union
an employee organization that has the main goal of representing members in employee-management bargaining over job-related issues
craft union
an organization of skilled specialists in a particular craft or trade
knights of labor
the first national labor union; formed in 1869
american federation of labor (AFL)
an organization of craft unions that championed fundamental labor issues; fouinded 1886
industrial unions
labor organizations of unskilled and semiskilled workers in mass-production industries such as automobiles and mining
congress of industrial organizations (CIO)
union organization of unskilled workers; broke away from the american federation of labor (AFL)in 1935 and rejoined it in 1955
yellow-dog contract
a type of contract that required employees to agree as a condition of employment not to join a union; prohibited by the norris-laguardia act in 1932
collective bargaining
the process whereby union and management representatives form a labor-management agreement, or contract, for workers
certification
formal process whereby a union is recognized by the national labor relations board (NLRB) as the bargaining agent for a goup of employees
decertification
the process by which workers take away a unions right to represent them
negotiated labormanagement agreement
agreement that sets the tone and clarifies the terms under which management and labor agree to function over a period of time
union security clause
provision in a negotiated labor-management agreement that stipulates that employees who benefit from a union must either officially join or at least pay dues to the union
closed shop agreement
clause in a labor-management agreement that specified workers had to be members of a union before being hired (was outlawed by the taft-Hartley Act in 1947)
union shop agreement
clause in a labor-management agreement that says workers do not have to be members of a union to be hired, but must agree to join the union within a prescribed period
agency shop agreement
clause in a labor-management agreement that says employers may hire nonunion workers; employees are not required to join the union but must pay a union fee
right to work laws
legislation that gives workers the right, under an open shop, to join or not join a union if it is present
open shop agreement
agreement in right to work states that gives workers the option to join or not join a union, if one exists in their workplace
grievance
a charge by employees that management is not abiding by the terms of the negotiated labor-management agreement
shop stewards
union officials who work permanently in an organization and represent employee interests on a daily basis
bargaining zone
the range of options between the initial and final offer that each party will consider before negotiations dissolve or reach an impasse
mediation
the use of a third party, called a mediator, who encourages both sides in a dispute to continue negotiating and often makes suggestions for resolving the dispute
arbitration
the agreement to bring in an impartial third party ( a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators) to render a binding decision in a labor dispute
strike
a union strategy in which workers' objectives after an impasse in collective bargaining
cooling-off period
when workers in a critical industry return to their jobs while the union and management continue negotiations
primary boycott
when a union encourages both its members and the general public not to buy the products of a firm involved in a labor dispute
secondary boycott
an attempt by labor to convince others to stop doing business with a firm that is the subject of a primary boycott; prohibited by the Taft-Hartley Act
lockout
an attempt by management to put pressure on unions by temporarily closing the business
injunction
a court order directing someone to do something or to refrain from doing something
strikebreakers
workers hired to do the jobs of striking workers until the labor dispute is resolved
givebacks
concessions made by union members to management; gains from labor negotiations are given back to management to help employers remain competitive and thereby save jobs
sexual harassment
unwelcome sexual addvances, requests for sexual favors, and other conduct (verbal or physical) of a sexual nature that creates a hostile work environment