Week 5: Week Five (Aug 08 - Aug 14)

There are two components to this week's homework.

For most of history, the concept of career planning was unknown. By and large, people were born into their jobs. Whatever their parents were they became too. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution profoundly altered the employment relationship. Unless workers had an explicit employment contract, they were employees at will. Since the beginning of the 20th century, employment law has changed dramatically. Now, the employment relationship is more strictly regulated by statutes and by the common law.

To complete this activity, conduct Internet research in which you identify and examine an employment grievance against a large company. Be sure to review more than one source so that you are exposed to diverse perspectives. Write a 1-2 page summary of the issue and the outcome and answer the following:

• If you were asked to make a decision in the case, what would it be?
• Identify what employment laws are at issue and if you believe any were broken. Support your stance.

Include a Reference page with the URL of the article that you read in your submission.

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) guarantees employees the right to organize and join unions, bargain collectively, and engage in other concerted activities. The company may not bargain directly with any employee in the group, nor with any other organization representing the designated employees.

Consider the following scenario: Triec, Inc., is a small electrical contracting company in Springfield, Ohio, owned by executives Yeazell, Jones, and Heaton. Employees contacted the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, which began an organizing drive, and 6 of the 11 employees in the bargaining unit signed authorization cards.

The company declined to recognize the union, which petitioned the NLRB to schedule an election. The company then granted several new benefits for all workers, including higher wages, paid vacations, and other measures. When the election was held, only 2 of the 11 bargaining unit members voted for the union.

Write a 1-2 page paper in which you answer the following questions:

• What NLRA issues apply?
• Did the company violate the NLRA?
• What should happen next?

Support your answers with rational and reasoning.