A raise in wages, in terms of dollars or a percentage, given at one time
to all workers in a bargaining unit. This is to be distinguished from a raise
that gives different rates of increase to different groups of employees.
Agency Shop
Provision in a collective bargaining agreement that requires that all
employees in the bargaining unit who do not join the association or union pay a
fixed amount monthly, the equivalent of association or union dues, as a
condition of employment, to help defray the association or union's expense in
acting as bargaining agent. The agency shop was designed as a compromise between
the union's desire to eliminate the free rider through compulsory membership and
management's desire to make membership in a union voluntary. Synonymous with a
fair-share agreement.
Agent
A person who acts on the behalf of either an employer or a union. Any
illegal actions the agent commits, such as unfair labor practices or conduct
subject to court litigation, implicate the employer or union being represented,
even if the illegal act was not authorized or approved.
Agreement (Collective Bargaining
Agreement, Union Contract)
Written contract between an employer and an association or union, usually
for a definite term, defining conditions of employment (wages, hours, vacations, holidays,
overtime payments, working conditions, etc.) rights of employees and association
or union, and procedures to be followed in settling disputes or handling issues
that arise during the life of the contract.
American Arbitration Association
(AAA)
A private, nonprofit organization established to promote arbitration as
method of settling labor disputes. The AAA is one of several services which provides lists of
qualified arbitrators to employee organizations and employers on request as well
as rules of procedure for the conduct of arbitration.
A method of settling a labor-management dispute by having a neutral third
party or panel hold a formal hearing, take testimony, and render an award.
Arbitration is voluntary when both parties agree to submit disputed issues to
arbitration, and compulsory if required by law. The decision may or may not be
binding upon the parties. The two major types of labor arbitration are grievance
arbitration and interest arbitration.
A method of resolving labor disputes which arise over the interpretation
or application of the existing collective bargaining agreement. It is sometimes referred to as rights
arbitration. The parties present their cases to an arbitrator who, acting like a
judge, interprets and applies the contract. The award, which is usually final
and binding, is based on this presentation.
A method of resolving disputes that arise during the course of contract
negotiations where the arbitrator makes a decision on what will be contained in
the agreement. It is usually employed after mediation and/or fact-finding have
failed to resolve the conflict. Some forms of interest arbitration require the
arbitrator to accept the final offer of one party on an issue-by-issue or total
package basis. This procedure is similar to fact-finding but is usually final
and binding.
A neutral third-party to whom disputing parties submit their differences
for decision (award). An ad hoc arbitrator is one selected to act in a specific
case or a limited group of cases. A permanent arbitrator is one selected to
serve for the life of the contract or a stipulated term, hearing all disputes
that arise during this period.
Association or Union Recognition
Protection of an association's or union's status by a provision in the
collective bargaining agreement establishing a closed shop, association (union)
shop, or maintenance-of-membership arrangement. In the absence of such
provisions, employees in the bargaining unit are free to join or support the
association or union at will, and therefore in association or union reasoning
are susceptible to pressures to refrain or to the inducement of a "free
ride".
Provision in a collective bargaining agreement that requires all
employees to become members of the association or union within a specified time
after hiring (typically 30 days), or after a new provision is negotiated, and to
remain members of the association or union as a condition of continued
employment. Modified association or union shops are variations on the
association or union shop. Certain employees may be exempted, e.g., those
already employed at the time the provision was negotiated who had up until then,
not joined the association or union.
Authorization Card (Interest
Card)
A statement signed by the employee authorizing an association or union to
act as his representative in dealings with management, or authorizing the
employer to deduct associating or union dues from his pay (check-off).
Association or union designated by an appropriate government agency such
as the Alaska Labor Relations Agency,
Municipal or Borough Employee Relations Board, or recognized voluntarily by the
employer, as the exclusive representative of all employees in the bargaining
unit for purposes of collective bargaining.
A broadly representative union body which polls, surveys, and analyzes
the union membership to determine the importance of various issues; establishes
a preliminary framework of negotiating priorities for the negotiating team; and,
carries on various other support activities for both the negotiating team and
the union.
Legally recognized right of associations or unions to represent employees
in dealings with employers.
Group of employees in a craft, department, plant, firm, industry or
government agency recognized by the employer, or designated by an authorized
agency such as the local Employee Relations Board, Alaska Labor Relations Agency
or National Labor Relations Board as appropriate for representation by an
association or union for purposes of collective bargaining. One way of judging
the appropriateness of a bargaining unit is to determine a community of interest
among the employees. Other typical criteria are bargaining history, employee
desires, and employer structure.
Some agreements include the payment of periodic bonuses or lump sum
payment.
Collective economic-pressure intended to discourage the public from
buying, patronizing, or supporting unfair employers, companies, or oppressive
institutions.
A seniority protection that occurs when a person must move to a different
position and in doing so causes another less senior employee to move. The second
person is "bumped" by the first.
A premium wage payment made when workers are called back to work or an
assurance that hey will work a given number of hours when called back to work.
An alternative to the traditional benefit package wherein everyone
receives the same benefit package. Cafeteria plans usually have an expanded list
of benefits with a fixed level of basic benefits. Workers can select or trade
benefits to meet their individual needs.
Formal designation by a government agency, such as a local Employee
Relations Board, the Alaska Labor Relations Agency or the National Labor
Relations Board of the association or union selected by the majority of the
employees in a supervised election to act as exclusive bargaining agent for all
employees in the bargaining unit.
Practice whereby the employer, by agreement with the association or
union(and upon written authorization from each employee where required by law or
agreement), regularly withholds association or union dues from employee's wages
and transmits these funds to the association or union. Check-off is a common
practice in organized establishments and is not dependent upon the existence of
a formal association or union security clause. The arrangement may also provide
for deductions of initiation fees and assessments. (See Association or Union
Security).
Form of association or union security provided in an agreement which
binds the employer to hire and retain only association or union members in good
standing. The key distinction between closed shop and an association or union
shop lies in the hiring restriction, a restriction prohibited by the Labor
Management Relations Act 1974. Legal closed shops may be found outside the scope
of this act (which applies to employers and employees in industries affecting
interstate commerce) and outside the states with "right-to-work" laws.
Method whereby representatives of the employees (association or union)
and employer determine the conditions of employment through direct negotiation
normally resulting in a written contract setting forth the wages, hours and
other conditions to be observed for a stipulated period (e.g., 2 years). The
term is also applied to association or union and management dealings during the
term of the agreement.(See Agreement)
The efforts of a third-party neutral aimed at finding compromise between
opposite view-points in a labor dispute so that a voluntary settlement results.
An employee who has access to information that could affect the
employer’s employee relations. For instance, if an employee handles
grievances, assists in formulating collective bargaining strategies, or assists
his or her supervisor with any either of those tasks.
Most grievance procedures have time limits that require that the
grievance must be filed a certain number of days after the event. However, some
events are continuous making the time limits less clear. The usual rule is that
the clock starts running when the union could reasonably have been expected to
know of the event and have taken action.
The time period during which an existing agreement will bar a
representation election sought by a competing union or a group of bargaining
unit employees attempting to unseat the organization that has the right of
exclusive representation.
The use by employers of outside contractors whose employees are not
covered by the same collective bargaining agreement to do work which has been or
could be preformed by unit employees.
See
Escalator Clause.
Cost of Living Index (CPI)
The commonly-used name for the Consumer’s Price Index (CPI), which is
prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This Index shows from month to
month, and year to year, the change in prices of a number of items which it is
assumed that most families buy – food, clothing, rent, furniture, etc. This
price index is therefore a rough measure of changes in the cost of living.
Cooling-Off
Period
A period of time that must elapse before a strike or lockout can begin or
be resumed, established by agreement or by law. The term derives from the hope
that the tensions of unsuccessful negotiation will subside in time that a work
stoppage will be averted.
The years of employment counted toward retirement and seniority.
Collective bargaining that occurs under the pressure of a strike
deadline. The opposite of crisis bargaining is the more typical situation where
there is ample time to discuss and review proposals and counter proposals.
Dismissal of a worker from his employment. Term implies discipline for
unsatisfactory performance and is thus usually limited to dismissals for cause
relating to the individual; e.g., insubordination, absenteeism, inefficiency.
Collective bargaining agreements usually protect employees from arbitrary or
discriminatory discharge. A discharge means loss of seniority and other rights
and affects the employee's chances for employment elsewhere.
Discrimination
Term applied to prejudice against or unequal treatment of employees in
hiring, employment, pay or conditions of work, because of race, national origin,
creed, color, sex, age, association or union membership or activity or any other
characteristic not related to ability or job performance.
Dispute
(Labor Dispute)
Any disagreement between association or union and management which
requires resolution in one way or another, e.g., inability to agree on contract
terms, an unsettled grievance, etc.
The mutual obligation of the employer and the representative of the
employees to meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to
wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. Such obligation does
not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a
concession.
The legal obligation on the part of the union, as exclusive
representative of a bargaining unit, to represent all of the employees, members
and non-members alike, fairly without discrimination, obvious negligence, or
through arbitrary or capricious decisions. A union that commits a DFR violation
can be charged with an unfair labor practice at the NLRB (if private sector) or
sued in court.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
A confidential information, support and referral service designed to help
employees cope with personal problems that negatively affect their lives and
workplace productivity. Such programs often provide assistance in the following
situations: emotional stress, family disintegration, financial and legal
difficulties, alcoholism, drug abuse, and marital disruption.
The study of matching workplace and machines to the characteristics of
workers to reduce strain on workers and thereby decrease lost time caused by
work-related illness and disability.
A policy denoting or a demand for payment of equal compensation to all
employees in an establishment performing the same kind or amount of work,
regardless of race, sex, or other characteristics of the individual workers not
related to ability or performance.
Escalator Clause (Wage Escalator)
Provision in an agreement stipulating that wages are to be automatically
increased or reduced periodically according to a schedule related to changes in
the cost-of-living as measured by a designated index, or occasionally to another
standard, such as an average earnings figure. Escalator clauses thus allow wages
to fluctuate with changes in the cost of living and are designed to keep real
wages reasonably stable during the term of the contract. Term any also apply to
any tie between an employee benefit and the cost of living as in a pension plan.
The right and obligation of an association or union designated as
majority representative to bargain collectively for all employees, including
non-members, in the bargaining unit.
A group of individuals appointed under government authority to
investigate, assemble and report the facts in a labor dispute, sometimes with
authority to make recommendations for settlement.
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
(FLSA, Wage-Hour Law)
Federal law which prohibited oppressive child labor and established a
minimum hourly wage and premium overtime pay for hours in excess of a specific
level (now time and one-half after 40 hours per week) for all workers engaged
in, or producing goods for, interstate commerce. The minimum wage and the
coverage of the act have been modified several times since enactment.
Work practices that tend to limit productivity and create an artificial
demand for workers, such as demanding payment for work not performed, refusing
to allow adoption of labor-saving equipment, and creating or maintaining
nonessential jobs. Such practices are often motivated by fear of job loss
(through automation, for example) and are justified by claims of enhanced safety
and work quality.
Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service (FMCS)
An independent U.S. Government agency that provides mediators to assist
the parties involved in negotiations or a labor dispute in reaching a
settlement, provides list of suitable arbitrators on request, and engages in
various types of "preventive mediation". Mediation services are also
provided by several State agencies.
Fringe Benefits
Compensation in addition to direct wages such as paid vacations and
holidays, overtime premiums, medical insurance and pensions.
The requirement that the two parties to negotiation meet and confer at
reasonable times with a willingness to reach an agreement on new contract terms.
Good faith bargaining does not require that either party make a concession or
agree to any proposal.
A member in good standing is one with paid up dues, and having met all
other obligations of membership.
Any complaint or expressed dissatisfaction by an employee in connection
with his job, pay or other aspects of his employment. Whether it is formally
recognized and handled as a "grievance" depends on the scope of the
grievance procedure.
A voluntary and less formal method of dispute resolution whereby a
neutral party serves as a facilitator in the decision making process. The
ultimate acceptance, rejection, or modification of a resolution rests with the
parties.
Typically a formal plan specified int he agreement which provides a
channel for the adjustment of grievances through discussions at progressively
higher levels of authority of the company or other employer and the association
or union, usually culminating in arbitration, if necessary. Formal plans may
also be found in non-union companies, with the important difference that there
is no association or union to represent employees.
The regular steps in a grievance procedure by which a grievance dispute
moves from one level of authority in the company and association or union to the
next higher level. The steps are usually in the agreement.
The procedures agreed to by the parties which govern the process and
conduct of negotiations.
Money paid above the usual wage scale for work which endangers the health
or welfare of the worker. Extra pay also may be negotiated into a contract for
workers who are involved in especially dirty or unpleasant work.
The point in bargaining where a stalemate has been reached with no
prospect of change to position by either party.
The initial financial charge of becoming a union member. The amount is
set by the membership.
An order issued by a court to cease and discontinue a certain activity
because the other party is liable to sustain irreparable injury form the
(unlawful) activity.
The act of refusing or deliberately failing to carry out a legal
assignment. When in doubt carry out the work under protest and follow up the
assignment with a grievance. (work now, grieve later.)
A written statement listing the elements of a particular job or
occupation, such as purpose, duties, equipment used, qualifications, training,
physical and mental demands, working conditions, etc.
Job Evaluation (Job Grading, Job
Rating or Appraisal)
Determination of the relative importance or ranking of jobs in an
establishment for wage setting purposes by systematically rating them on the
basis of selected factors, such as skill, responsibility, experience, etc.
Ordinarily used as a means of determining relative levels, not the actual
structure as a whole.
A joint committee formed to discuss a variety of topics usually related
to improvements in the employer’s business. Labor/Management committees have
the power to recommend changes, but if the changes are mandatory subjects of
bargaining, the changes must be negotiated.
Layoff (Reduction in Force)
Involuntary separation of employment for a temporary or indefinite period
of time without prejudice, that is, resulting from no fault of the employees.
Although "layoff" usually implies eventual recall, or at least the
intent to recall employees to their jobs, the term is occasionally used for
separations plainly signifying permanent loss of jobs, as in plant shutdowns.
Reduction in force usually signifies permanent layoff.
Lockout (Joint Lockout)
A temporary withholding of work or denial of employment to a group of
employees by an employer during a labor dispute in order to compel a settlement
at or close to the employer's terms. A joint lockout is such an action
undertaken at the same time by a group of employers. Technically, the
distinction between a strike and lockout turns on which party actually initiates
the stoppage. One, however, can develop into the other.
A case decided by the Supreme Court that found that public employees have
a property right in their positions and cannot be deprived of their positions
without due process.
An arrangement provided for in a collective bargaining agreement whereby
employees who are members of the association or union at the time the agreement
is negotiated, or who voluntarily join the association or union, subsequently
must maintain their membership for the duration of the agreement.
Management’s Prerogatives
(Management’s Rights)
This refers to the right of the employer to make decisions and run the
agency without consultation with, notification to, or bargaining with the union.
A
provision found in most collective bargaining agreements delegating certain
rights to management, generally including the right to assign and direct the
workforce, to discipline employees for just cause, and to reduce the workforce
due to lack of work or money.
A subject pertaining to the wages, hours, terms, or conditions of
employment. An Employer may not make a unilateral change in a mandatory subject
of bargaining without providing prior notice to the union and an opportunity to
bargain.
Merit Increase (Performance
Incentive)
An increase in the wage rate of an employee, usually given on the basis
of certain criteria of worth (e.g., efficiency and performance).
An attempt by an impartial third party, called a mediator, to bring the
parties in a labor dispute together. The mediator has no power to force a
settlement but rather operates primarily through persuasion to help the
negotiating parties reach an agreement.
National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB)
Agency created by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, and continued
through subsequent amendments, whose functions are to define appropriate
bargaining units, to hold elections to determine whether a majority of employees
want to be represented by a specific association or union or no association or
union, to certify associations or unions to represent employees, to interpret
and apply the act's provisions prohibiting certain employer and association or
union unfair practices, and otherwise to administer the provisions of the act.
The process by which representatives of employees and management try to
reach agreement on conditions of employment, such as wages, hours, fringe
benefits, and the machinery for handling grievances.
The person who represents the employer or union in collective bargaining
negotiations. Often committees or "teams" represent each party, and
one of the committee's members acts as chief negotiator or spokesperson for the
group.
A provision found in most collective bargaining agreements in which the
union pledges that there will be no strikes during the life of the agreement.
Term commonly applied to an establishment with a policy of not
recognizing or dealing with a labor association or union. Term may be sometimes
applied to an organized establishment where association or union membership is
not a condition of employment. (See Association or Union Security)
Work performed in excess of basic workday or workweek as defined by law,
personnel rules, collective bargaining agreement, or company policy. Sometimes
applied to work performed on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays at premium rates.
A way of dealing with a grievance by considering the manner a similar
issue was resolved before the present grievance was filed. Past practice is
often used to resolve a grievance when contract language is ambiguous or
contradictory, or when the contract doesn't address the matter in dispute. Past
practice may also create a basis for a grievance action if the employer
unilaterally changes a long standing well understood practice which may not be
included in the collective bargaining agreement.
Amounts withheld from employee's earnings by the employer for social
security, federal income taxes and other governmental levies; also may include
union or association dues, group insurance premiums, and other authorized wage
assignments.
A stated periodic payment taken from the monthly dues amount that is sent
by union local to the national union and the AFL-CIO.
Excused leave for reasons important to the individual worker regardless
of whether otherwise provided for, such as for getting married, sick leave,
annual leave, etc.
Patrolling near employer's place of business by association or union
members (pickets) to publicize the existence of a labor dispute, persuade
employees to join the association or union or the strike, discourage customers
from buying or using employer's goods or service, etc. Organizational picketing
is picketing carried on by the association or the union for the purpose of
persuading employees to join the association or union or authorize the
association or union to represent them. Recognition picketing is picketing to
compel the employer to recognize the association or union as the exclusive
bargaining agent for his employees. Informational picketing is picketing
directed toward advising the public that an employer does not employ members of,
or have a contract with, an association or union, or is treating its employees
in an unfair manner when an actual strike is not called.
Additional money which is paid to an employee for certain types of work,
sometimes referred to as penalty pay. It is usually 10 to 50 percent of the base
rate. Examples: night shifts, overtime, hazardous or unpleasant work. Premium
pay is paid in addition to the regular pay to compensate employees for the
special effort required, the unpleasantness of the work, or for the
inconvenience of the time during which the work takes place. It is offered to
induce them to volunteer for such work.
Prevailing Rate (Going Rate)
Term has no precise statistical meaning in ordinary usage. It may refer to average level of wages paid by employers for specific occupations in a community or area, rate most commonly paid, rate paid to most employees, or rate established by association or union contracts.
Term applied to an association or union's attempt to enroll members
belonging to another association or union or already covered by a collective
bargaining agreement negotiated by another association or union, with the intent
to usury the association or union's bargaining relationship.
Ratification
Formal approval of a newly negotiated agreement by vote of the
association or union members affected.
Real wages measure changes in earning as compared to inflation. They are
usually calculated by dividing the increase in current wages by the rise in the
cost of living from a given year in the past, so as to measure how much of the
increase in wages is to offset inflation and how much is real progress—hence
the term real wages.
Usually, the basic rate-of-pay or the straight-time rate. The Fair Labor
Standards act defines "regular rate of pay" for overtime pay
computations; collective bargaining agreements also usually define the term for
calculation purposes (vacation pay, overtime, etc.).
Reopening Clause (Wage Re-opener)
Clause in a collective bargaining agreement stating the time of the
circumstances under which negotiations can be requested, prior to the expiration
of the contract. Reopenings are usually restricted to wage issues and perhaps
other specified economic issues, not to the contract as a whole.
Representation Election
(Election)
Election conducted to determine by a majority vote of the employees in an
appropriate unit (See Bargaining Unit) which, if any, association or union is
desired as their exclusive representative. These elections are usually conducted
by the State Labor Relations Agency, Municipal or Borough Employee Relations
Board, or the National Labor Relations Board.
Wages due for past services renedered, frequently required when wage
increases are made effective as of an earlier date, or when contract
negotiations are extended beyond the expiration date of the previous agreement.
State laws which forbid collective bargaining agreements to contain union
security clauses that require union membership. These laws are authorized by
Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act. About 20 states, located mostly in the
South and Southwest, have right to work laws.
The universe of issues included in the collective bargaining procedures,
which are usually divided into three categories: mandatory, permissive, and
prohibited.
Term used to designate an employee's status relative to other employees,
as in determining order of promotion, layoff, vacations, etc. Straight seniority
is acquired solely through length of service. In qualified seniority, other
factors such as ability are considered with length of service. Departmental or
unit seniority refers to seniority applicable in a particular section for the
plant, rather than in the entire establishment. Plant-wide or company-wide
seniority is applicable through out the plant or company. On a seniority list,
individual workers are ranked in order of seniority.
Payment by the employer to a worker who terminates their employment,
either voluntarily or involuntarily.
Any unwarranted and repeated sexual comments, looks, suggestions, or
physical contacts that create an uncomfortable working environment.
Added pay for working during a swing or graveyard shift, graveyard
differentials are generally more than swing shift differentials.
Shop Steward (Employee
Representative, Union Steward)
A local association or union's representative in a plant or department
elected by association or union members (or sometimes appointed by the union) to
carry out association or union duties and solicit new members.
Strike (Wildcat, Outlaw, Quickie,
Slowdown, Sympathy, Sitdown, General)
Temporary stoppage of work by a group of employees (not necessarily
members of an association or union) to express a grievance, enforce a demand for
changes in the conditions of employment, obtain recognition, or resolve a
dispute with management. A wildcat or outlaw strike is a strike not sanctioned
by the association or union and one which violates the agreement. A quickie
strike is a spontaneous or unannounced strike. A slowdown is a deliberate
reduction of output without an actual strike in order to force concession from
employer. A sympathy strike is one of workers not directly involved in a
dispute, but who wish to demonstrate worker solidarity or bring additional
pressure upon company involved. A sit-down strike is a strike during which
workers stay inside the plant or workplace, but refuse to work, or allow others
to do so. A general strike involves all organized employees in a community or
country (rare in the United States). A walkout is the same as a strike.
Time set by the association or union for beginning a strike
if a satisfactory settlement is not reached. Typically, this is at midnight of
the last day of the contract term or the start of the next day's first shift.
Formal notice of an intention to strike, presented by the association or
union to the employer, or to the appropriate federal government agency, such as
the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Vote conducted among members of an association or union to determine
whether or not a strike should be called.
Sunshine Bargaining (Fish Bowl
bargaining)
Bargaining that involves the public, either as participants or observers
of all aspects of bargaining. May also be called Open negotiations.
A position on the seniority list ahead of where the employees would be
placed solely on the basis of years of service. Such favorable treatment is
usually reserved for union stewards, in order to retain proper union
representation for those employees who remain on the job in the event of a
layoff. Super-seniority would be provided for in a collective bargaining
agreement, and is also frequently granted to elected negotiators.
A person having the authority, in the interests of the employer, to hire,
transfer, suspend, promote, layoff, recall, discharge, assign, reward, or
discipline other employees, or to effectively recommend such action, or to
adjust employee grievances, where such authority is not of a routine or clerical
nature but requires the use of independent judgment.
A derogatory term for an association or union contract exceptionally
favorable to a particular employer in comparison with other contracts, implying
less favorable conditions of employment than could be obtained under a
legitimate collective bargaining relationship.
Unemployment Insurance
(Unemployment Compensation)
Joint
federal-state program, established in 1935, under the Social Security Act and
subject to the standards set forth in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, under
which state-administered funds obtained through payroll taxes provide payments
to eligible unemployed persons for specified periods of time. Levels of benefits
and tax rates are established by each State.
Action by either an employer or union that violates the provisions of
national, state, or local labor relations acts, such as refusal to bargain in
good faith. An unfair practice strike is a strike caused, at least in part, by
an employer's unfair labor practice.
A change of a mandatory bargaining subject made by an employer without
prior notice and/or bargaining. Unless permitted by the contract, such
unilateral changes are unfair labor practices.
A stamp or tag on a product or card in a store or shop to show that the
work is done by union labor.
A
clause in the contract providing for the union shop, modified union shop,
maintenance of membership clause or agency shop. The checkoff can also be
regarded as a form of Union security.
A workplace in which every worker covered by the contract must become a
member of the union or an agency fee payer. New workers need not be union
members to be hired, but must join the union within a contractually specified
number of days.
Voluntary Bargaining subject
(same as permissive bargaining subject)
A subject about which the employer can legally refuse to bargain; for
example, the selection of management personnel.
The right of employees to request union representation during
investigatory interviews and the right of union representatives to assist and
counsel employees during investigatory interviews.
Work Rules (Policies and
Procedures)
Rules
regulating on-the-job standards and conditions of work, often incorporated the
collective bargaining agreement when negotiations occur. Work rules are usually
negotiated at the insistence of the union to restrict management's ability to
unilaterally set production standards and assign employees as management wants.
The union's goals in establishing work rules are to maximize and protect the
number of jobs available to its members, protect the health and safety of
employees, and to promote stable work assignments for employees.
A decision by workers to perform their work in strict accordance with the
requirements of work rules; a form of slowdown.
A contract stating that a worker would not join a union. Before the
practice was out-lawed by the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932, many workers were
forced to sign such a statement as a condition of employment.
A provision in a collective bargaining agreement that specifically states
that the written agreement is the complete agreement of the parties and that
anything not contained therein is not agreed to unless put into writing and
signed by both parties following the date of the agreement. The zipper clause is
intended to stop either party from demanding renewed negotiations during the
life of the contract. It also works to limit the freedom of a grievance
arbitrator because the decision must be based only on the contents of the
written agreement.