Unionized Work Environment

“United we bargain, divided we beg,” was the slogan for working class individuals that lead many men and women to come together to demand better hours, working conditions and higher pay. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is one legal theory that plays an important role in the way in which many businesses operate and . “The NLRA guarantees the rights of employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers and to engage in other protected concerted activity.” When an employee is covered by the NLRA they are protected from union misconduct and often times get great benefits. Unions are very important, without them most businesses would focus on creating profits at the expense of employees. Unions organize and protect the …show more content…
Even if only one employee in the workplace is apart of a union, as a manager you have to make sure all of the union 's obligations are adhered to. For example, union workers usually have set hours, and they must take a certain number of breaks during the day. Managing in an unionized environment greatly benefits the employees but can be challenging for some managers. It can be difficult for managers to bring in new ways of working, because all changes need to be discussed and agreed with the union first. Not all unions have the same guidelines and not everyone in your company might be a union member. Regardless of an employee 's status, whether they are represented by a union or not, managers should manage all employees the same way. Communication is key, being honest, being a good listener and fixing issues quickly and effectively. Managers that create environments of trust, respect, and treat all employees the same help an organization improve its business …show more content…
A contract give workers rights they would not have without one, contracts govern the relationship between the manager and the union. I remember working in an off-broadway children 's theater as stage crew in high school. Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), is an American labor union that represents only live theater performance. There were so many things backstage that we had to do for many of the actors, but at the time I did not realize it was because many of them were apart of a union. There were numerous things our stage manager would bug us about, but one of them in particular was putting aside the clothes that needed to be dry cleaned. Actors’ Equity requires all costumes to be cleaned as the need arises but in no event later than two weeks or 18 performances, whichever comes first. The producer was responsible for the repair, maintenance, dry-cleaning and laundering of all costumes. Having showers were another requirement the theater had to have. Not all the actors were apart of a union but all of them seemed to reap the benefits of a unionized environment since a manager can’t treat union workers differently from the rest. It is the manager 's job to make sure contracts are not being violated and everyone is being treated