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37. Wal-Mart surveys its employees annually as part of its "Grass Roots" program. The survey is designed to assess employees' perceptions on work-related issues. Results are tabulated by store, and the top three concerns are posted at each store. Formerly known as the Union Potential Index, the Unresolved People Index (UPI) is used to identify stores at risk of union organizing activity. Is the use of the UPI legal under the NLRA?

True False

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Interpreting the Result

This self-assessment measures your knowledge about unions. As with many types of government regulations, the laws and rules which govern the relationship between business owners and managers on the one hand, and the employees who are either unionized or thinking about being becoming unionized, are complex. However, it is important for all managers to have a basic understanding of these rules in order not to make mistakes that might expose the company to legal sanctions.

If you scored in the low or moderate ranges, you should spend time reviewing the text material on labor-management relationships. This is particularly true if you tend to have a negative attitude toward unions. You should be sure that you understand the laws and regulations clearly so that your attitude is based on fact rather than myth.

Action Steps

Your knowledge about unions may well influence your attitude towards unions. Your attitude may also be influenced by factors such as your personal experience with unions, your family’s experience with unions, your political and social views, and your understanding of the pros and cons of unions. While there is no "right" or "wrong" attitude towards unions, it is necessary that your attitude be based on facts.

There are several arguments in favor of unions. The most important of these arguments are briefly summarized here.

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● Unions help ensure that a fair share of the economic benefits are distributed to non-management employees.

● Unions are a necessary protection for employees from the arbitrary or unfair actions of management.

● Unions give non-management employees a collective voice in the political arena.

Of course, there are also strong arguments about the real or potential negative aspects of unionization. Union participation has been in a long decline in the United States. One result of this decline is you are less likely to have direct experience with a union, either through your own work experience, or indirectly through your relationship with family and friends who are union members. Thus, it is important to have a solid understanding of issues about unions before forming hard and fast attitudes—pro or con—towards them.