Comments on: Employee rights and responsibilities part 3: Should workers have the right to join unions? http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/employee-rights-and-responsibilities-part-3-should-workers-have-the-right-to-join-unions Discussion about ethical issues relating to business Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:10:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Good Honest Dollar $$ » Blog Archive » Employee rights and responsibilities part 4: Why workers should be allowed to belong to unions http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/employee-rights-and-responsibilities-part-3-should-workers-have-the-right-to-join-unions#comment-1096 Good Honest Dollar $$ » Blog Archive » Employee rights and responsibilities part 4: Why workers should be allowed to belong to unions Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:27:08 +0000 http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/?p=140#comment-1096 [...] last week’s post, I outlined two common objections toward the concept of allowing workers the right to form unions [...] [...] last week’s post, I outlined two common objections toward the concept of allowing workers the right to form unions [...]

]]> By: Andrew http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/employee-rights-and-responsibilities-part-3-should-workers-have-the-right-to-join-unions#comment-1092 Andrew Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:51:09 +0000 http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/?p=140#comment-1092 Thanks Brad/Karen, Sorry for the delay in responding to this. I certainly agree that management and unions need to take global competitive forces into account, and workplace agreements must be designed to allow maximum possible flexibility so as to enable the organization to respond to such forces. Regarding Karen’s example, I would have thought that the relevant consideration in the vendor selection process would have been the service record of the vendors concerned, not whether or not their workforce was unionized or not. Reliable customer service is not solely the domain of firms with non-unionized workforces, and problems relating to poor or inconsistent performance delivery are not limited to firms with unionized workforces. If I was choosing a vendor, the sole basis for selection would be the track record of the vendor concerned in meeting agreed performance delivery commitments. Andrews last blog post..<a href="http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/guest-post-from-brad-shorr" rel="nofollow">Guest post from Brad Shorr</a> Thanks Brad/Karen,

Sorry for the delay in responding to this.

I certainly agree that management and unions need to take global competitive forces into account, and workplace agreements must be designed to allow maximum possible flexibility so as to enable the organization to respond to such forces.

Regarding Karen’s example, I would have thought that the relevant consideration in the vendor selection process would have been the service record of the vendors concerned, not whether or not their workforce was unionized or not. Reliable customer service is not solely the domain of firms with non-unionized workforces, and problems relating to poor or inconsistent performance delivery are not limited to firms with unionized workforces.

If I was choosing a vendor, the sole basis for selection would be the track record of the vendor concerned in meeting agreed performance delivery commitments.

Andrews last blog post..Guest post from Brad Shorr

]]> By: Karen Swim http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/employee-rights-and-responsibilities-part-3-should-workers-have-the-right-to-join-unions#comment-1035 Karen Swim Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:59:37 +0000 http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/?p=140#comment-1035 Andrew, this is a great topic and as Brad noted extremely timely in the U.S. There are differing opinions in the U.S. regarding unions with many seeing them as unnecessary and costly. I once worked for a major corporation that had an unwritten rule not to work with vendors that had unions (strikes, cost pressures). I see the perspective from both sides but when you think of it our entire system of democracy is founded upon collective bargaining. I look forward to this continuing discussion. Andrew, this is a great topic and as Brad noted extremely timely in the U.S. There are differing opinions in the U.S. regarding unions with many seeing them as unnecessary and costly. I once worked for a major corporation that had an unwritten rule not to work with vendors that had unions (strikes, cost pressures). I see the perspective from both sides but when you think of it our entire system of democracy is founded upon collective bargaining. I look forward to this continuing discussion.

]]> By: Brad Shorr http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/employee-rights-and-responsibilities-part-3-should-workers-have-the-right-to-join-unions#comment-1032 Brad Shorr Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:32:54 +0000 http://www.goodhonestdollar.com/?p=140#comment-1032 Andrew, excellent topic, and especially timely here in the U.S. because unions are soon to enjoy an increase in power thanks to the incoming Obama administration. The case for or against unionization varies depending on the country. Here, unions are superfluous because laws protecting workers abound. That was not always the case. When unions formed here, government turned a blind eye to injustices and employers took full advantage. The problem with union - management relationships is they seem to operate in a vacuum, not taking into account global competitive imperatives. In the American auto industry, for example, unions can win the battle but lose the war. Perhaps rather than abandon the concept of unions (not likely to happen anyway), we ought to redefine the purpose of unions. Brad Shorrs last blog post..<a href="http://www.wordsellinc.com/blog/books/the-chicago-manual-of-style-a-must-for-writers/" rel="nofollow">The Chicago Manual of Style - A Must for Writers</a> Andrew, excellent topic, and especially timely here in the U.S. because unions are soon to enjoy an increase in power thanks to the incoming Obama administration. The case for or against unionization varies depending on the country. Here, unions are superfluous because laws protecting workers abound. That was not always the case. When unions formed here, government turned a blind eye to injustices and employers took full advantage. The problem with union – management relationships is they seem to operate in a vacuum, not taking into account global competitive imperatives. In the American auto industry, for example, unions can win the battle but lose the war. Perhaps rather than abandon the concept of unions (not likely to happen anyway), we ought to redefine the purpose of unions.

Brad Shorrs last blog post..The Chicago Manual of Style – A Must for Writers

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