PUAD 7031 CU Organized Labor and Employment Relations & Public Workers Essay

Earlier in the 20th century, we saw Congress create sweepinglegislation that protected the rights of workers. Much of what we knowabout labor-management relationships today is founded upon the NationalLabor Relations Act. This act provided for the recognition of unions,providing them protections against what many would consider unfairmanagement practices. Over time, we saw other legislative acts at thenational level affect the relationship. For example, the LaborManagement Relations Act was crafted to create a counterbalance to theNational Labor Relations Act, as the Labor Management Relations Actidentified and prohibited what many considered unfair union practices.

A host of other legislative acts were created at the local andstate levels. The state-level acts are important to anyone trying tounderstand public sector unions. Many of the federal laws did not coverpublic sector unions. Many states permit them, many states do not, andsome states permit them for some types of employees and not for othersin public organizations. Additionally, it is quite common for courtcases at both the state and federal levels to create new interpretationsof legislative acts, which can clarify some concepts, but might bringchaos into the workplace if they overturn long-standing practices.

Public administrators will have to work closely with theircorporate attorneys to better understand how such court decisions may ormay not affect their day-to-day functions. In addition to theselegislative changes, we have seen societal changes in perceptions ofappropriate relationships between labor and management, as well as incommon beliefs considering how employees should be treated in an ethicalmanner. All of these legal and social changes have affected the currentlabor environment. Effective public administrators tasked with engagingwith public sector unions will have an in-depth understanding ofrelevant labor law, understanding when and how to interact withcorporate attorneys to deal with labor-management issues.

Assignment Instructions

In your first assignment, you explored the labor environment whenmajor labor legislation was first enacted. In this paper, you willexplore how changes in legislation, as well as changes in modernsociety, have affected the labor-management relationship.

In a 5–7-page paper, complete the following:

• Evaluate how changes in legal protections for public sector unions have altered the working conditions labor faces.
  • Provide specific examples into how and why some may believe unions have become too powerful.
• Evaluate how changes in societal perspectives of thelabor-management relations have altered the working conditions laborfaces.
  • Provide specific examples as to how and why this may haveminimized the perceived need for unions in many public sector settings.
• Evaluate how changes in leadership have affected the manner inwhich employers make labor management decisions in modern organizations.
  • Provide examples to illustrate your point.
• Analyze how changes in laws related to compensation, benefits,and working conditions (including safety) have affected the perceivedneed for union bargaining.
  • Use examples to illustrate your argument.
  • Evaluate how changes in legal protections for public sector unions have altered the working conditions labor faces.
    • Provide specific examples into how and why some may believe unions have become too powerful.
  • Evaluate how changes in societal perspectives of thelabor-management relations have altered the working conditions laborfaces.
    • Provide specific examples as to how and why this may haveminimized the perceived need for unions in many public sector settings.
  • Evaluate how changes in leadership have affected the manner inwhich employers make labor management decisions in modern organizations.
    • Provide examples to illustrate your point.
  • Analyze how changes in laws related to compensation, benefits,and working conditions (including safety) have affected the perceivedneed for union bargaining.
    • Use examples to illustrate your argument.