Title: Union–Management Relations
Course: Question Banks

Q: Workers unions have positive benefits in most areas pertaining to workers. For what outcome area does union membership NOT predict worker improvement?
- health care coverage (Incorrect. Union workers have greater access to healthcare coverage, as protected by their unions.)
- guaranteed pensions (Incorrect. More union workers have guaranteed pension plans than non-union workers.)
- protection from firing (Incorrect. Unions often offer protection from “at will” employment and job dismissal, requiring employers to provide just cause for termination.)
- worker productivity (Correct. Employee engagement and satisfaction are not tied to union membership. Union members tend to be more disengaged as workers.)
A: worker productivity

Q: Union membership benefits workers in all of the following ways, EXCEPT:
- increased bargaining power (Incorrect. Union membership gives the individual worker more bargaining power over non-unionized workers.)
- increased job security (Incorrect. Union members are often protected from termination and “at will” employment.)
- better health care coverage (Incorrect. Union members are more likely to have satisfactory health care coverage.)
- increased job satisfaction (Correct. Union membership does not help with job satisfaction. Unsatisfactory workplace conditions are correlated with higher union membership.)
A: increased job satisfaction

Q: Which of these acts is NOT related to labor reform?
- The Social Security Act (1935) (Incorrect. The Social Security Act was enacted to protect the elderly, children, injured workers, and handicapped workers, among others, as part of labor reform.)
- Occupational Safety & Health Act (1970) (Incorrect. The Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) is intended to protect workers’ rights to safe working conditions, as part of labor reform.)
- Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) (Incorrect. The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes a minimum wage, regulations for worker overtime pay, and more.)
- The Logan Act (1799) (Correct. The Logan Act outlines who is authorized to negotiate with conflicting nations in foreign relations policy.)
A: The Logan Act (1799)

Q: Which of the following lists the steps in the unionization process in the proper order?
- campaigning, election, certification, preparation (Incorrect. This list places preparation last, when it should always be the first step.)
- petition for election, election, certification, campaigning (Incorrect. This order is close, but has campaigning out of order; it comes before petitioning for election.)
- campaigning, preparation, petition for election, election (Incorrect. This answer is close; it has campaigning and preparation reversed. Preparation must come before campaigning.)
- preparation, campaigning, petition for election, certification (Correct. The unionization process is described in five steps: preparation, campaigning, petition for election, election, and certification.)
A: preparation, campaigning, petition for election, certification

Q: Employers may attempt to prevent workers from unionizing by classifying them as what type of employee?
- hourly workers (Incorrect. Classifying workers as hourly wage-earners would not effectively prevent them from unionizing. Only management cannot unionize.)
- part-time employees (Incorrect. Part-time and seasonal employees may unionize, with the exception of any supervisors.)
- salaried employees (Incorrect. While salaried employees may often occupy supervisory roles, those who do not are eligible for union membership.)
- supervisors (Correct. Employers attempt to categorize as many employees as supervisors as possible to limit union membership because managers and supervisors are considered management and cannot join unions or be part of the bargaining unit.)
A: supervisors

Q: When employees gather to form a union, what portion of employees must sign union authorization cards to petition the NLRB for election?
- A majority (Incorrect. Although some unions prefer a majority, only 30% is needed to proceed with a union election.)
- 10-15% (Incorrect. If an employee serves in a supervisory role about 10-15% of the time, they are considered supervisors and ineligible for union membership.)
- 75% (Incorrect. Some unions prefer a majority, but only 30% is needed; this figure is much too high.)
- 30% (Correct. In order to proceed with a union election, at least 30% of employees must sign union authorization cards, although some unions prefer to see a majority show of support.)
A: 30%

Q: Management and supervisors must be trained on what constitutes “unfair labor practices.” Which of these is NOT on the quick list of prohibited behaviors?
- threaten (Incorrect. The acronym “TIPS” can be used to identify four main prohibited behaviors: threatening, interrogating, promising, and spying.)
- interrogate (Incorrect. Interrogation is a prohibited behavior that constitutes an unfair labor practice.)
- spy (Incorrect. Spying is an unfair labor practice and a prohibited behavior.)
- advise (Correct. Advising employees is well within the boundaries of appropriate behavior for a manager or supervisor.)
A: advise

Q: Employers can minimize the risk of unionization by taking all of the following steps, EXCEPT:
- implementing a risk/response protocol (Incorrect. Knowing how to respond to a risk will help employees feel safe and well cared for, and help prevent unionization.)
- conducting employee management surveys (Incorrect. Conducting surveys informs employers about workers’ attitudes and needs.)
- analyzing organizational weaknesses (Incorrect. Analyzing one’s organizational weaknesses can help improve upon those areas and prevent unionization.)
- promising employees rewards for not unionizing (Correct. Promising rewards for not unionizing falls under the “TIPS” prohibitions: promising may constitute coercion.)
A: promising employees rewards for not unionizing

Q: The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from all of the following actions EXCEPT?
- interfering with employees exercising their right to organize (Incorrect. The NLRA prohibits employers from interfering with employers rights relating to organizing, forming, joining, or assisting a labor organization.)
- coercing employees in the exercise of labor union-related rights (Incorrect. Employers may not coerce employees exercising their labor union rights.)
- preventing employees from working together to improve conditions (Incorrect. The NLRA prohibits employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees regarding labor union rights.)
- training management on how to negotiate with employees (Correct. Training management on employee labor relations is a recommended anti-unionization measure.)
A: training management on how to negotiate with employees

Q: This is the process by which parties arrive at a contract:
- dispute moderation (Incorrect. The objective of collective bargaining is not necessarily to settle a dispute; often, employers and unions can find mutually agreeable terms without conflict.)
- unionization (Incorrect. Union members and employers participate in the collective bargaining process to negotiate a contract.)
- preparation (Incorrect. Preparation is just the first step in the collective bargaining process. The process also includes negotiation, proposed agreement, ratification, and administration.)
- collective bargaining (Correct. The collective bargaining process has five steps: preparation, contract negotiation, proposed contract agreement, union ratification, contract administration.)
A: collective bargaining

Q: For a collective agreement to be ratified, what portion of the bargaining unit must vote to accept the terms of the agreement?
- 25% (Incorrect. A collective agreement must have a majority for ratification (50%+1).)
- two-thirds majority (67%) (Incorrect. Only a majority of one is necessary; a two-thirds majority would pass an agreement, but isn’t required.)
- 100% (Incorrect. Only 50% plus one (a majority) is needed to ratify a collective agreement.)
- a majority (50%+1) (Correct. A majority is needed to ratify a collective agreement. This can be 50% plus one individual, or greater.)
A: a majority (50%+1)

Q: If negotiating parties do not reach an agreement, what happens next?
- the employer automatically wins (Incorrect. If the parties do not reach an agreement during negotiations, the previous contract remains in effect until an agreement is made or adjudicated, and the NLRB may make the determination.)
- the union automatically wins (Incorrect. If the parties do not reach an agreement during negotiations, the previous contract remains in effect until an agreement is made or adjudicated, and the NLRB may make the determination.)
- the National Labor Relations Board intervenes (Incorrect. The NLRB does not immediately intervene. First, the employer declares an impasse, and only if the union disputes the impasse, does the NLRB intervene.)
- the employer declares an impasse (Correct. If the parties do not reach an agreement, the employer declares an impasse and moves to enact the last offer the union presented.)
A: the employer declares an impasse

Q: What did the Wagner Act establish?
- The Occupational Safety and Health Board (Incorrect. The Occupational Safety and Health Act establishes regulations for safe and healthy work practices.)
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (Incorrect. The FMCS was established under the Taft-Hartley Act.)
- The National Federation of Unions (Incorrect. This entity is fictitious.)
- The National Labor Relations Board (Correct. Originally entitled the National Labor Relations Act, the Wagner Act established the NLRB to protect workers’ rights.)
A: The National Labor Relations Board

Q: Who does the Wagner Act apply to?
- the transportation industry (Incorrect. The Railway Labor Act applies to the transportation industry.)
- federal, state, and local governments (Incorrect. Government employees are not in the private sector, and do not have protection under the Wagner Act.)
- agricultural employers (Incorrect. Employers engaged in agriculture are not beholden to the Wagner Act.)
- private sector employees (Correct. The Wagner Act applies to workers in the private sector, to address relations between union members and employers.)
A: private sector employees

Q: What kind of economic impact did supporting politicians expect the Wagner Act to have?
- economic ruin (Incorrect. Employers predicted economic ruin as workers gained more power, but history has proven otherwise.)
- slight economic downturn (Incorrect. Politicians who supported the Wagner Act believed upholding workers’ rights would ultimately benefit the economy.)
- no economic impact (Incorrect. Supporters believed it would result in economic prosperity, while many employers believed the law would spell economic disaster.)
- economic prosperity (Correct. Politicians who supported the Wagner Act did so because it was a matter of human rights and of economic prosperity.)
A: economic prosperity

Q: Which law established unfair union labor practices?
- Wagner Act (Incorrect. The Wagner Act established the NLRB to protect workers’ rights.)
- Landrum-Griffin Act (Incorrect. The Landrum-Griffin Act addresses issues of corruption, racketeering and other abuses within the union.)
- Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) (Incorrect. The RICO Act aims to eradicate organized crime in the U.S.)
- Taft-Hartley Act (Correct. The Taft-Hartley Act was a pro-management amendment to the Wagner Act, establishing unfair union labor practices, including boycotts and closed shop practices.)
A: Taft-Hartley Act

Q: What act established the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)?
- The Wagner Act (Incorrect. The Wagner Act, also called the National Labor Relations Act, protects employee union rights.)
- The Landrum-Griffin Act (Incorrect. The Landrum-Griffin Act addresses issues of corruption, racketeering and other abuses within the union.)
- The National Labor Relations Act (Incorrect. The Wagner Act, also called the National Labor Relations Act, protects employee union rights.)
- The Taft-Hartley Act (Correct. The Taft-Hartley Act established the FMCS, an independent government agency charged with “preventing or minimizing the impact of labor-management disputes on the free flow of commerce by providing mediation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration.”)
A: The Taft-Hartley Act

Q: The president of the United States is granted power to intervene in labor-management disputes that affect national security under what act?
- The Railway Labor Act (Incorrect. The Railway Labor Act does not grant any presidential power. It establishes transportation sector union rights with regard for maintaining interstate commerce.)
- The Landrum-Griffin Act (Incorrect. The Landrum-Griffin Act addresses issues of corruption, racketeering and other abuses within the union.)
- The National Labor Relations Act (Incorrect. The NLRA, also called the Wagner Act, protects workers’ rights to unionize.)
- The Taft-Hartley Act (Correct. The Taft-Hartley Act amends the Wagner Act to protect unions in labor disputes, and grants the president power to intervene when national health or safety is at risk.)
A: The Taft-Hartley Act

Q: Which labor law was the first to guarantee workers rights to organize, join unions, and engage in collective bargaining?
- The Landrum-Griffin Act (Incorrect. The Landrum-Griffin Act addresses issues of corruption, racketeering and other abuses within the union.)
- The National Labor Relations Act (Incorrect. The NLRA is essentially a union bill of rights that protects worker rights to organize.)
- The Taft-Hartley Act (Incorrect. The Taft-Hartley Act protects employers by defining unfair union practices.)
- The Railway Labor Act (Correct. The RLA was the first federal law guaranteeing workers the right to organize, join unions and engage in collective bargaining without employer coercion or interference.)
A: The Railway Labor Act

Q: Executive Orders 10988 and 11491 establish the right of federal employees to unionize. What statute made these Orders more durable?
- The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) (Incorrect. The RICO Act sought to eradicate organized crime in the United States, creating commissions to investigate organized crime.)
- The Landrum-Griffin Act (Incorrect. The Landrum-Griffin Act addresses issues of corruption and racketeering, and holds union officials responsible for union business.)
- Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (Incorrect. The LMRA, also called the Taft-Hartley Act was a pro-management amendment to the Wagner Act, which established unfair union labor practices.)
- The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (Correct. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 builds on E.O. 10988 and 11491, establishing a statute that guarantees federal employees the right to unionize, which, unlike an executive order, cannot be revoked at presidential discretion.)
A: The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

Q: What is the purpose of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO)?
- protecting employees’ union membership rights from unfair practices by unions (Incorrect. Landrum-Griffin Act provides this protection.)
- Prevent any interruption of commerce (Incorrect. This is one of the purposes of the Railway Labor Act.)
- To enforce an 80 day “cooling off” period in labor-management disputes (Incorrect. The Taft-Hartley Act grants the president the right to intervene in labor-management disputes. Enforcing the 80 day “cooling off” period is part of the presidential power this act bestows.)
- eradicating organized crime in the United States (Correct. The RICO Act sets the precedent for using special commissions and investigations to uncover organized crime activity in unions.)
A: eradicating organized crime in the United States

Q: In the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that what union practice violates workers’ First Amendment right to free speech?
- charging dues to union members (Incorrect. Unions typically charge dues for members, in order to cover union activities.)
- representing union members and non-members together (Incorrect. The Janus decision established that individuals must opt-in to union membership to pay dues, rather than having default membership.)
- collective bargaining (Incorrect. The Janus decision ruled that unions cannot charge non-members fees for representation in collective bargaining, with favoring Justices citing union coercion.)
- charging agency fees to union non-members (Correct. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Janus, stating that unions cannot charge agency fees to cover union non-members in collective bargaining.)
A: charging agency fees to union non-members

Q: Who does the Janus v. AFSCME decision apply to?
- private sector unions (Incorrect. The Janus decision applies to unions in the public sector. Far fewer private sector employees are unionized than public sector employees. Extending the Janus decision to the private sector faces many obstacles.)
- all unions (Incorrect. The Janus decision applies to unions in the public sector, where employees participate in unions at a greater rate than in the private sector.)
- independent unions (Incorrect. Unions represent employees in the public or private sectors.)
- public sector unions (Correct. The Janus decision applies to unions in the public sector only; the private sector is not under the same jurisdiction.)
A: public sector unions

Q: The Janus v. AFSCME decision upset the legal precedent of the 1977 Abood case, which differentiated between what types of fees?
- fair share fees and agency fees (Incorrect. The terms “agency fees” and “fair share fees” are interchangeable.)
- union membership dues and renewal fees (Incorrect. Abood v. Detroit Board of Education established a distinction between membership dues and agency fees, not renewal fees.)
- union agency fees and insurance premiums (Incorrect. The Abood decision had nothing to do with insurance premiums, but dealt with the difference between union agency fees and membership fees.)
- union membership dues and “fair share” or agency fees (Correct. The stare decisis set by Abood v. Detroit Board of Education established a distinction between union membership dues and those fees a non-member could pay for representation in bargaining and arbitration, called agency or fair share fees.)
A: union membership dues and “fair share” or agency fees

Q: In the United States in 2018, people of what political affiliation approved of unions at the highest rate?
- Republican (Incorrect. Gallup polls from 2018 indicated fewer Republicans supported unions than Democrats or Independents.)
- Independent (Incorrect. Gallup polls from 2018 indicated that while Independents support unions at a greater rate than Republicans, they support unions less than Democrats, with 62% of Independents supporting, and 80% of Democrats.)
- Libertarians (Incorrect. The text did not give data for libertarian support of unions. Democrats supported unions at the highest rate, 80%.)
- Democratic (Correct. Gallup polls from 2018 indicated 80% of Democrats supported unions.)
A: Democratic

Q: Which of the following laws currently applies to independent contractors working in the gig economy?
- The Fair Labor Act (Incorrect. Federal laws, including the Fair Labor Act do not currently apply to gig economy workers.)
- The National Labor Relations Act (Incorrect. Federal labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act, do not currently apply to independent contractors in the gig economy.)
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act (Incorrect. Gig economy workers are not presently covered by OSHA.)
- California Assembly Bill 5 (Correct. AB 5 in California is known as the “gig economy bill”, which makes it harder to classify workers in the gig economy as independent contractors, and extends wage and benefit protections to gig economy workers.)
A: California Assembly Bill 5

Q: In recent elections, measures banning union agency fees have been associated with a decrease in the likelihood that political candidates from what type of background would be elected?
- white collar workers (Incorrect. The ban of union agency fees is associated with a drop in elections of blue collar workers, not white collar workers.)
- Republicans (Incorrect. Candidates from blue collar backgrounds, often Democrats, were less likely to get elected when union agency fee bans were in place.)
- administrative workers (Incorrect. Blue collar candidates were less likely to be elected as a result of the ban on agency fees.)
- blue collar workers (Correct. Researchers from the Brookings Institution found that in states that banned union agency fees, there was a sharp drop in voter turnout, and candidates of blue collar background were less likely to be elected.)
A: blue collar workers