Assignment: Labor Unions
Length: 4 pages.
1) In U.S. politics the Democratic party has generally been more supportive of labor unions than the Republican party. Explain why it makes sense that the Wagner Act was sponsored by a Democrat, the Taft-Hartley Act by two Republicans, and the Landrum-Griffin Act by one of each.
2) In both the private and public sectors, a sharp increase in union membership coincides with the passage of protective legislation. A longstanding debate is whether increased demand for unionization causes new legislation or vice versa. Explain how causality can work in both directions. In which direction is labor law more important? Which direction do you think is more realistic?
3) Employees might respond to workplace injustice in one of five ways: quitting, individual voice (such as complaining), collective voice (including forming a union), resistance (including work withdrawal such as absenteeism, reduced work effort, and work avoidance, or perhaps even sabotage), and silence. How might union strategies, managerial strategies, and the external environment shape which response an individual worker chooses? What else might affect whether workplace injustice causes an individual to support a labor union over the other options for dealing with injustice?
4) Describe the pros and cons of union mergers for (i) two unions that represent workers in the same industry, and (ii) two unions that represent workers in different industries. Should U.S. law encourage, discourage, or remain neutral on union mergers?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.