“A” WORK REPLY

Review Profile 4.2 on page 137. After reviewing, please discuss union avoidance strategies by management. What suggestions would you make to avoid union organization in the workplace?

PLEASE REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 125 WORDS or MORE) 

After reviewing Profile 4.2, Walmart used several tactics, the first tactic that they used was hiring a union buster to lecture all of the Walmart employees about how negative unions are and why it would be a horrible idea to have a union for them and convinced them that profit-sharing was the ideal way to go over a union (Carrell, M. R., & Heavrin, C., 2013). After hiring the union buster, they hired union consultant firm to develop a union avoidance strategy that was taught to management, so they would do whatever it takes to destroy any plans of a union or the employees hopes for a union and making sure with what I consider intimidation, making the employees think that by wanting to unionize it was be like slapping management in their faces  (Carrell, M. R., & Heavrin, C., 2013).

When there was a union formed for the meat cutting department, Walmart went and did away with the meat department, leaving the meat cutters unemployed and then the management played the innocent party game by saying there was nothing that they could do about it and basically used idle threats of saying that they would make sure anyone who tried to take them to court, would make sure that they would never win  (Carrell, M. R., & Heavrin, C., 2013).

I can understand why Walmart doesn’t want employees to unionize, as their low pay standards helps keep their prices low and competitive, whereas if the employees unionized, it would mean that their prices would have to go up because the employees would want better pay and benefits, which would force Walmart to have to raise prices and make it so they aren’t as competitive any longer. To help fight a union I would make sure to offer the best pay possible to the employees without killing margins and profits that have to be met, offer better health benefits to the employees, so with the lower pay, they aren’t out as much in pay when having to buy health insurance from the company, offer better profit-sharing terms and other benefits that would make a lower pay seem worthwhile and make it so the employees wouldn’t want to unionize.

Reference:

Carrell, M.R. & Heavrin, C. (2013). Labor relations and collective bargaining: Private and public sectors (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.