To Organize or Not to Organize Labor Union - Research Paper Example

Aaron Oil Company Aaron Oil Company Based in Mobile, Alabama, Aaron Oil Company was founded in 1981 and is a well-known name in environmental services industry. Aaron Oil Company is responsible for providing United States with oil and petroleum reclamation services. The main responsibilities of this corporation comprises of specializing in gathering and recycling industrial fuels, cast-off oils, oil filters, antifreezes and absorbents, while also propounding transportation and freight, vacuum truck, maritime, alluvium recycling, industrial, petroleum terminal and pipeline, offshore, petroleum reclamation, lab and analytical services and bilge water disposal. Not only this, but, the company also help supply oil and transmission outlets, car dealers, firms in tucking, industrial sites, generators, gas pumps, garages and maritime vessels. The company is one of the biggest producers of oil in United States and enjoys a good reputation within the industry and their revenue and growth percent has also increased around 80% over the last three year, hence no proposing any need for a unionized employees. However, conditions in a growing corporation seldom remain the same and at one point or another scenarios and situation rises, which calls for the formation of a labor union within the company. However, for the past three years that I am working in this firm, I have seen some negative aspect of working conditions for the labors when recycling the used oil or transporting them to different retailers. Furthermore, few of the cases with my fellow employees have surfaced in the organization, but to my surprise no action or corrective measures were taken considering that this firm is one of the respected oil companies. Upon researching solely and contacting other major trade unions in field of Oil extracting and reproducing that having a unionized employee within a firm is essentially required before taking any huge step. Therefore, I am interested and have taken the responsibility of initiating a unionized employee to make the working condition for the employees a better one. As a union labor within the corporation will ensure that the proposals put forward by the employees are not being rendered inconvenient or useless. Similarly, this will empower the employee to so that the one who are timid or unable to stand up for them can have a platform to speak out their mind, besides the threat of controversy always works in favor of the employees (Fossum, 2006). Issues within the firm: The first situation that smoke of something unpleasant, arise in the recycling part of the corporation. The technology or method used to carry out the procedure is Solvent Extraction Process; here propane is employed as solvent to eradicate the bitumen, metals, additives and tar. However, as this process requires high pressure and high temperature, hence 10 workers on this plant were subjected to intense dehydration and heat stroke problem because of the intensity of the heat, which was a repercussion of not using inadequate fluid and heating systems. In addition to this, the same plant was affected by a moderate fire explosion, which did not kill any worker, but injured a quiet of them. These two incidents at the recycling plant were of grave concern for the employees; however the management released statement declaring the incident just a fateful accident and nothing more. This incident could have been forgotten and let go of, if another issue within the reclamation plant would not have emerged, which pointed fingers at the lack of concern and safety for workers from the management. This situation occurred exactly two weeks after the first incident and occurred for four consecutive days. Although at the reclamation plant labors were provided with ear protectors because of the amount of noise the process makes and with adequate apparel too because of the dust and air pollution that is created. The first day of the incident out of 7 labors 5 were sent to emergency because of the ear bleeding, which was the result of noise exceeding EPA guidelines and the next three days similar incident occurs and this time the employees were very distressed and agitate over the incident and were not pacified with the impotent statement made by the management team. These two incidents urged me to contact the National Labor Organization and were informed about the usefulness and need for the formation of employee union. Benefit of Organizing Union for the Company: As mentioned afore that the company is well reputed within the industry and for quite a time had been servicing the society and the country with the recycled oil and different other activities, so it is unlikely that the owners of the firm or the local community and society will take on the words of a mere employee (Blair & Crawford, 1984). Hence, creating a union before making a statement is very crucial when considering the size and reputation of the corporation (Fossum, 2006). Making a union or urging the employees to become a part of a group to save and protect the health and very existence of their colleague will not be difficult task, for they have witnessed the repercussion of the accidents and if not seen, then certainly heard of it. Moreover, when the employees lodged the complaint against the supervisor team and inappropriate supply of apparel and using of heating system there was no response from the human resource department and for a long time the there was no response from the department. But, once we get the response was neither professional nor satisfying. Thus, one more reason produced for the fabrication of labor union. Benefits that can be derived once the union is formed in this company is that collective bargaining will help employees make their point and force the company to install advanced and upgraded fluid and heating systems so that no more cases of dehydration and heat stroke can occur. Secondly, providing of appropriate apparel and installing system which will assist in keeping the noise level below the EPA guidelines. Not only this, but company should uphold their responsibility and take care of propounding employees with medical care too. In addition to this, future ventures of the firm can also be controlled with the help of union for instance, low wages, transportation problems or welfare of the worker and the company’s work ethics (Blodget, 2012). Likewise, a threat of controversy will secure the position of employee and will coax company to not repeat their previous work or lack of it, thereof. (Bain, 1992). Moreover, the formation of union for Aaron oil company will also safeguard that the performance of the management and the human resource department are working to their capacity and ability and aren’t not so unresponsive in the future and that the company is improving their performance and safety measure for the labors (Hirsch, 1991), plus the union will help the employee secure their position so that in near future they are not being made redundant, just because they got up to voice their opinion. Strategic Plan: Mission Statement: the union will aim to provide the workers with safe working conditions, bring economic justice to the workplace and workers. This union mission is to commit ourselves with each other and build a labor movement to become the prominent symbol of progressive and successful campaigns. We will strive forward to work in such ways that the growth of individual and collective employees is guaranteed and seeable. The purpose of the union will be a reflection of mission statement, as this is the most effective and successful way. What the mission statement portrays about the union existence, the same will be the purpose of the labor union (Kenneth & Baetz, 1998). The Union will strive to look after the welfare of the employees in the current status and in future too. Its purpose is to scrutinize the management and human resource department and see that their corporation is always offered. The union will back the employees at all cost if they are being misused. The objective of this union will be divided into two types that is strategic and operational. Strategic aims are set for long-run, such as increase in wages and salaries of employee according to the minimum wage. On the other hand, operational targets will include the inspection of availability of all protective tools and measures to the labors. Components and Step for Union Formation: The basic component for forming a union is the employees themselves. I would require a group of willing employees who want to go forward with the notion of labor union as a result of dissatisfaction from the working conditions or management. Apart from physical existence of labors, political and ideological believes are also required so that group cohesiveness can be formed (Fossum, 2006). In addition to this, facilitating and inhibiting conditions also needed to be examined and risk has to be calculated against the successfulness of union formation too. After gathering a large number of labor forces, certification from National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) under the act of 1935 will be required and when the certification is successful then the negotiation contract will be signed. The possible timeline for the execution of Union starting from the current month of July, at least one month will be needed to amalgamate the willing and voluntary employees whose thinking are in accord to mine. After cohesive decision, we will contact the NLRA and discuss all the legalities of forming a union; all in all it will take about three to four month to bring about a union in the company. Objection from management: It is naivety to believe that the management team will not have any objection to the formation of union and any demanded forwarded by the unionized employee. Hence, after speculation we have come about that the possible objection that we will be facing will concern that the incidents occurred were completely accidental and did not happen because fo any shortcoming from the management or the company. In addition, they are likely to bribe the employees in giving payment to compensate the incident and even provide with extra fringe benefit to silence any outrage. Nonetheless, we have come up with the counter arguments to nullify the offering from the management. The first point which we are going to present is that there are witnessed who saw the incident at reclamation plant, which, not only occurred at one time, but for consistently four days making it glaringly obvious that it was company’s fault and their shortcomings. Furthermore, the fluid and heating system is outdated and not functioning adequately leading to heat stroke and dehydration in employees. Concerning the second argument that the management will compensate the victims of the incident and their families, we can object that money will not guarantee that such kind of incident will not happen again, since the fault was in company’s conduct and not lack of money. Furthermore, taking compensating money will ensure that the company can move forward with such behavior in future and will again try the same tactics, if they came out successful this time. Works Cited Bain, T. (1992). Employee and Labor Relations. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 5(1), 87-89. Blair, D. H., & Crawford, D. L. (1984). Labor Union Objectives and Collective Bargaining. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 99(3), 547-566. Blodget, H. (2012, December 2). Ive Always Hated The Idea Of Labor Unions, But It May Be Time To Reconsider. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/we-may-need-labor-unions-after-all-2012-12 Fossum, J. A. (2006). Labor Relations. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Hirsch, B. T. (1991). Introduction [to Labor Unions and the Economic Performance of Firms]. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 1-6. Kenneth, C., & Baetz, M. C. (1998). The Relationship Between Mission Statements and Firm Performance: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Management Studies, 35(6), 823–853. Read More