Unionization in the United States, Exams of Economics

Download Unionization in the United States and more Exams Economics in PDF only on Docsity! 1) About % of people working in the United States belong to unions. A) 5 B) 12 C) 20 D) 45 E) 62 Answer: B 2) One of the earliest unions in the United States, the Knights of Labor, was formed by a group of . A) coal miners B) tailors C) carpenters D) railroad workers E) printers Answer: B 3) Who was responsible for forming the American Federation of Labor in 1886? A) Samuel Gompers B) Benjamin Franklin C) Frederick Taylor D) George Meany E) Alexander Hamilton Answer: A 4) Which of the following was the primary goal of the American Federation of Labor? A) achieving political reform B) gaining a higher social status C) addressing immigrant labor D) improving work conditions E) creating labor legislation Answer: D 5) Which of the following best explains why union membership has fallen since the 1970s? A) Legislation provides workers with protections that were once exclusive to unions. B) Union members earn less on average compared to non-union members. C) Union membership is too expensive for most blue collar workers. D) Foreign-owned manufacturers will not hire union members. E) Unions are considered largely ineffectual. Answer: A 6) Which of the following is a false statement about union membership? A) Union members work in both blue-collar and white- collar industries. B) Insurance plan benefits are better for union workers than for nonunion workers. C) Union members have better long-term disability benefits than non-union workers do. D) Union workers receive more holidays and unpaid leave than nonunion workers do. E) Employers prefer nonunion workers, so they pay them higher wages than union members. Answer: E 7) Which of the following was part of the New Deal and made union organization easier? A) Fair Labor Standards Act B) National Industrial Recovery Act C) National Labor Relations Act D) Occupational Safety and Health Act E) Labor Management Relations Act Answer: B 8) Which of the following best describes the closed shop form of union security? A) A company can hire nonunion people if they agree to join the union. B) Union members receive higher wages than nonunion employees. C) Employees who do not belong to the union are required to pay dues. D) Union members receive preferential treatment in hiring. E) A company can hire only union members. Answer: E 9) The form of union security means that the company can hire only union members. A) closed shop B) union shop C) agency shop D) preferential shop E) maintenance of membership Answer: A 10) Which type of union security was outlawed in 1947? A) agency shop B) closed shop C) union shop D) preferential shop E) maintenance of membership Answer: B 11) Which type of union security accounts for almost three-fourths of union contracts? A) maintenance of membership B) preferential shop C) closed shop D) union shop E) agency shop Answer: D 12) The form of union security means that the company can hire nonunion people, but those people must join the union within a prescribed period of time and pay dues. A) closed shop B) union shop C) agency shop D) open shop E) maintenance of agreement Answer: B 13) Which form of union security requires employees who do not belong to the union to pay union dues on the assumption that the union's efforts benefit all workers? A) closed shop B) union shop C) agency shop D) open shop E) maintenance of agreement Answer: C 14) Which of the following best defines the preferential shop form of union security? A) A company can hire nonunion people, but they must then join the union. B) A company can hire only current union members. C) Employees who do not belong to the union must still pay dues. D) A company gives hiring advantages to union members. E) Union members must maintain membership for the contract period. Answer: D 15) With the maintenance of membership arrangement of union security, how long must union members employed by a firm maintain union membership? A) until the union disbands B) until negotiations are over C) until there is a wage increase D) for the contract period E) for at least one year Answer: D 16) The term describes statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment. A) termination at will B) right to work C) open shop D) free labor E) yellow dog Answer: B 17) Right to work laws inhibit union formation by . A) outlawing unions in right to work states B) prohibiting any form of union security C) making union membership a precondition for employment D) leaving the question of union affiliation up to each company E) leaving the question of union security up to each company Answer: B 18) In which human resource activity does a typical labor agreement NOT give the union a role? A) recruitment B) selection C) compensation D) dismissal E) appraisals Answer: E 38) What percentage of eligible employees in a bargaining unit must sign authorization cards in order for the union to petition the NLRB for an election? A) 10 B) 20 C) 30 D) 40 E) 50 Answer: C 39) Union authorization cards serve all of the following functions EXCEPT . A) authorizing a union election B) subjecting the employee to union rules C) stating that the employee has applied for membership D) enabling employers to modify employment conditions E) designating the union as a bargaining representative Answer: D 40) Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to the decision by Hyper-Tech to fight unionization efforts? A) How many Hyper-Tech employees were hired within the last year? B) What percentage of Hyper-Tech employees signed authorization cards? C) Does Hyper-Tech qualify for coverage by the National Labor Relations Board? D) What is the opinion of Hyper-Tech's shareholders and creditors regarding unionization? E) What are the laws regarding what Hyper-Tech managers can and cannot do during a campaign? Answer: A 41) Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Hyper-Tech should contest the union's right to an election? A) Hyper-Tech has hired a labor relations consultant to provide advice on union campaign procedures and any relevant laws. B) Managers believe that they may have inadvertently hired union salts, who most likely instigated the unionization movement at Hyper-Tech. C) The process outlined at Hyper-Tech for filing employee grievances differs from the grievance procedures at other firms in the same industry. D) Hyper-Tech management believes that if employees are provided with additional information from the firm that they will revoke their authorization cards. E) Hyper-Tech managers will soon be conducting annual employee performance appraisals and determining what salary adjustments to make. Answer: D 42) Which of the following terms refers to the group of employees the union will be authorized to represent? A) bargaining unit B) union delegation C) mediating group D) negotiating team E) grievance committee Answer: A 43) The union becomes the employees' representative if it receives . A) a majority of the votes cast by stockholders B) a majority of the votes cast by the bargaining unit C) signed authorization cards from 30% of employees D) written approval from the employer E) a majority of the votes cast Answer: E 44) Which of the following situations would most likely improve a union's chances of winning a certification election at your firm? A) geographic area with low percentage of union workers B) high unemployment in the geographic area C) affiliation with the Teamsters union D) small bargaining units E) a large portion of workers voting Answer: D 45) All of the following increase the likelihood that an employer will lose an NLRB election EXCEPT . A) focusing primarily on wage and benefits issues B) appointing a committee to manage the campaign C) distributing employee need and attitude surveys D) delegating personnel relations issues to plant managers E) focusing on salaried professionals instead of hourly workers Answer: C 46) Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, best supports the suggestion that Hyper-Tech will lose an NLRB election? A) Hyper-Tech recently distributed employee surveys that indicated overall job satisfaction. B) Hyper-Tech executives have decided that a committee should manage the campaign. C) Hyper-Tech is focusing exclusively on employee wages and benefits in its campaign efforts. D) Hyper-Tech managers have been told to share their opinions about unions with subordinates. E) Hyper-Tech managers have been told to avoid making promises to their subordinates. Answer: B 47) According to research, which of the following variables has the greatest influence on NLRB elections? A) bargaining unit demographics B) employer tactics C) election background D) union tactics E) employer characteristics Answer: D 48) Hyper-Tech Enterprises manufactures mechanical parts used in air conditioning and heating units. The company employs over 300 workers at its Alabama facility. None of the Hyper-Tech employees belong to a union; however, management believes that unionization is in the near future. A representative of a local union has recently visited Hyper-Tech in an attempt to solicit members and have them sign authorization cards. Enough eligible employees have signed authorization cards to petition the NLRB for an election. Hyper-Tech's top executives are considering fighting the unionization efforts. Which of the following, if true, supports the argument by the NLRB that Hyper-Tech has conducted unfair labor practices? A) Hyper-Tech managers prohibited union representatives from soliciting employees who were on duty. B) Hyper-Tech managers intervened when pro-union employees solicited other employees while both were on duty. C) Hyper-Tech managers barred nonemployee union representatives from entering the firm's building. D) Hyper-Tech managers prevented nonemployee union representatives from the parking lot for safety reasons. E) Hyper-Tech managers prohibited distribution of union literature in the company cafeteria. Answer: E 49) is the process of legally terminating a union's right to represent employees. A) Union salting B) Featherbedding C) Certification D) Decertification E) Collective bargaining Answer: D systems Answer: B 70) If passed, the Employee Free Choice Act would . A) ban union membership for federal employees B) allow mass union e-mails at the work place C) allow the formation of global unions D) institute a card check system E) overturn the Wagner Act Answer: D