Course Description:
BUSADMIN 4330 Labor-Management Relations
| Course Number: | BUSADMIN 4330 |
| Course Name: | Labor-Management Relations |
| Course Description: | Gives an overview of the process of labor relations, in which management deals with employees who are represented by a union. The history of major labor unions and primary labor laws and court cases are covered, along with the general structure and operational aspects of today's labor organizations. Union certification, collective bargaining, and dispute resolution are discussed in detail. Students also participate in a mock labor contract negotiation project and analyze sample grievances. |
| Prerequisites: | BUSADMIN 3030 |
| Level: | Undergraduate |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Format: | Online |
| Semesters Offered: |
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| Registration Instructions |
Additional Information
Learning Outcomes
The knowledge that you will acquire in this course may be applied to a wide variety of situations encountered in any organization that is experiencing a union-organizing campaign, any organization that has employees represented by a union, or any organization that is attempting to maintain a union-free status. On completion of the course, you will have the knowledge base necessary to function successfully in environments where the labor-management issues and conflicts presented in the course may arise.
Unit Descriptions
Unit 1
The first phase of the labor-management relations process is the recognition of the legitimate rights and responsibilities of the union and of management.
The goals and objectives of unions in the United States tend to be conservative, but are changing. Unions exist namely to: (1) organize workers, (2) negotiate favorable terms and conditions of employment, and (3) guard and protect the rights of workers won in the collective bargaining process in the day-to-day administration of the contract.
Management, on the other hand, focuses on profit maximization, although worker satisfaction is becoming a real priority in many companies. The ability to balance a suitable working environment and a profitable company has become a "stretch" for companies today.
Unit 1 gives you an overview of the participants in the labor-management relations process, the evolution of labor-management relationships, the legal influences that have an impact on the negotiation and administration of a mutually determined agreement, the organizational level of unions, and the union-organizing process.
Unit 2
A labor union's primary function is to represent bargaining unit members in collective bargaining, concerning their terms and conditions of employment. Since collective bargaining is a complex relationship characterized by group relationships of a continuous, dynamic nature, both sides must undertake extensive preparation. The bargaining process itself is dependent on the parties' philosophies, the strategies employed, and the bargaining structure. Unit 2 gives you an overview of setting the stage for negotiation, taking into consideration the structure of the bargaining unit, the legal requirements of the parties involved, the strategic planning that occurs, and the outcomes if the negotiations are not successful.
Unit 3
While the negotiation process receives the most publicity in labor-management relations, it is the outcome of this process with which both sides must live. Unit 3 explores the topics of employee grievances and grievance processing. It also describes employee discipline, its implications, and the relationship it has to labor-management relations.
Unit 4
In the past, unions experienced significant success in the manufacturing industries. However, as our nation, businesses, politics, and social values and attitudes change, so does the role that unions play in our world.
New areas of union involvement have continued to arise throughout the business world. Federal, state, and local government employees (public sector employees) are going through many of the introductory stages (of labor-management relations) that manufacturing industries dealt with several decades ago. Also, with the growth of international business, labor-management relations is an area that needs significant attention because of the differences in labor relations in foreign lands.
This unit is intended to help you recognize and understand the differences that occur in labor-management relations in diverse work arrangements.
Number of Exams
There are 4 exams for this course.
Number of Assignments
There are 12 individual assignments and 18 discussion postings for this course.
Number of Projects
There are 13 team activities for this course.
Grading Information
Your final grade is based on total points accumulated from unit examinations and completed activities. These factors will be assigned the following values:
Unit Examinations
2 @ 100 points each
1 @ 75 points
1 @ 50 points
Possible Unit Examination Points = 325
Activities
Individual: 165 points
Discussions: 90 points
Collaborative: 80 points
Possible Activities Points = 335
Course Total Possible Points = 660
A = 90-100% of 680 points -- a minimum of 612 points
B = 80-89% of 680 points -- a minimum of 544 points
C = 70-79% of 680 points -- a minimum of 476 points
D = 60-69% of 680 points -- a minimum of 408 points
Less than 408 points = No Credit