Read Chapter 12 and answer the questions below.
1. Do you believe that union shop agreements are violations of a worker’s freedom of choice in the workplace? Do you think open shop agreements unfairly penalize workers who pay dues to union the have elected to represent them in the workplace?
2. Some college football and basketball coaches earn huge incomes. Should college volleyball and swimming coaches be paid comparably? Should players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) be paid the same as their male counterparts in the National Basketball Association (NBA)? What role should market forces and government plan in determining such wages?
3. If a company provides employer-paid child care services to workers with children, should those who don’t have children’s or don’t need child services be paid extra?
4. Vist the
website and find information about why workers join unions and what the benefits have been.
a. Explain how union membership has affected members of ethnic or racial minority groups, woman, older workers, and part-time workers.
b. The AFL-CIO site presents the union’s perspective on labor issues. Look at the key issues and check sources such as the national Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation (nrtw.org) that support management’s perspectives and compare their positions on these issues.
5. Evaluate the following statement: “Labor unions are dinosaurs that have outlived their usefulness in today’s knowledge-based that position. Be sure to consider such questions as: Do unions serve a purpose in some industries? Do unions make the United States less competitive in global markets?
6. Research federal and state legislation related to child care, parental leave, and elder care benefits for employees. Are specific trends emerging? Should companies be responsible for providing such workplace benefits, or should the government shar some responsibility? Why?
7. Do businesses and government agencies have a duty to provide additional benefits to employees beyond fair pay and good working conditions? Propose a system you consider fair and equitable for employees and employers.
