1.Explain the role of unions in today’s workplace.
With the Passing of national Labor Relations Act, unions have been in existence from 1935.The main role of a union is to safe guard the rights of the employees. They secure and improve the working conditions of the employees. They play an important role to check the unfair practices on the employees by the power of management .They represent collectively to get fair treatment, equality and, economic security for the employees. They help the workers to get their benefits and also help the management to solve workplace problems. Other key roles are looking into breaches of workplace laws, discrimination laws, and workplace safety laws. They ensure that they have representation in the company’s decisions which affect them. They make sure that the employees are not exploited and the agreed conditions of employment are maintained. They inculcate a sense of dignity and make the employees feel satisfied by protecting both the employer as well as the employee. Workers are given the opportunity to fight against low wages and extra hours. (Agan, S.2013). They are also able to make the employers responsible for their actions and make them comply with agreements already negotiated.
2. Compare the general difference between the Wagner, Taft-Hartley, and Landrum-griffin Acts. The Wagner Act was signed in 1935.It was based on the earlier attempts to protect and promote abilities of the workers in the private sector to unionize. It established exclusive representation which required majority support. Accordingly a union represents all or none of the employees. The unfair labor practices were specified in the act and this created the National labor relations board. The act was considered controversial because of government intervention and it was believed to give too much power to the unions. The Taft-Hartley Act 1947 was to rebalance the system and it amended the Wagner act. It prohibited unfair labor union practices. It restricted the activities of the union and established the employer’s explicit rights. The procedures for dispute resolution were revised and closed shop agreements were removed. The Taft-Harley Act has been viewed as the effort by business and politicians to do away with labor protection for their advantage and also to restore the balance between the working class employers and unions. The Landrum-Griffin Act, 1959 increased the democracy of the union by creating a Bill of Rights for the members of the union. It was to protect the members of the union from the wrongful acts of their leaders. According to this act the financial records of the unions and the officers have to be disclosed and the union trusteeship use was restricted. Fiduciary responsibility was established for the union leaders. The acts were amended according to the requirements for the better functioning of the union and as mutual support for both the workers as well as employers.
3.What is the NLRB and what does it do?
The National labor Relations Board monitors the process of collective bargaining. It consists of five members who are appointed for five year terms by the U.S. president along with the approval of the U.S Senate. The board is responsible for the functioning of over fifty different offices in the United States. They prevent unfair labor practices, involving employers, representatives or labor unions. Appropriate grouping regarding the representation is determined and secret ballot elections are conducted to choose the bargaining representative. They issue orders like cease and desist for unfair practices which are enforced on appeal by the U.S Court system. The NLRB permits to file unfair labor practice charge by any person or organization and it also accepts petitions against representatives related to collective bargaining issues. The petitions are accepted to either certify or decertify the representative and this is carried out by conducting secret ballots of employees.
References
Agan, S. (2013, April 22). LABOR UNIONS BRINGING DIGNITY BACK TO THE WORKPLACE. Labor & Employment Law Forum https://aulaborlawforum.org/2013/04/22/labor-unions-bringing-dignity-back-to-the- workplace/.
