The relation between unions and Management has been the subject of many studies and researches primarily because of the controversial nature of interaction between the two. Union management relations have never been very cordial and the two have often been entangled in fierce conflicts understandably because of a conflict of interests. However the situation has changed considerably following interventions from Government bodies regarding fair wages, improved working conditions and other welfare policies. In spite of an effort to improve labor management relations, there are cases where dissatisfied workers resort to unionizing to force management to accept their demands. The UPS strike was one of these cases which received enormous attention from media as well as scholars because of the public support rallied by it.
UPS, short for United Parcel Service, is essentially a Courier service company based in United States employing around 185000 workers. In August 1997, the International brotherhood of teamsters, the largest trade union in US declared strike against UPS.
Conditions leading to Organization of Union in UPS
The grievances that ultimately led to the union’s belief that the company was ripe for being organized could be attributed to the following factors
The part time workers at UPS were not accorded a full time status for an indefinite period. This resulted in dissatisfaction among the part time workers who were employed for many years in the same position and were denied full time employment and consequently the benefits. Organized opposition aimed at reducing the differential rate between full time and part time workers.
The full time workers wanted increased contributions from employers in pension plans which would be managed by the union instead of management. Presently the management controlled the pension plans and was guided by tax gains on contributions. They were entitled to withdraw the excess amount contributed. The union wanted better benefits for workers.
The safety conditions of UPS was very poor and resulted in many accidents (Bacon, 1999), union organization wanted better working conditions. Organizing would ensure more safety and better working conditions.
Replacements for Unions for reducing union membership
The cause of conflicts between management and labor often arise from management’s apathy towards labor grievances which result in formation of union for resolving issues. Unions are not always the easy way because they may be banned and cost the jobs of members.
Union membership can be reduced through the following active steps by management to handle labor issues.
Management can form teams or committees that sort out labor grievances
Use collective bargaining to settle demands from labor by using representatives from both sides
Using third party negotiations when labor and management fail to reach a consensus (Dessler)
Using contracts and agreements to prohibit organization and strikes
Encouraging worker participation in decision making and policy formulation
All the above steps may be useful in lowering union membership. If the workers are convinced that management is concerned about their welfare, they will not resort to taking union support for resolving grievances. Instead they will prefer the help of committees and teams that will resolve the disputes.
References
Bacon, D. (1999); The UPS Strike - Unions Win When They Take the Offensive. Retrieved from http://dbacon.igc.org/Strikes/07ups.htm
Dessler, G. (1991). Personnel/human resource management, Prentice Hall
