Mgmt 583 Labor
Relations
Chapter 4:Union Structure and
Government
Fall 2007
Growth in Healthcare Industry
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Union membership is in decline, but hospitals
offer growth opportunities for unions.
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14.6% in bargaining units.
12.6% are union members (8.2% in private
hospitals).
Up 2% since 2005.
Hospital Bargaining Units
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Eight predetermined categories:
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Physicians
Registered nurses
Other professional employees
Medical technicians
Skilled maintenance workers
Clerical workers, guards
Other nonprofessional employees
No unit, however, will be certified that has fewer than
six employees.
Source: American Hosp. Ass'n v. NLRB, 499 U.S. 606 (1991).
Union Structure: Locals
Membership Meeting
Stewards
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant-atArms
The Local
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Represents the members of the BU in the dayto-day dealings with the employer.
How local jurisdiction is defined:
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Type of work performed (craft v. industrial).
Specific geographic area (city or employer or
facility).
Type of activity (bargaining, grievance handling,
etc.)
Level of union governance (local v. national)
The Local
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Remember that in IR there are only two partie:
employer & union.
Employees are members of the union which
represents them.
Member rights are protected by:
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The Constitution of the local
CBA
Most union members do not participate in local
business meetings (< 1/3).
Independent Local Unions
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Some unions may be independent of a
national or the AFL-CIO
Independent Local Unions (ILU) represent
employees of a single employer and no other.
Union Structure: Locals
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Two major committees:
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Executive Committee
 President
 Vice-president
 Recording secretary
 Financial secretary
 Treasurer
 Sergeant-at-arms
 Shop Stewards
 Business agents (craft unions)
Negotiation Committee
Union Structure: Locals
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Negotiation Committee
 Chief negotiator
 Representative from the national
 Cost specialist
 Note taker/secretary
 Language draftsman
Union Structure: Locals
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Duties of the Shop Steward
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Ensures first-line supervisors comply with the CBA
POC for initial grievance handling
Collects dues
Disseminates union information
Solicits support for union activities
Note: Usually enjoys superseniority
Union Structure: Nationals
Union Structure: Nationals
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Originally nationals represented workers in a
single industry as their names may imply.
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“International” unions are such because they
include Bus in Canada.
They have elected presidents but full-time
professional staffs.
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Presidents are elected at the national convention
by delegates chosen by the locals.
Union Structure: Nationals
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Local-National Relationships
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Responsible for organizing new locals
Charters locals
Requires national approval for:
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Strikes
Contract ratification
Maintains strike fund
Maintains union pension funds
Provides IR support and expertise
Union Structure: Nationals
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Local-National Relationships
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Promotes union legislative agendas
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Health and safety laws
Equal pay laws
Civil rights laws
Minimum wage laws
Repeal right-to-work laws
Trade restrictions
Union Structure: Nationals
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National Goals:
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Organizing to increase numbers and control a
greater share of the labor market.
Enhance the satisfaction of existing members
[aids retention].
Focus most strategic activities toward:
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Corporate campaigns
PACs
Education
Union Structure: AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
(9 million workers)
National Unions
(53 Independent Unions)
Local Unions
Union Structure: AFL-CIO
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President John J. Sweeney (1995- )
AFL-CIO was formed in 1955 when the AFL
and the CIO mergered.
Union Structure: AFL-CIO
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Primary Activities are Political:
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Supporting pro-union candidates in national, state
and local elections.
Increasing overall union membership.
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Union Summer – an organizing campaign.
Organizing Institute – trains organizers.
Provides support to achieving political agendas.
AFL-CIO Political Agendas
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Anti-Right-to-Work
Pro-Affirmative Action
Anti-English as an Official Language
Anti-Balanced Budget Amendment
Anti-School Vouchers
Anti-Teacher Competency Testing
Anti-Privatization of Public Sector
Pro-Regulation of HMOs
Anti-Free Trade (including NAFTA)
Pro-Increasing the Minimum Wage
AFL-CIO Political Agendas
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In August 2006, the AFL-CIO
announced it would spend $40
million on get-out-the-vote
operations for the 2006 midterm
elections.
Trends
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Increased effort to organize service and
administrative professions.
Increased effort to organize public employees.
Increased union mergers (attempting to
achieve economies of scale)
Change to Win
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Change to Win Federation formed by seven unions
who want to place more emphasis on organizing and
less on PACs.
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SEIU (Andrew Stern)
IBT (James Hoffa)
United Food and Commercial Workers Union
UNITE HERE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and
Textile Employees and the Hotel Employees and
Restaurant Employees union)
Laborers International Union of North America
United Farm Workers,
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
AFL-CIO
OPEIU International
(140,000 members, 209 locals)
Washington State Labor Council
OPEIU Local
Membership
Business
Manager
Election
Board
Trustees
Executive Board
Labor
Council
Delegates
|
hires
|
Staff
Source: Office and Professional Employees International Union Local
Change to Win
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On September 27, 2005, Change to Win held
its founding convention in St. Louis,
Missouri.
Anna Burger, elected Chair of the Change to
Win Federation.
At least 75% of Change to Win's resources
and budget must to be allocated to organizing
programs.
Have target Wal-Mart as a “must organize.”
International Brotherhood of
Teamsters
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Second time they have left the AFL-CIO.
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1960 – expelled
1987 – readmitted
2005 - left on own accord
About 1.4 million members (2004).
Additions to Change to WIN’s
Ranks since 2005
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Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers BLE
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employees BMWE
Graphic Communications International Union
GCIU
National Association of Government
Employees NAGE
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store
Union RWDSU
About Exam I
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Bring two blue books
Four Part Test:
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Part I Short Answer Essay (6 of 8) 6 points ea.
Part II Definitions (10 of 12) 2 points ea.
Part III Essay (3 of 5) 12 points ea.
Part IV Matching (all) 8 total points.
Bonus 5 points.
Two hours
General Instructions for Exams
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Closed books, no notes.
Students are expected to do their own
work.
No hats, caps, or visors (or reverse the
bills) during exams.
No cell phones, palm pilots or similar
devices during examinations.
Once the exam begins no one may leave
the room unless their exam is completed.