century has witnessed Asia’s rapid ascent to economic prosperity. As economic gravity shifts from the Western world to the Asian region, the “tyranny of distance [between states, will be] … replaced by the prospects of proximity” in transnational economic, scientific, political, technological, and social develop relationships (Australian Government, 1). Japan and China are the region’s key business exchange partners. Therefore these countries are under obligation to steer the region through the Asian Century by committing to these relationships and as a result create business networks, boost economic performance, and consequently necessitate the adjustment of business processes and resources in order to accommodate each country’s employment relations model (Wiley, Wilkinson, & Young, 2005). Cognizant of the fact that neither Japan nor China has given up on its external (protectionism or parity) adjustment tools, it is posited that they can nonetheless coexist since both “produce different things and in different ways” and as such avoid the cited perilous US and Mexico competition; but due to globalization, the operating environment portends a convergence or divergence of Industrial Relation (ER) strategies between China and Japan (Lipietz, 1997; Zhu & Warner, 2004).
The important role that the private sector plays in social and economic development led the International Labour Conference to discuss the concept of sustainable enterprises in June 2007. The promotion of sustainable enterprises ensures that human, financial and natural resources are combined equitably. An environment conducive to the creation and growth of enterprises on a sustainable basis must take into account the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental – as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars.
Holley, Jr., W., Jennings, K. & Wolters, R. (2012). The labor relations process. (10th ed.)