Garage Grudge
Iron workers Union 623 (getting under paid and lost benefits)
Lafayette Steel Erectors
Workers were working on a parking garage
Workers had a contract and it was going to expire
Companies do not want to always let contracts expire because of the political power of a strike
LSE hired non-union workers to take their position
Its legal but is it necessary ethical?
May loose experience or qualified workers

Introduction
Class discussion
Options
Quit or find a better job
Join a union
Change career
Talk to management
Union
Leverage
Resources
Labor relations- group of workers who join together to influence the nature of their employment
Labor relations for employers are about managing relationships with employees and labor unions in ways that promote organizational goals or cost-effective service delivery Management generally has the power and employees are lower
Due to our resources and degree, we may start higher up
Nonunion employers try to remain union-free through preventive labor relations strategies
Unionized employers try to undermine labor unions by using the same strategies
Baton rouge Wal-Mart employees participate in national protest on thanksgiving
Employees are upset because they are working part-time instead of receiving the benefits of full-time
Wal-Mart makes threats to employees
Statistics
Older age groups tend to be in unions
Men higher percentage in unions than women
Women are less likely to negotiate their salaries
African americans highest rate
Public sector is higher than private
LA 2011-2012 there was a higher increase
Why? Oil, and movie production

Objectives of labor relations
Efficiency- productive use of scarce resources for economic prosperity
Equity- standard of fair treatment for employees
Voice- the ability for employees to have meaningful input into workplace decisions
Combining the three objectives
Equitable treatment might reduce flexibility and efficiency
Employee voice might make decision making more cumbersome and less efficient
Unions centralize power to better achieve equity, but become less responsive to individuals
Labor relations must strike a balance between these conflicting goals
US encourages collective bargaining
Everyone ahs the right to form and join trade unions for the protections of their interest
Bargaining Objectives
Negotiate the term an conditions of employment
Mutual aid
Protection
Regarding inflated wages and restricted work rules, unions will tend to
Secure better wages
Negotiate extensive work rules to protect members against unfair treatment by management
Provide voice and representation to individual workers
Efficiency is important to the employment relationship because of its effect on:
Competitiveness
Economic Development
Economic Prosperity

The 3 objectives of the employment relationship
Efficiency
Equity
Voice

What is the objective of labor relations?
Property rights
Employees can be considered property
Human Rights
Should be about Striking a balance

Employment at will
All may dismiss their employees at will, be they many or few, for good cause for no cause or even for cause morally wrong, without being thereby guilty of legal wrong
Can not be fired based on race or religion
Workers are economic commodities exchanged in the market place
What are some of the restrictions?
1. Legislative (antidiscrimination laws)
2. Contractual (Union Contract Clause)
3. Judicial (Sate by state exceptions)
Implied contract-
Covenant of good faith and fair dealing exception
Exercise on page 7
1-5 are lawful
6-7 depends on the state

What are the major Processes of Labor Relations
The Union organizing process (how unions are formed)
Appendix D in textbook 529
The collective bargaining process- how contracted are negotiated
The dispute resolution process- how bargaining impasses are prevented or resolved
The contract administration process- how grievance over the application of the contract are