Practice Case Assignment

Hidden Cameras Case

The company and union have had a bargaining relationship for more than 20 years. On October

1, bargaining unit member Allan Engle was performing his assigned work duties of cleaning the

bathroom on the second floor of the company’s administrative building when he glanced up and

observed a camera approximately six to eight feet away located in an air vent and pointed

directly at him. Engle reported his discovery to three other bargaining unit members, including

union steward Luther Hall, who went to the second-floor bathroom in question and confirmed

that the hidden camera was there. The following day the local union president was notified, but

when she went to investigate the hidden camera had been removed.

On October 20, local union president Wanda Jackson was asked to meet with the company’s HR

manager Susan Albright. Albright asked Jackson if she had heard about the camera that was

discovered in the sanitation department’s restroom. Albright went on to say that the camera had

been installed by the company because of a reported theft problem in that area. Albright stated

that once the camera had been discovered and union members appeared irate over the issue, the

camera was immediately removed by management. She also stated that since the company began

randomly placing hidden cameras in “high theft” areas around the company six months ago,

employee theft had decreased 70%.

Local union president Jackson did not approve of management’s use of hidden cameras. On

November 15, Jackson sent a hand-delivered letter to HR manager Albright demanding that the

company remove all hidden cameras and discontinue their use. Jackson also stated in the letter

that failure to remove the cameras and discontinue their use could result in the union going out

on strike.

Assume you are Susan when analyzing this case.