Bargaining Process

Bargaining Process Case Study Student’s Name Institution Course Code: Course Name Professor’s Name Submission Date Background Information Location and Right-to-Work Framework Qualtrics is an experience management firm located in Utah. As Utah is considered a right-to-work state, employees are not obligated to join or pay fees to a union as a requirement. Under Utah law, public and private workers cannot be diminished or denied employment based on non-membership or membership in a labor organization, union, or other form of association (Baker Donelson, 2023). In this vein, a “right-to-work” state implies one that has achieved state legislation requiring that no person should be obliged to pay dues to or join a labor union. However, employees at Qualtrics felt that organizing and forming a union would help give them a stronger voice in the workplace. Reasons for Unionization While not obligated to do so, the employees voluntarily unionized and established the Qualtrics Union. They believed collectively bargaining as a unit would help them negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions from the company's management. By integrating efforts, the union hopes to adequately represent and address employee concerns and needs. Many employees felt their voices were not being heard regarding their compensation and benefits concerns, and they hoped a union would advocate on their behalf and bring more attention to these issues in negotiations. Research shows that unionization potentiates several benefits for workers in terms of earning better pay, health coverage, and other advantages (National Education Association, 2022). A union could also give members access to legal resources if workplace problems arise. Forming a collective unit allowed employees to be more directly involved in negotiating their terms of employment. The employees at Qualtrics have recently voted to form a union with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Employee morale has been low due to increased workloads without additional compensation over the past few years. In addition, healthcare insurance premiums have risen substantially without corresponding pay increases to offset growing costs. Weinmeyer et al. (2021) recommended employer-based approaches tailored to ensure employees access quality and cost-effective health care. Many employees feel a lack of transparency and fairness around performance evaluations, directly impacting annual pay increases and vulnerability to layoffs. Forming a union will help give employees a stronger voice in bargaining for better wages and benefits to keep pace with rising living expenses (National Education Association, 2022). It will also help address perceived discrepancies in performance assessment procedures. Defining Mandatory Bargaining Subjects and Other Terms and Conditions of Employment Mandatory bargaining subjects can be theorized as any decision(s) that directly impact an employee’s employment terms and conditions, including the very existence of the employment itself (Clean Slate Worker Power, 2021). Examples of such decisions that will be negotiated include wages and any proposed changes, standard working hours, overtime rules, on-call expectations, and shift differentials. In addition to wages and hours, other essential terms and conditions of employment that may be negotiated are also recognized. First, healthcare benefits, including the various plans and coverage options, will be discussed, along with how much each employee and company will pay depending on the selection. Second, paid time off amounts for vacations, holidays, and sick days will be negotiated upfront, as well as accrual rates for additional time and rules for rolling over unused days. Third, performance evaluations that can impact compensation increases, bonuses, or promotions will be defined in frequency, the person performing them, and evaluation criteria. Fourth, the current funding status of the employee pension plan and contributions by employees and the company will also be discussed. Lastly, ...