BUSI 343 Employee and Labor Relations

1. Discuss your opinion regarding whether unions are still relevant and necessary in today's work environment. What other means might be used to ensure employee voice in the workplace?

2. Discuss some employer tactics used to prevent or minimize union membership growth prior to the passage of the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act in 1935? Which, if any, of these tactics would be lawful today? What anti-union tactics are used today?

Introduction

In a working environment, it is necessary for employees to work in harmony towards the achievement of the organization goals, in this research; I aim to explain the means to be used to ensure voice of workers in the workplace

1. In my own view, I don’t think that unions are in any way still relevant in the working environment today like the way they used to be important in the past. This is because the employers are nowadays taking care of their employees and ensuring that they take good care of them and that their grievances are met on time (Ng, at al, 2012).. The reason why unions were being formed was to demand better working conditions and to have a better pay in form of wages. In the recent days, laws have been implemented that help to protect employees from unfair and poor working conditions, therefore, no need to form the unions. However, unions are still needed in times when there is a need for demand for increased wages, having job training and a need for better working conditions. The unions can be used where no other means seem to bear fruits.

Some other means that can be used to ensure that the employee voice in the workplace is heard is through joint consultation (Simms, at al, 2012). The management and the employees should have a forum in which important information is raised and appropriate actions were taken. Collective bargaining can also help to ensure that the voice of the employees is heard by ensuring that employees are involved in decision making and formulating of rules and regulations hence issues of concerned are raised.

2. Employer tactics used to prevent or minimize union membership growth

The employer can prevent the growth of union membership by ensuring the employees are involved in the decision-making process. By doing so the employer will be able to handle the situations at hands since the employees can raise the is affecting them

Creating a conducive working environment will help the employer to minimize the growth of union. If the needs of the employees are met, they will have a good atmosphere to work in and hence this will motivate them to work towards the achievement of the organization as a whole. A conducive environment means that both the employer and the employee are working in good terms and with the best equipment’s.

The employer can also ensure that the employees are remunerated and paid well in terms of the wages and rewards. Timely pay and motivation will ensure that employees will not have issues with the management and hence this will minimize formation of unions.

Consultation among the employees and the employer can minimize formation of unions since it creates a forum in which ideas are raised and solutions created at the best time with so as to avoid conflicts among the parties involved.

References

Ng, T. W., & Feldman, D. C. (2012). Employee voice behavior: A meta?analytic test of the conservation of resources framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 216-234.

Simms, M., Holgate, J., & Heery, E. (2012). Union voices: Tactics and tensions in UK organizing. Cornell University Press.