Labor Union
an organization or workers acting together to negotiate their wages and working conditions with employers
Union-Management (labor) Relations
the dealings between labor unions and business management both in the bargaining process and beyond it
Craft Union
an organization of skilled workers in a single craft or trade
Strike
a temporary work stoppage by employees, calculated to add force to their demands
Industrial Union
an organization of both skilled and unskilled workers in a single industry
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
the federal agency that enforces the provisions of the Wagner Act
Injunction
a court order requiring a person or group either to perform some act or to refrain from performing some act
Bargaining Unit
the specific group of employees represented by a union
Jurisdiction
the right of a particular union to organize particular groups of workers
Collective Bargaining
the process of negotiating a labor contract with management
Ratification
approval of a labor contract by a vote of the union membeship
Seniority
the length of time an employee has worked for an organization
Overtime
time worked in excess of forty hours in one week (under some union contracts, time worked in excess of eight hours in a single day)
Job Security
protection against the loss of employment
Union Security
protection of the union's position as the employees' bargaining agent
Closed Shop
a workplace in which workers must join the union before they are hired; outlawed by the Taft-Hartley Act
Union Shop
a workplace in which new employees must join the union after a specified probationary period
Agency Shop
a workplace in which employees can choose not to join the union but must pay dues to the union anyway
Maintenance Shop
a workplace in which an employee who joins the union must remain a union member as long as he or she is employed by the firm
Grievance Procedure
a formally established course of action for resolving employee complaints against management
Shop Steward
an employee elected by union members to serve as their representative
Arbitration
the step in a grievance procedure in which a neutral third party hears the two sudes of a dispute and renders a binding decision
Picketing
marching back and forth in front of a place of employment with signs informing the public that a strike is in progress
Wildcat Strike
a strike not approved by the strikers' union
Slowdown
a technique whereby workers report to their jobs but work at a slower pace than normal
Boycott
a refusal to do business with a particular firm
Lockout
a firm's refusal to allow employees to enter the workplace
Strikebreaker
a nonunion employee who performs the job of a striking union member
Mediation
the use of a neutral third party to assist management and the union during their negotiations