few questions, due 5 hours, easy I supply other student answers

Student answer

(a)

In US the diversity in employment relationships is growing due to an increase in non-union employment, which suggests that union density is decreasing. In Britain, union membership has fallen about 40 per cent since 1979 and is struggling to adapt to changes of the 21st century.

(b) The American Federation of Legislation (AFL) as well as the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) play an influential role by developing the collective bargain. Union’s political actions can influence rewards or punishments among politicians and lobbying for legislation. However, The Trades Union Congress has not direct involvement with collective bargaining, its primary role is to lobby governments.

(c) In US decentralization is one factor leading to changes in collective bargaining. As companies withdrew from master agreements, bargaining shifted to the plant level, and pattern bargaining weakened. In Britain however, in recent years there has been an increase in employment regulation by the state. The outcome of such interaction is in process.

(d) In US there has been an extensive legislative activity in employment discrimination. In 1964 the government prohibited discrimination in the grounds of sex, race, color, religion, or national origin. In Britain there is less incentive from the government to abolish discrimination and class inequalities.

Student answer

The US operates under the "employment at will"theory while the British labor relations system can be characterised by voluntary relations between the social partners with a minimal level of interence from the state.  In th US the NLRA provides a structure of rules establishing employee rights with respect to collective action.  In 2007 union density in the US was approximately 36% in the public sector and 7.5% in the private sector.  As of 2008, the amount of union membership in the workforce in the UK was 7.6 million and the percentage density fell from 56% to 28%.

In the US the AFL-CIO which is the federation of national unions monitor the operations of unions by providing a voice, resolving disputes, enforcing policies and ethical practices and providing a link to the international movement.  After 1980, collective bargaining have been progressively decentralised with bargaining shifting from company wide agreements to the plant level.  Varying work practices and pay systems have contributed to this collective bargaining decentralisation.  The EFCA is yet to be passed.  This law will serve to benefit and protect employees in terms of unlawful discharge, unfair labor practices and provide arbitration in negotiating contract.

The British Unions played a part in establishing the labor party in 1906.  It has however distanced itself from unions since the mid 1980s because it secured funding from the business sector.  The TUC is one of Britains main union confederation. Their main focus is to lobby government on union issues, provide services to the affiliated unions and adjudicate disputes between unions.  Before world war 1, there were centralised negotiations across industries which left little room for workplace bargaining.  After world war 2 and the rise of the single-employer bargaining by the mid 1970s collective bargaining was decentralised throughout much of the private sector.  In regards to fairness a minimum wage was first introduced in 1999 and relative pay inequality has not been addressed but has been institutionalised in the form of bonuses and performance-related pay.  Gender inequality remains evident and increased immigration raises challenges in preventing and resolving disputes over racial discrimination at work.

Student answer

(a) Union density (the percentage of the workforce that is unionized).

In the U.S. in 2007, union density was approximately 36% in the public sector and 7.5% in the private sector. The level and density of unionisation has fluctuated since the end of World War II for the British, between 1979 and 2008 union membership fell by 5 million members to 7.6 million, with union density falling from 56% to 28%.

(b) Nature of political engagement by the leading union confederation (TUC versus AFL-CIO), including business unionism in the US and the role of the British Labor Party.

The TUC is Britain’s one main union confederation and is not directly involved in collective bargaining but lobbies governments on union issues, provides services to affiliated unions and judges disputes between affiliated unions.

AFL-CIO provides a national political and public voice for the US union movement, they resolve jurisdictional disputes among members, enforce codes of ethical practices and policies against racial and sex discriminationand is also a link to the international labor movement.

(c) Extent of decentralization and fragmentation.

In the union sector, the structure of collective bargaining is highly fragmented and this fragmentation is increasing, with most bargaining taking place at the single workplace level. Since the 1980's, collective bargaining structures have been progressively decentralised with the focus of bargaining shifting away from companywide agreements to the plant level.

(d) History and importance of discrimination law (read between the lines).

In Britain, increased immigration raises challenges in preventing and resolving disputes over racial discrimination at work. Bullying and harassment are more of an increasing importance.

In the U.S, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is yet to become the law, it involves: allowing unions to organise through card check recognition, facilitation of speedy processing of unfair labour practice claims, increased penalties on employers who unlawfully discharge employees and provision of interest arbitration if the parties are unable to negotiate a first contract.

Student answer

In both Britain and the United States unions were formed for and by skilled craftsmen. There was an increase of union membership in both countries after World War II. Union membership in Britain was at an all-time high in 1979 with more than half of the countries working population (55.8%) as members. In the United States, union membership was already in the declining stages with only 27.1% of its workforce belonging to unions in that same year. A change in British government in 1979 caused an increase in private sector employment which had an adverse effect on union memberships. Even with continued membership decline, by 2007 Britain still maintained a higher density of unionization than the US with 28% of its workforce affiliated.

In representing unions on a national level, AFL-CIO and TUC initially had the same ideas in mind. Unfortunately, there is little comparison in the outcomes. TUC has no political power while AFL-CIO is known to have a “kingpin” position within the labor movement. US unions play a major role in politics; using their power to legislative purposes. They have grown so powerful that the government treads lightly when dealing with the union unlike TUC who was crushed by the conservative government’s changes. Employers capitalized on the non-union movement tying work performance and evaluations to job pay in both Britain and the US.

At one time collective bargaining was performed on a national level for entire industries. Workplace rules were hard to establish on a national level and required more specifics. Certain workplace practices were fit for particular environments. Britain and the US experienced a shift trending toward workplace level bargaining. This will add more to the role of workplace and plant level managers. The will take on the responsibilities of a HR specialists. To combat unfair work practices the US government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 & established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prohibiting varies forms of discrimination. Britain adopted a similar governing body later in 2007 called the Equality and Human Rights Commission. There is still relevant income inequality in both countries. Britain and the US continue to research different ways to promote better opportunities to close the gap on income inequality and workplace fairness.

Student answer

 Union density (the percentage of the workforce that is unionized)

a.       Union density in the United States is and has always been significantly lower than it has been in Great Britain.

b)      Nature of political engagement by the leading union confederation (TUC versus AFL-CIO), including business unionism in the US and the role of the British Labor Party

a.       Political engagement on the part of unions in the US and Great Britain differ mainly in the type of involvement, even if not the level of involvement. AFL-CIO’s primary political activity comes in the form of endorsing (and punishing) political candidates based on their proclivity toward labor priorities. The TUC, however, approaches its political activity a bit differently by being a financial supporter of the Labour Party. In the US, groups like AFL-CIO also tend to use their political muscle to directly pressure management into complying with demands. The Labour party in Great Britain does not have that same approach, but uses its influence to shape public policy (which, concerning labor is far more expansive than in the US).

c)       Extent of decentralization and fragmentation

a.       Bargaining in the United States is becoming far more decentralized, as the center of negotiations becomes the plants and companies instead of the industries. This trend is reversed in Great Britain, where changes in labor relations driven by European Union policies and other social factors are driving the country toward increased centralization of collective bargaining.

d)      History and importance of discrimination law (read between the lines)

a.       In Great Britain, unions developed as a consequence of the feudal class system. Until a spike in immigration in the 1990s, race discrimination was never a major issue for public policy and was never addressed as such. The only discrimination issue widely acknowledged by British markets is the issue of gender equity—which parliament has taken some steps to address.

In the US, discrimination issues were a main focus of public policy through the 19th and 20th centuries. This led to a fair amount of labor law focusing on preventing management’s ability to discriminate against everything from gender to race, religion, and even disability. It is clear that discrimination law is a much stronger driving force in the US than it is in Great Britain.