You
will be asked 40 multiple choice (or true-false) questions and be given about
one hour to answer them. Two-thirds of
these will be drawn from the following list.
One third will be new to you. Together, these objective questions will
be worth one-half of your final exam grade.
(The other half will be an essay.
See the list of final exam essay questions.) In preparing for these questions, you are
encouraged to work with others. The exam
itself is closed book with no notes.
Chapter
1
True/False
1. The process of industrial relations involves
only two parties ‑- labor and management.
3. Collective bargaining rarely yields any
positive gains because labor and management lack common interests.
5. The concept of class consciousness is
identified most closely with
7. A law which grants employees the right to
strike illustrates how the external environment can affect the bargaining power
of the parties involved.
9. It is widely believed that in order to limit
the damage that poor industrial relations can have on the economy, public
policy should require collective bargaining and unionization for all
workers.
11. The three‑tiered model assumes that
labor strategies and structures have less influence on the course of industrial
relations than management strategies and structures.
13. During the 1970's, unions in the
15. Collective bargaining is the only feasible
process by which employment conditions can be regulated and administered.
17. Much of the workplace interaction that exists
between management and labor in unionized settings focuses on contract
administration, rather than setting the terms and conditions of the contract.
Multiple Choice
19. Government
sometimes plays a critical role in the industrial relations process. The term government refers to
a. local, state, and federal political agencies and
processes.
b. employer associations.
c. nonlegislative agencies.
d. union associations.
21. Conflict
within the employment relationship between employers and employees can be
characterized as
a. inherent. Workers seek higher pay and job income
security while employers seek higher profits and lower costs.
b. patholological. Society must do something to eliminate the
employer‑employee conflict. This
is the only way to make all members of society better off.
c. unnatural. Sidney and Beatrice Webb argued that
such conflicts needs to be controlled because of its "unnatural
effects," such as union‑caused unemployment.
d. extraordinary. Commons and his associates argued
that the employment relationship needed to be examined closely, focusing on the
conflictual aspects of the relationship.
23. The level
that is not included within the three‑tiered industrial relations
framework is:
a. strategic level.
b. functional level.
c. workplace level.
d. bargaining outcome level.
25. During
collective bargaining negotiations, the union decides to strike in order to get
higher wages. This decision occurs within what level of the three‑tiered
model?
a. external environmental level.
b. strategic level.
c. functional level.
d. workplace level.
27. The person
most deserving of the title, "father of
a. Sidney Webb.
b. Beatrice Webb.
c. Frederick Taylor.
d. John R. Commons.
29. According
to the three‑tiered model of industrial relations, the external
environment includes
a. rank and file employees.
b. senior union officials.
c. senior management officials.
d. the demographic context.
Chapter 4
True/False
1. Though the
three‑tiered model shows that the external environment influences the
power of the bargaining parties, it is also true that the bargaining parties
can affect the external environment.
3. Strike
leverage refers only to the relative degree to which workers are willing to
sustain income losses if they choose to strike.
5. Alfred
Marshall argued that unions are most powerful when the demand for their labor
is highly elastic.
7. Declines in
product demand have been shown to have a weaker downward effect on wages in non‑union
sectors than in union sectors.
9. The union‑nonunion
relative wage differential widened dramatically during the early 1980's,
lending support to the idea that unions indeed cause inflation to rise.
11. In certain
industries, one factor that has reduced the union's ability to keep wages out
of competition is deregulation.
13. Barry
Bluestone and Bennett Harrison claim that the growth in the number of service
and part‑time jobs is a sign that the economy is healthy.
15. Recent
opinion polls reveal an improvement in the public's image of unions and union
leaders.
17. One reason
why there has been increasing pressure on the union sector from nonunion
competition is because employers have been able more easily to shift production
to nonunion sites.
19. If an employer’s total bargaining power
increases, both management and labor benefit.
21. The Internet has generally facilitated
organizing by increasing a union’s communication with home-based
employees.
23. Management
can have higher strike leverage
a. if they have low ongoing capital expenses.
b. if they have ready access to automated equipment.
c. if they have a high stock of inventories.
d. if other firms' operations have also been shut
down.
e. all of the above.
25. According
to Alfred Marshall, the demand for labor is highly elastic
a. when labor cannot be easily replaced by substitute
workers.
b. when the demand for the final product is price
inelastic.
c. when the supply of nonlabor
factors of production is price elastic.
d. when the ratio of labor costs to total costs is high.
e. c and d.
27. Unions will
have more strike leverage
a. if the unemployment rate is high.
b. during the upswing of a business cycle.
c. during times of falling product demand.
d. if their family members are unemployed.
e. c and d.
29. Why do some
labor leaders want to abandon the NLRA?
a. Increased use of employer tactics such as the
ability to file numerous challenges and requests for postponements during the
election period.
b. enormous delays in the decisions and representation
elections that are caused in part by a lack of commitment to the NLRA.
c. frustrations with the current labor board
administration.
d. increased union‑avoidance tactics by management.
e. all of the above.
31. As a result
of the changing labor force trends in the economy, it can be expected that
a. workplace conflict will decrease due to the result
of less competition for high paying jobs.
b. demand for union representation could increase as a
result of increased conflict in the workplace as workers become frustrated by a
lack of upward mobility.
c. women may represent a formidable force that can
pressure both employers and unions to meet their social needs.
d. women may become less of a focal point for union‑organizing
campaigns.
e. b and c.
33. Which of
the following is true about recent occupational and industry trends?
a. The percentage of the labor force employed in
service sector is now 20 percent.
b. The portion of the labor force employed in the
manufacturing sector is now 31 percent.
c. Manufacturing industries have been migrating from
the southeast and south to the north and northwest.
d. There is a growing trend towards part‑time jobs
and home‑based occupations.
35. One of the
main challenges that unions will face as a result of ongoing demographic
changes is that
a. it will be much more difficult for unions to maintain
internal solidarity because of the increasing diversity of the work force.
b. unions will have to limit their membership to the
traditional blue collar workers to increase membership.
c. unions will have to prevent their new younger
workers from developing a political base in unions so that conflict can be
minimized at the workplace.
d. unions must prevent part‑time employees from
gaining membership status so that internal union conflict can be prevented.
e. all of the above.
37. The
argument that industrialization and not capitalism per se caused changes in the
relationship between workers and employers, which in turn, led to unionization
is most closely associated with
a.
b. Karl Marx.
c. Kerr, Dunlop, Harbison and
Myers.
d. Samuel Gompers
39. What
environmental factors reduced union bargaining power during the 1980s?
a. high unemployment.
b. pressure from nonunion competition.
c. heightened international competition.
d. a liberal swing in political ideology.
e. a, b, and c.
Chapter 5
True/False
1. Due to the
various constraints that unions place on management, business strategies can no
longer influence the employer's preferences for personnel policies.
3. Within the
bureaucratic pattern, firms usually have written policies on pay, leaves,
promotion, and discipline.
5. The form of
collective bargaining in the
7. The
participatory pattern and the human resource management pattern of industrial
relations are identical.
9. Evidence
concerning organizing campaigns reveals that management's use of suppressive
tactics increased in the 1970s.
11. Firms that
deal with multiple unions across the whole company are less likely to resist
unions vigorously in any newly opened facilities.
13. In general,
there has been a power shift within management as more responsibility has
shifted from labor relations specialists to line managers and human resource
managers.
Multiple Choice
15. Which of
the following are found in the paternalistic pattern of industrial relations?
a. Standardization of personnel policies in order to
avoid favoritism within the workplace.
b. Personnel policies that include employment
stabilization and elaborate communication and complaint procedures.
c. Personnel policies that are informally administered.
d. Personnel policies that focus on seniority and
formal contracts.
e. a and d.
17. The
bureaucratic pattern of personnel administration includes which of the
following
a. Standardization of personnel policies in order to
avoid favoritism within the workplace.
b. Personnel policies that include employment
stabilization and elaborate communication and complaint procedures.
c. Personnel policies that are informally
administered.
d. Personnel policies that focus on seniority and
formal contracts.
19. What
factors influence which industrial relations patterns non‑union firms
follow?
a. Management values and strategies.
b. Business strategies.
c. Formal contracts covering the firm's employees.
d. a and b.
21. What are
some of the advantages of the New Deal pattern of industrial relations?
a. Labor relations tend to be volatile.
b. Employees may get better contracts as a result of
intense conflict and prolonged strikes.
c. Employees get due process as a result of the
grievance procedures.
d. Employees can directly solve and production and
personnel problems.
e. Employees become more directly involved in
strategic decision making, thus giving them control of their own fate.
23. When will a
firm likely use a direct union suppression approach?
a. When the firm is financially well off.
b. When the firm has specialized personnel and
employee relations staffs.
c. When there is a hostile political environment toward
unions.
d. When there are few alternative workers.
25. Which of
the following is a trend in management policies toward unionization?
a. In a vast majority of nonunion firms, avoiding
unions is no longer considered a top priority.
b. Highly organized firms are always strongly opposed
to unionization of new plants.
c. Firms have been unwilling to allow unions to organize
their white-collar workers.
d. Firms that have only been partially organized are
more willing to allow unionization in new plants than firms that are fully
organized.
27. In a “core competency” business model
a. Corporations engage in self-evaluative
procedures to measure their success.
b. Corporations judge employees by a certain
standard to measure their competency.
c. Corporations outsource business processes that are
considered peripheral to their main functions.
d. Corporations work with unions to strategize a
plan to compete efficiently.
Chapter 6
True/False
1. Union
strategic decisions vary as unions must decide to what extent they seek to
promote worker interests through political channels versus collective bargaining.
3. Compared to
other states New York and Michigan have relatively low union densities.
5. Many of the
organized white collar employees belong to public sector unions.
7. Within the
coal industry, the non‑union sector did not grow throughout the post
World Wart II period.
9. In states
that have right-to-work laws, union membership levels are relatively low.
11. One
structural change in the economy that has affected union membership levels is
the expansion of service and white collar jobs and the reduction in blue collar
occupations.
13. A craft
union's jurisdiction encompasses all workers within a firm.
15. From its
formation in 1886, the AFL has always favored industrial unions as the device
to organize skilled workers.
17. Within many
industrial unionized settings, unionized employees are covered by both a local
contract and a company or industry contract.
19. Most
scholars agree that the election of executives in corporations is clearly more
democratic than the way union officers are elected.
21. The
Independent Labor party, created in 1995, has been effective in lobbying
Congress for reforms in favor of union organizing.
23. The survey evidence by Professors Freeman and
Rogers reveals that employees believe that their managers would adopt passive
measures to avoid unionization.
25. Merger activity has decreased the number of
unions, allowing large unions to grow even faster.
Multiple Choice
27. Which of
the following trends in union membership are true?
a. Membership in both the manufacturing and the
government sector steadily increased throughout the 1980s.
b. Membership in both the manufacturing and the
government sector steadily decreased throughout the 1980s.
c. Membership in the manufacturing sector steadily increased
while membership in the government sector steadily decreased throughout
the 1980s.
d. Membership in the manufacturing sector steadily decreased
while membership in the government sector plateaued
throughout the 1980s.
29. Which of the
following is true about union membership levels across demographic groups?
a. The number of female unionists as a percentage of
all union members has held steady.
b. The percentage of black workers who are members of
unions is identical to the percentage of white workers.
c. The number of female unionists as a percentage of
all union members has been decreasing.
d. Black workers are more likely to be members of unions
than white workers.
31. One reason
for the rapid decline in union membership is that
a. the service sector was hit hard by the effects of
recent recessions and also by the declining competitiveness of U.S. service
goods.
b. the public sector was hit hard by the economic and
organizational restructuring in their respective industries.
c. the most highly unionized industries were hit hard by
recent recessions and also by the declining competitiveness of U.S.
manufactured goods.
d. the service sector was not allowed to organize due
to the shift in the political structure of the U.S. government.
33. A cyclical
explanation of union growth states that
a. unions grow during economic prosperity and during
economic downturns.
b. unions grow during economic downturns and decline
during times of economic prosperity.
c. unions grow during times of economic prosperity and
decline during times of economic downturns.
d. unions decline during times of economic prosperity
and during times of economic downturns.
35. Jack Fiorito and Cheryl Maranto
identified which of the following as a cause of the decline in American union
membership?
a. Structural changes in the economy and the labor
force.
b. employer substitution through personnel practices.
c. internal union affairs and actions.
d. American worker ideology.
e. all of the above.
37. Consider
the following situation: Employer A decides to hire human resource managers who
set up company complaint procedures and new pay systems. This situation identifies which of the
following factors as a cause of the decline in union membership.
a. Structural changes in the economy and the labor
force.
b. employer substitution through personnel practices.
c. internal union affairs and actions.
d. American worker ideology.
e. union avoidance through employer practices.
39. The AFL
performs which of the following?
a. It is actively involved in the collective
bargaining activities of its member unions.
b. It offers extensive research and technical support
to individual unions or to unions with common problems.
c. It engages in political lobbying and disseminating
information to union members about political events and elections.
d. To settle or arbitrate jurisdictional disputes
among competing unions.
e. b, c, and d.
41. The role of
the shop steward is to
a. be an assistant to the national union president.
b. be an assistant to the local union president by
providing advice and technical information.
c. assist a worker when a grievance arises between a
worker and a supervisor.
d. all of the above.
43. The disadvantages of union mergers include
a. the fact that some mergers
are opportunistic and expansionist in nature.
b. the negative consequences
of large union size for union democracy.
c. the fact that some mergers
arise out of the leader's quest for increased power and control.
d. all of the above.
45.
Which States have the lowest union density?
a.
Arizona and Mississippi.
b.
North and South Carolina.
c.
New York and Michigan.
d. A & B.
e.
A & C
47. Which of the following is NOT an example of labor’s
more active role in politics, corporate affairs, and society in the 1990s?
a. The AFL-CIO’s creation of a new Department of
Corporate Affairs.
b. Coalition-building with the “Living Wage”
campaign.
c. Advocacy of human rights at the international
level.
d. Unwavering
support of Democratic congressional and presidential candidates.
49. Which of the following
was NOT stressed in AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s mission statement in 1995?
a. organization of new members.
b. service
to the current rank-and-file
c. awareness of the labor movement for college
students
d. election of a Congress sympathetic to
labor
Chapter 7
True/False
1. Though environmental factors strongly
influence the strength of unions, they rarely shape the parties' power and
preferences in the organizing process.
3. In order for the NLRB to schedule an
election, at least 30 percent of the election unit must have signed
authorization cards.
5. Management is allowed to hold "captive
audience" speeches up till 24 hours before the vote.
7. Though the composition of the bargaining unit
is decided by the NLRB, the election unit is decided by the federal courts.
9. The percent of representation elections won
by unions has risen since 1996.
11. Corporate campaigns involve a variety of
management efforts to bring public, financial, and political pressures to bear
on top management.
13. Bargaining structure refers to the scope of
the employees and employers covered or affected by the bargaining agreement.
15. A centralized bargaining structure can only
help the union.
17. Pattern bargaining occurs as a result of
spreading the terms and conditions of employment negotiated in one formal
bargaining structure to another in a formal manner.
19. According to the text, pattern bargaining
across firms in the same industry is the most common form of pattern bargaining
in the United States.
21. To increase union density, American unions
have generally focused on reorganizing the manufacturing sector, the sector
most affected my membership loss during the 1970s and 1980s.
23. One dilemma for unions currently is how to
retain members who may change jobs frequently throughout their careers
Multiple Choice
25. Which of the following action(s. can management undertake prior to organizing
in order to reduce the incentives to unionize?
a. invest less in training
and development and more in managerial occupations.
b. layoff employees to serve
as a threat.
c. develop wage system that
recognizes only merit.
d. develop a complaint
procedure.
e. centralize managerial
decision making.
27. When defining the election unit the NLRB can
do which of the following?
a. choose between a craft or
industrial election unit structure.
b. choose between employees
at one plant or multiple plants.
c. choose who functions as
supervisors or managers.
d. choose which industries
are involved in the election unit structure.
e. a, b, and c.
29. Research has shown that
a. workers are more inclined
to vote for the union if the employer delays the election.
b. firms with cooperative
labor relations are more likely to commit unfair labor practices during
election campaigns in order to stay nonunion.
c. illegal employer behavior
during the election campaign reduces the possibility that a first contract will
be settled.
d. firms with a past history
of violent labor relations will be more likely to cooperate with unions because
of the penalties that can be imposed by the NLRB.
e. all of the above.
31. Which of the following recommendations have
been made by advocates of labor law reform?
a. strengthen the penalties
imposed on employers who commit unlawful behavior during election campaigns.
b. provide unions with the
same amount of access to employees as management.
c. conduct slower election
processes so that unions can be given more time to convince the employees.
d. eliminate the ability of
employers to permanently replace strikers.
e. a, b, and d.
33. Which of the following is true about multi‑employer
bargaining?
a. Most are found in the
construction, longshoring, hotel, and hospital
industries.
b. Most are found in
occupations such as police, fire fighters, railroad workers, and airline
pilots.
c. It is an example of
employer decentralization in bargaining.
d. It helps increase
competition that is strictly based on labor costs.
35. In the 1980's, the telephone industry was
heavily affected by which of the following?
a. organizational factors.
b. deregulation public
policies.
c. union growth.
d. increases in union
bargaining power.
e. c and d.
37. Which of the following effects did
deregulation exert on bargaining structures in the United States?
a. Because of increased
competition, unions were able to centralize their bargaining structures which
led to the increased centralization in the whole economy.
b. Because unions were able
to successfully organize the new firms, they were able to stabilize price
competition which led to centralized bargaining structures.
c. Because employers were
weak in preventing unionization, unions were able to decentralize bargaining
structures, which gave them more bargaining leverage.
d. Because of intense price
competition, unions could not prevent decentralization in bargaining structures.
39. Fractional bargaining is best defined as
a. bargaining that takes
place between management and each individual faction within one single union.
b. bargaining that takes
place between management and each individual union within the company.
c. informal bargaining that
takes place within the union itself because of diverse political interests.
d. informal bargaining that
takes place between individual supervisors and workers or work groups.
41. Which of the following statements is true concerning
recent bargaining?
a. Pattern bargaining has
become more significant than it was in prior periods.
b. There is greater
variability in recent collective bargaining settlements both within industries
and across different locations within the same firm.
c. Pattern bargaining has
prevented union gains from disappearing while other types of bargaining were
responsible for union concessions.
d. Pattern bargaining has
prevented employers from taking advantage of small unions.
43. According to Freeman and
Rogers a factor that effects employees decision to unionize is:
a. confidence in the
management.
b. confidence in the union.
c. trust in the union.
d. employees feeling as to
whether the union will treat them fairly
45. The non-traditional union
organizing tactics used by the Justice for Janitors Company were:
a. to organize on a
multi-employer basis.
b. to induce employers to
voluntarily recognize the union.
c. to use alliances with
community groups.
d. a & b.
e. all of the above.
Chapter 8
True/False
1. Distributive bargaining involves aspects of
negotiations where one side's gain is the other side's loss.
3. Distributive and integrative bargaining can
never take place within the same negotiations since each involves different
actors.
5. "Surface bargaining" occurs when
either side refuses to give in to the demands of the opposing side.
7. Unions are more likely to press for
application of local labor market comparisons during negotiations when they are
strong.
9. Unions often make comparisons with other
unions when establishing targets for wage bargaining.
11. The Supreme Court recently ruled that union
ratification procedures are unconstitutional because they prevent unions from
bargaining effectively with management.
13. During the early stages of negotiations,
management and unions often decide to discuss wage issues first.
15. According to the Hicks model, a primary
reason why strikes occur is because management and labor have very different
expectations of what will happen if a strike occurs.
17. Kerr and Siegal
argued that the reason why strike rates were higher in some industries was
because of greater social isolation and harsh physical labor in those
industries.
19. Recently, unions have increased the use of
workplace slowdowns instead of strikes in order to place pressure on employers
to yield to union demands.
21. Many experts recommend that rank and file
union members, and mangers who are not on the negotiation teams not be trained
in interest-based bargaining techniques.
23. Unions have seen traditional strike leverage
decline in recent years.
Multiple Choice
25. Why is integrative bargaining hard to
accomplish?
a. Since bargaining is done on a win or lose
basis, negotiations often lead to increased conflicts.
b. Parties are often in conflict because they
have trouble dividing up the gains or profits from integrative solutions.
c. Integrative bargaining requires the witholding of information from the other side. Thus, unions and management do not trust each
other.
d. There is often conflict within the
negotiating group which makes it difficult to achieve unanimous consent.
27. What does an employer consider when setting a
wage target?
a. the likely subsequent
responses of unorganized white collar workers.
b. the profitability of the
firm.
c. the state of the
relationship between the firm and the union.
d. local labor market
comparisons.
e. all of the above.
29. What characterizes the early stages of
negotiations?
a. few union representatives
are involved.
b. all proposals have little
significance since they are made to recognize factions within the union.
c. grandstanding often takes
place as union and management leaders present their demands.
d. all of the above.
31. The contract zone, according to the Hicks
model, is defined as
a. the difference in the
strike wage expectations of union and management.
b. the difference in the wage
expectations during negotiations of both union and management.
c. the range of wages that
management and labor agree upon for the purpose of bargaining.
d. none of the above.
33. Kerr and Siegal
claim
a. that strikes are due to
issues that are on the bargaining table.
b. that strikes are a result
of the militancy of the unions which are a direct result of the business cycle.
c. that strikes have very
little to do with bargaining issues.
d. that strikes are due to
differences in the expectations of union leaders and members.
35. What happened to strike activity in the U.S.
during the 1980's?
a. Unions used strikes as
offensive weapons in order to gain more concessions from management.
b. Employers were more
willing to hire replacement workers in their attempts to break strikes and
unions.
c. Employers rarely turned to
decertification elections to eliminate union representation.
d. U.S. strike activity
increased tremendously as compared to the 1970's.
e. a and d.
37. Which of the following is true concerning
steel negotiations in the 1980's?
a. In 1986 bargaining became
more centralized, and subsequently took place on a company by company basis.
b. Labor relations were
particularly good at U.S. Steel (USX).
c. Many domestic steel
companies offered profit sharing and stock payouts in return for union
concessions.
d. all of the above.
39. What criteria do union leaders often employ
to evaluate a proposed wage settlement?
a. its acceptability to other
unions.
b. its effect on real wages.
c. government reactions.
d. a and b.
e. none of the above.
41. An important task during the middle stages of
negotiations is
a. threatening to strike.
b. estimating the other
side's priorities on the outstanding issues.
c. inflating proposals.
d. all of the above.
43. Strikes in the 1980s and
1990s can be characterized by all of the following except:
a. as more hostile.
b. as more violent.
c. as offensive weapons.
d. as emotionally stronger.
e. all of the above.
45. What percentage of first contract
negotiations for new bargaining units reach agreements?
a. 1/10.
b. 1/3.
c. 2/3.
d. 3/4.
47. Which of the following is
NOT an accurate way for a union to judge its success in increasing wages for
members after negotiations?
a. comparing the wage adjustment minus the cost
of living for prior contracts and the current one
b. comparing the nominal increase in wages for
prior contracts and the current one
c. comparing the settlement with other
bargaining unit settlements during the same time period
d. comparing the settlement with other unions’
settlements during the same time period
Chapter
11
True/False
1. The Steelworkers' trilogy cases established
the principle that the courts would not regularly review arbitrator decisions.
3. The clinical approach to grievance
arbitration procedures emphasizes mediation of disputes, informality of
procedure, and arbitrator discretion in helping the parties develop a working
relationship.
5. Grievance and arbitration procedures rarely
serve the interests of workers since workers lose a vast majority of their
cases to employers.
7. Often critical to an arbitrator's decision in
a case is evidence concerning past behavior, by either the company or the
employee.
9. Researchers have found that cooperative
attitudes between union and management officials increase the likelihood that
grievances are settled at lower steps in the procedure.
11. Grievance mediation is a procedure in which a
third party functions as both a mediator and arbitrator.
13. The ombudsman plays a more varied role in
resolving conflicts and also often handles a broader range of issues than does
the typical grievance arbitrator.
15. Jack Steiber and
Clyde Summers have argued that a new comprehensive arbitration system is needed
in order to protect unionized workers from further unfair labor practices by
the employer.
17. American court decisions have consistently
stated that it is the individual who owns the grievance and not the union.
19. It is often true that the attitudinal climate
(i.e., the level of trust between the parties.
carries over from contract administration to contract negotiation.
21. Complaint resolution procedures can be
advantageous to management in non-union workplaces as union avoidance tactics.
25. Grievance mediation has not been able to
solve many labor-management disputes, and therefore has not become an effective
alternative to arbitration.
Multiple
Choice
27. A typical
grievance procedure begins with
a. a formal writing of the grievance.
b. a union steward and line manager determining the
substantive merits of the grievance.
c. arbitration of the grievance by the employee.
d. arbitration of the grievance by the union.
e. oral discussion of the issue between the supervisor
and the employee.
29. Why do
unions press some disputes to arbitration?
a. Because arbitration costs will prevent management
from pursuing the matter.
b. Because the union believes that it has an
obligation to the grievant for the person's long years of service and union
loyalty.
c. Because the union believes the case is not
winnable.
d. None of the above.
31. The
Steelworkers' trilogy decisions provide that
a. the courts should rule only on whether or not the
substantive merits of an arbitration
decision are fair.
b. the courts should rule on questions about whether
or not a dispute can be arbitrated.
c. the parties should view arbitration as a quid pro
quo for giving up the right to strike.
d. the courts should never defer to the arbitrator's
decision.
e. b and c.
33. The
grievance and arbitration procedures serve the interests of the employer by
a. reducing the likelihood that disputes that occur
during the term of the contract will lead to work stoppages.
b. reducing the likelihood that the employees will
form unions.
c. reinstating the union's right to conduct a strike
over an issue that is covered by the grievance and arbitration clause.
d. preventing the courts from interfering in unfair
labor practices by the union.
35. Which of
the following is true about grievance arbitration?
a. The grievance arbitration procedure grants to
arbitrators little discretion to fashion remedies.
b. The grievance arbitration procedure grants to
arbitrators substantial discretion to fashion remedies.
c. The grievance arbitration procedure usually
provides substantial punitive penalties on the parties.
d. The grievance arbitration procedure rarely provides
substantial punitive penalties on the parties.
e. b and d.
37. The main
role of the American Association of Arbitration is
a. to provide advice to unions in cases of contract
disputes.
b. to provide advice to management in cases of
contract disputes.
c. to provide advice to the Department of Labor when
labor disputes occur.
d. to provide an active list of arbitrators for the
parties to choose from in cases where the parties seek arbitration.
39. One reason
why the Japanese and some European industrial relations systems may be better
suited to respond to changing technologies is
a. the fact that these systems do not allow white and
blue collar workers to be represented in the same bargaining unit.
b. the fact that frequently
in these systems unions represent both white and blue collar workers in a firm.
c. the fact that these systems include enterprise
unions that include all the employees of a firm.
d. the fact that these systems lack enterprise unions.
e. the fact that historically, in both Japan and
Europe, there existed no class distinctions while the U.S. has always had class
distinctions.
41. A factor
that reduces the effectiveness of the grievance arbitration system is
a. the fact that employees hardly ever win arbitration
decisions.
b. the fact that a guilty grievant who has been
discharged will never be able to find alternativeemployment.
c. the fact that reinstated employees often receive
lower performance ratings upon returning to the job than normal employees.
d. the fact that reinstated employees will often pose
a danger to the workplace.
e. none of the above.
43. An
alternative to the grievance procedures in the union sector includes
a. more informal complaint resolution.
b. expedited arbitration.
c. grievance mediation.
d. oral settlement procedures.
e. all of the above.
45. One of the
advantages of grievance mediation over grievance arbitration is
a. under grievance mediation the cost is substantially
lower.
b. under grievance mediation the average time for
complaint resolution is substantially lower but the costs are still roughly
equivalent.
c. grievance mediation does not require a neutral
third party to settle the dispute.
d. grievance mediation uses former court judges while
grievance arbitration does not.
47. Which of the following is
NOT a common practice for addressing issues that arise during the term of an
agreement?
a. Labor and management
negotiators meet to discuss issues and reach informal agreements.
b. Labor and management
negotiators decide to shorten the length of the current contract to negotiate
new issues immediately.
c. Labor and management
negotiators establish contracts with clear guidelines for dealing with new
issues that may arise.
d. Labor and management
leaders set up sub-committees to study new issues and recommend solutions.
Chapter 13
True/False
1. Over the last twenty years union membership
in the public sector has undergone rapid decline.
3. The 1980's witnessed renewed expansion of public
sector union membership as illustrated by the revitalization of the
Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization. (False.
p.361
5. By 1990 all states had passed legislation
granting state or local employees the right to organize and bargain
collectively.
7. Prior to legislation which gave public
employees the right to organize, public unions did not exist.
9. Bargaining power for the private and public
sectors is determined by the same basic set of factors.
11. Collective bargaining in the public sector is
not bilateral, but multilateral.
13. Research studies indicate that the public
sector union‑nonunion wage differential is typically in the range of 5%
to 15%.
15. Research indicates that interest arbitration
has led to lower wage settlements and, in general, less favorable contract
terms.
17. Some of the problems that plague
participation programs in the private sector have also plague participation
programs in public schools.
19. Research shows that, whenever it is available
as an impasse resolution device, interest arbitration is used excessively.
21. Public sector pay rates continue to rise
sharply for teachers and police officers.
Multiple Choice
23. What percent of federal, state, and local
government employees are represented by either a union or an employee
association?
a. 87%
b. 76%
c. 55%
d. 37%
e. 26%
25. The relative stability of industrial
relations in the public sector as compared to the private sector can be
explained by the effects of which of the following factors on the public
sector?
a. deregulation.
b. growth of alternative non‑union
suppliers.
c. relatively fewer economic
pressures.
d. previous public union
strike activities.
e. granting of strike rights
to all public unions.
27. What law first gave federal employees the
right to unionize and negotiate over working conditions other than wages or
fringe benefits?
a. Public Law 95‑454.
b. National Labor Relations
Act.
c. Executive Order 10988.
d. Labor Reform Act of 1962.
29. Public strikes are most likely to occur in
a. states that provide public
sector bargaining.
b. states that provide both
public sector bargaining and interest arbitration.
c. states that provide public
sector bargaining but no compulsory interest arbitration.
d. states that have no laws
regulating public sector bargaining.
31. Which of the following factors reduce the
strike leverage of public sector unions?
a. Strikers in the public
sector can often rely on alternative sources of income.
b. Lack of competitors in the
public sector.
c. Most government agencies
rely on taxes and not sales for revenues.
d. Public sympathy for public
unions.
33. Which of the following is true regarding
collective bargaining in the public sector?
a. All public employees have
equal rights to strike.
b. Employers and unions are
hesitant to consolidate bargaining units.
c. Public sector collective
bargaining is highly centralized.
d. Multi‑employer
bargaining exists in response to increased organizing in the public sector.
e. none of the above.
35. Which of the following is true regarding the
relative wages of public school teachers in the late 1980's?
a. Wages steadily decreased after the PATCO
strike.
b. Wages did not rise at all.
c. Though wages did not increase, fringe
benefits for public employees increased.
d. Relative wages rose.
e. No such data exists because of the
correlation‑causation problem.
37. What is true about the effects of public
interest arbitration?
a. Since most public unions
are not allowed to strike, use of interest arbitration is extremely high.
b. Unions and employers
always prefer final offer arbitration over conventional arbitration.
c. Strikes occur less
frequently in those states where interest arbitration is available.
d. Strikes never occur in
states that require interest arbitration.
39. Wellington and Winter's hypothesis rests on
the assumption that
a. government's main
responsibility is to prevent collective bargaining in the private sector, but
to allow it in the public sector.
b. that government's main
responsibility is to allow collective bargaining to reach all employees.
c. that government's main
responsibility is to prevent collective bargaining in both sectors of the
economy.
d. economic and political
factors give public employee unions enormous potential power.
41. In the 1990s, “reinvention” of the public
sector led to:
a. empowerment of the federal
government.
b. downsizing.
c. privatization.
d. a & b.
e. b & c.