StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Labor Economics / Unions - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
It is evident that there has been a decline of unions in the 21 century because of the failure of adjusting the NLRA to adopt external factors that have an effect on the…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.8% of users find it useful
Labor Economics / Unions
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Labor Economics / Unions"

Labour Economics In this article, Rust focuses on the negative impact the National Labour Relations Act has had on unions. It is evident that there has been a decline of unions in the 21 century because of the failure of adjusting the NLRA to adopt external factors that have an effect on the economy. These forces include competition and globalisation. The survival of unions as Rust states depends on their liberation from NLRA clauses. Rust asserts that the market forces should do the regulation of unions and business relationships.

Prior to the adoption of NLRA, unions had the power to ring employees to the bargaining table through collective action that involve applying of economic pressure. Introducing the national labour relations act was a strategy to create fairer labour markets. This was through formulation of statutory regulations that give employees the bargaining power. Rust explains that the rise in union membership at this period was a result of limited business mobility (Rust, 2012). It is evident that unions in the 21st century face many external pressures because of the globalisation of businesses.

Strike observes that NLRA supported the growth of unions successfully in a domestic market place. Business mobility enabled companies outsource jobs into countries with limited legal restraints. This move rendered NLRA ineffective in creating a fair labour market. It is obvious that the global market allocates labour basing on efficiency rather than fairness. Rust points out the stiff competition that unions face in the global market due to their notion to promote fairness. In order for unions to fit into the global market, union laws should discourage the notion of fairness and focus on the changes in market forces.

Rust observes that creation of unions that are able to adapt to external forces is possible if unions give in to powers such as exclusive representation, and mandatory good faith bargaining. Rust provides an example that NLRA, which has the support of many employees, can represent all employees in a bargaining unit in spite of their support of the union. This illustrates exclusive representation. On the other hand, mandatory good faith bargaining requires employees to meet and with a majority supported the union on contracting issues such as wages hours vacation time and other compulsory subjects.

Such requirement restricts the bargaining power rights of both employers and employees. This new idea of unions presents unions as monopolistic (Rust, 2012). Revoking exclusive representation and mandatory good faith bargaining suggests that unions need to work towards the approval of all employees and remain economically competitive. Rust figures out that the greatest challenge faced by union organizers and proponents of NLRA is how they can gain power and get employers to the bargaining table.

Rust suggests that free market structures require unions to adjust their policies and resources based on the demands of each work place and industry. According to Rust, for unions to gain power and get their employees to the bargaining table in the 21st century, unions need to focus on value creation. The unions have a role to play in the bargaing process revoking of mandatory bargain and exclusive representation translates to a change in the bargaining technique (Rust, 2012). The success of unions in the 21st century labour markets requires unions to prove that they are of benefit to both employees and employers.

Rust suggestion of gaining power through value creation is one way of proving this, for instance, the role that unions play in decreasing work place injuries is a mutually beneficial topic that brings both employers and union representatives to the bargaining table. Such an approach does prove the fact that employers can recognize unions without a duty to bargain or economic power. Mutually beneficial topics provide unions with access to the workplace in that they prove to be of value to employees, and in turn, they gain the trust of employers.

This approach provides a strategy for reviving the importance of unions in the 21st century industry (Rust, 2012).ReferencesRust, S. (2012). Reinventing unions for the 21st century. Retrieved November 14, 2012, fromhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2012/10/29/reinventing-unions-for-the-21st-century/

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Labor Economics / Unions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Labor Economics / Unions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/macro-microeconomics/1608508-labor-economics-unions
(Labor Economics / Unions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Labor Economics / Unions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/macro-microeconomics/1608508-labor-economics-unions.
“Labor Economics / Unions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/macro-microeconomics/1608508-labor-economics-unions.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Labor Economics / Unions

Union Strategies to Involve Women and Minority Groups

87) Thirty years ago, the Working Women Charter in Australia coined the slogan of “Women need unions need women.... In the 20th century the trade unions developed a politics of unity, but it was always constrained by the ethnic understandings of the workforce.... The trade unions have recognized the under representation of women in the union structures and hence adequate measure have been taken in UK and worldwide to redress the imbalance.... UK witnessed a major restructuring in the economic and the labor market, where the manufacturing industries were heavily unionized with male domination, and the industries were undergoing a severe contraction, where as the service sector was mostly dominated by female and the sectors were less unionized as compared to the manufacturing sectors....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

Economic versus Non-Economic Issues in Union Environment

In terms of strategy, the union can employ the tactic of convincing the employer to make “savings” somewhere other than “labor costs” [Holley, Jennings and Wolter, 2008, p.... The labor Relations Process.... Strategic Negotiations: A theory of labor-management relations.... labor CONTRACT ANALYSIS: A PRESENTATION OF AN ECONOMIC AND AN NON-ECONOMIC CONTRACT ARTICLE....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Why has the labor movement so declined is strength in the US

This observation is valid because if unions were perceived ineffectual during the crisis, this will undermine their credibility to bargain, protect and advance worker's interest and in a way, can be taken as losing their relevance that eventually led to the continued decline of labor movement in the US (Zaid).... Since 1979, labor movement in the US had been in perpetual decline.... Except in 2007 where a marked increase in union membership was registered, the density of labor unionism and its corresponding movement has been on a precipitous decline since then (Bureau of labor Statistic)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Formation of Labor Unions

The formation of labor unions is a great progress of our civilization.... It is well known that there were not any labor unions neither in the epoch of slavery or in the epoch of feudalism.... They became a very important public means of regulation of social relationship, and marked the progress of mankind. … During last decades the American labor unions have been confronted with a lot of serious problems, which have led to substantial decline of their influence and importance....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Americal Labor Issues (as it relates to unionized labor)

This paper gives a complete understanding of how unions in America function.... The paper will mainly highlight the problems that can result when unions have authority over non-unionized workers.... hellip; Members of unions in America have always had the upper hand as compared to non union members as they have many strategies to make the administration listen to them.... The paper will use the insider-outsider theory to analyze this influence. The introduction part of the paper will give a little history of how despite the decline in power and membership over the past 30 years, unions maintain major authority over a lot of American workers (Fantasia & Voss 2004)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Issues on Trade Unions in the USA

The essay "Issues on Trade unions in the USA" focuses on the notion and functioning of trade unions along with their influence on national economics.... hellip; In such cases, unions have certain legal rights, most prominently, the right to negotiate together with an employer (or employers) over wages, working hours, and other terms as well as conditions of employment; meaning that such things are not positioned unilaterally by the administration, but must be agreed upon by both parties....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Impact of Economic Background Conditions on Growth of Labor Unions

The reasons behind the decline of popularity of labor unions among workers are specified in the paper.... The globalization proved to be a major challenge to labor unions.... hellip; The major focus of the research is on the economic factors, that influence the decreasing role of the trade unions, as a social institute.... In times of recession workers tend to turn to unions for representation.... However, the trend seems to change as fewer workers are willing to join unions due to their ineffectiveness in the changing global world....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Labor Unions and Their Impact on the Economy

In this research paper, the situation in Wisconsin after such decision of the government and that of the labor unions will be reviewed.... Arguments both in favor and against the acts of the labor unions will be presented and a final conclusion either in support or against the scenario will be drawn up.... hellip; The research paper deals with the role and impact of the labor unions in an economy with reference to the political disorder going on in Wisconsin in recent times....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us