Compensation Law

Essay by novelette321College, Undergraduate May 2007

download word file, 4 pages 2.8

The National Labor Relations ActIntroduction. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) passed during the great depression in 1935 is alsoKnown as the "Wagner Act." It was designed to protect employees' rights to form and joinUnions and to engage in activities such as strikes, picketing, and collective bargaining. WagnerAct was what really created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which is anIndependent federal agency charged with administering U.S. labor laws. I chose to write aboutThis law because in aspects it actually deals with unfair treatments guarded by unions to ensureEmployees are treated fairly when it comes to their pay wage, benefits and compensation.

Historically, the wage rate has been the main issue in collective bargaining. However, unionsAlso negotiate other pay-related issues, including time off pay, income security (for those inIndustries with periodic layoffs), cost of living adjustments, and benefits like health care.

The 1935 Act created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to oversee employer practicesAnd ensure employees receive their rights.

Its rulings underscore the need to involve unionOfficials I developing the compensation package. For example, employers must give the union aWritten explanation of the employer's "wage Curves" which is the graph that relates job to payRate. The union is also entitled to know the salary of each employee it is representing.

The National Labor Relations Act "Wagner Act" of 1935 deemed statutory wrongs but notCrimes. There are five unfair labor practices used by employers, and they are: It is unfair for employers to "interfere with restrain or coerce employees in exercising theirLegally sanctioned right of self-organization.

It is unfair practice for company representatives to dominate or interfere with either theForming or the administration of labor unions. Among other management actions found toBe unfair under practices bribing employees, using company spy systems, moving a businessTo avoid unionization and blacklisting.

Employers are prohibited from discriminating in any way against employees for their legalUnion activities.

Employers are forbidden to discharge or discriminate against employees simply because theLatter file unfair practice charges against the company.

Finally, It is unfair labor practice for employers to refuse to bargain collectively with theirEmployees duly chosen representatives.

Local unions generally are represented by national or international organizations and usuallyConsist of members having a particular skill or occupation. Members engage in organizing,Collective bargaining, and contract administration with businesses and governmentOrganizations.

Unionizing in an organization is often associated with generous compensation, increased benefitsAnd higher productivity of which often leads to higher employee morale and may be goodAdvantage for employees. In contrast, unions may reduce a business's flexibility andEconomic performance, which is vital in today's global economyActivity by labor unions in the United States today centers on collective bargaining over wages,Benefits, and working conditions for their membership and on representing their members ifManagement attempts to violate contract provisions. The impact of changes in employeeRelations strategies, policies and practices on organizational performance is much different inOrganizations that have employees represented by unions than by organizations that do not.

Those organizations that have union representation must ensure that the National LaborRelations Act (NLRA) is followed to the letter when situations such as disciplinary actions,Safety issues or anything related to the employee. This act is a federal law that supportsCollective bargaining and sets out the rights of employees to form unions. The strategies of theOrganization, policies and practices must incorporate the union's agreement.

Although down from the peak membership they achieved in the third quarter of the twentiethCentury, American unions also remain an important political factor. Through mobilization ofThere own memberships and through coalitions with like-minded activist organizations aroundIssues Such as immigrant rights, trade policy, health care, and living wage campaigns. TheSearch for a win-win solution requires that unions and their members understand the limits onWhat an employer can afford in a competitive marketplace.

ConclusionI believe unions are still needed and will forever needed to keep the enforcement of these laws.

But, I cautiously respond to this question and am basing my answer on the fact that they areRelevant to Certain types of organizations I believe that there are many types of organizationsSuch as Manufacturing, some industries, and even some retail environments such as Wal-MartWhere Employees benefit from having a union representing them. For organizations that areHighly Technical industries, I don't believe that unions can better represent the employees thanEmployees can represent themselves.

At one time, unions were very political and powerful in the United States; however with theChanging workforce, diversity amongst employees and global economy, membership withinA union organization is considerably down. Even with the decreased membership, it isImportant that there is union representation amongst certain industries such as the steel industryHusband works. The union promotes teamwork and challenges management on safety issuesMaking the overall moral of the employees much better than if they were not there. Unions fileAn unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor relations Board. The board thenInvestigates the charge and decides if it should take action. Possible actions includes dismissalOf the complaint, request for an injunction against the employer, or an order that the employerCease and desist.

From 1935-47 union membership increased quickly after passage of the National LaborRelations Act, "Wagner Act" in 1935.Other factors such as improving economy and aggressiveUnion leadership contributed to this rise, But by the mid-1940s, after the end of world war 11,The ride had begun to turn. Largely, because of series of massive postwar strikes, public policyBegan to shift against what many viewed as union excesses. The stage was set for passage for theTaft-Hartley Act.

References:Managing Human resource 3rd edition, Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, David B.

Balkin and Robert L. Cardy.

Human Resource Management 9th edition, Gary DesslerIrwin, 1980), p. 395; J. A. Fossum, Labor Relations (Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2002), pp.

448-52.

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright (2006). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management,Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations. Retrieved June 4, 2006 from Department of HumanResources, University of Phoenixhttps://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary/content/eReader.h.

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