TOOLS OF LABOR NEGOTIATIONS
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Institution
The modern corporate world comprises strong labor unions that try to push for the union members’ interests and protect the members from exploitation by employers. It reaches a time when the union members decide to push for their interests if the employer is unwilling to honor the agreement. Dlabay & Scott (2019) noted that there are three tools that employers can use to solve the issue when the employees are on strike or over-demanding. The first tool is union bursting; this entails firing the union members who organize and lead others to strike. The firing of the leaders of the union can lead to the elimination of the union. Some cruel employers use this tool to ease the pressure from the employees. However, in rare circumstances, such an approach can work in the modern-day since laws protect employees against unfair treatment (Dlabay & Scott, 2019). Union bursting was common in the 20th century but quite rare in the 21st century since the employers know the consequences of doing so.
The second tool that an employer can use in labor negation is lockout; this counter-strike tool is a stoppage where the employer refuses to allow employees to work. In other words, the employer closes the premises for quite some time as he figures out what to do (Dlabay & Scott, 2019). It is a common thing for strikes to graduate to riots. Employers may opt to lock the workplace to prevent workers from accessing the premises to take the precaution of destructive riots. Locking out the premises act is recognized by law since the employer can argue that locking is justified to prevent destruction. However, the employer should lock out the workplace and try to talk to the striking workers to be calm as he looks for a solution (Dlabay & Scott, 2019). One best example was locking out the tool used in the Caravan park grocery workers strike of 2003-2004, where the employer locked out the workers as they were striking. Under the U.S labor laws, lockouts have exemptions and can be justified by the employer and upheld by the courts of law.
Dlabay & Scott (2019) give the third tool of labor negotiation, which compromises where the employer and the striking employees come together to negotiate the terms to reach an agreement. Most modern-day employer-employee standoffs are solved through negotiations. The employees set their demands, and the employer also set the demands. On the negotiation table, each party must be tolerant and adjust their stand to reach a compromise. During the negotiations, the resolutions reached by both parties are written down and signed by the leaders of both parties (Dlabay & Scott, 2019). Each party commits to adhere to the agreement’s failure to which amounts to legal redress. Negotiation is a peaceful and progressive tool for ending labor dispute resolutions and union and employers are often encouraged to consider it before anything else.
References
Dlabay, L., & Scott, J. (2019). International Business, 4th Edition. New York; Cengage Learning;