Evaluating the Role of Management and Union

Negotiating Process
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Negotiating Process
Introduction
Workplace issues are common in every organization. It is normal for employees to engage their employers to address an issue concerning the workplace. Unions play a critical role in fighting for better remuneration and a safe working environment (Hagedorn et al., 2016). In the workplace, a smooth relationship between employees and employers improves morale for the workers and increases productivity. Such a smooth relationship originates from collective bargaining, where negotiation is held between reps and their employer. Therefore, the management needs to acknowledge the essence of unions in making the workplace a better place.
The role of management and unions
The management ensures employees have what it takes to perform efficiently, with unions advocating employee welfare policies. The management is critical in providing an enabling environment where workers feel safe. Employees are the major asset that any organization has. As a result, the management needs to treat workers fairly and motivate them (Bawa, 2017). Unions are expected to regulate the relations between staff members and their employers. They regulate wages, workplace safety, and benefits, among other functions. Over the last 100 years, fewer companies are joining unions (Schnabel, 2020). For instance, Apple has maintained its non-unionized status, and it remains one of the best companies to work for. More companies are following the same and discouraging their workers from unionizing. As a result, union membership continues to shrink. Management is identifying ways of ensuring a conducive working environment without requiring a union to enforce the same.
Unions and collective bargaining process
Labor unions originated in the 18th century and the industrial revolution in Europe. Industrialization needed labor, which saw a surge of new workers who needed to be represented. Over time, the need for collective bargaining agreements emerged. Since all the workers couldn’t engage their employers directly, representatives from the unions needed to negotiate contracts with employers and establish the terms of employment (Hagedorn et al., 2016). While the approach was critical in shaping the relations between workers and their employers, current trends have emerged that diminish the role of unions and the collective bargaining process. Currently, human resource professionals are diminishing the need for labor relations. Human resource professionals can reach a consensus instead of employees using labor unions to effect change in an organization. Additionally, given that unions were established to advocate for workers in manufacturing industries, they have been challenged by technological advances that allow people to work from home or remote areas. Instead of the typical 40 hour week that unions may negotiate, workers are spending less time in the workplace.
Private unions versus public unions
For a collective bargaining process involving the private sector, the focus would be on wages and ensuring job security for the workers. The major aim is to ensure that workers are appropriately compensated for their labor. The unions would bargain with the employer. Here, a private union would arrange meetings with a certain company where employees’ well-being issues would be outlined. On the contrary, a public union would center on improving work conditions (Doucouliagos, Freeman & Laroche, 2017). While the public union could touch on some aspects of a private union, the main focus would be making the workplace a safe place. A public union would talk with the state and other relevant local legislators. The desired outcome in the case would be to ensure that workers operate in a humane environment.
Increase of My Understanding of the Collective Bargaining Process
My understanding of the process of collective bargaining has indeed been increased. Initially, unions were considered the channel through which employees would air their concerns and issues in workplaces. However, with the technological advancements in the world, unions have become almost redundant. Today, more workers are working from home and getting paid premium salaries. However, even with this understanding, I understand that the collective bargaining process is still needed. Big companies have developed a dislike for unions, and as indicated above, a company like Apple still ranks among the best in terms of how it treats its employees. But, how much say do employees have on instances when the company decides to downsize or introduce laws that will affect a portion of the employees? As Bivens et al. (2017) note, employees from whichever company feel helpless and voiceless need a bigger voice at one point or ...