Employer’s Undue Advantage against Unionization

ASSESSMENT ITEM 2
September 11, 2020
Financial Reporting
September 11, 2020

Employer’s Undue Advantage against Unionization

Unity being power, it is of utmost necessity that any group that aims at achieving an objective, exercise it to the core. A workforce, united under a given umbrella has immense advantage in pushing for their terms. Employers, too aware of the detrimental effects employee unionization brings against them, try everything possible to incapacitate efforts towards unionization. Towards this end, the employers have lots of unfair tactical advantage, which they do not mince in utilizing.

The process of union organization present employers with the choice of appealing against employee unionization, in which employees are expected to vote. While it may seem very fair move, the employers have all the advantage. Being the bosses, employers can use every means available to coerce some workers against voting for a union representation. The employers engage in anti-union propaganda meetings where every employee is forced to attend (Mehta &Theodore, 2005). The workers are brainwashed with all the negative outcomes of joining a union(Kleiner, 2001). They are persuaded to go against unions as they only act for their own good.

Further, the employers have the legal authority to transfer, lay off or fire off employees. During union organization, the employers exercise these powers unfairly against employees engaging in pro-unionization campaigns(Mehta &Theodore, 2005). These acts compromise unionization efforts and intimidate other workers against the idea of pushing or voting for unionization. Additionally, workers are promised benefits for going against union formation or voting a certain union the employer likes. The employees are enticed with rewards such as improved wages, bribes, promise of improved working conditions and favoritism(Mehta &Theodore, 2005).

The employees may threaten firm shutdown. This forces the workforce to reconsider joining a union (Kleiner, 2001). These cases display clear unfair advantages due employers in during union organization.

References

Kleiner, M. M. (2001). Intensity of management resistance: Understanding the decline in unionization of the private sector. Journal of Labour Research, 3(22), 520-540.

Mehta, C., &Theodore, N. (2005).Undermining the right to organize: Employer behaviour during union representation campaigns. Journal of Labour Research, 4,389-403.