Labor_Laws_and_Unions

Labor Laws and Unions The American Federation of Teachers is an organization that is a part of the AFL-CIO and includes five divisions that makes up its membership. The five divisions are teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education personnel, government employees and healthcare professionals. The organization was founded in 1916 and represents 1.5 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide. The legal issues and obstacles that the AFT could encounter are numerous. One is that the represented employees could face lawsuits filed by parents of students, patients or other employees. In addition, they could face illegal contract terminations when the determined notification period is not given. Also, seniority-based decisions that are not in compliance with regulations are another legal issue. A federal law that could be broken is one concerning teacher contracts. When a teacher’s contract is to be discontinued, notice has to be given 45 days prior to the last day of instruction for that school year. If notice is not given, legally, the teacher cannot be terminated. Also, in the event that a school district is forced to reduce the teaching staff, some older teachers are the first to go. Senior teachers who are laid off may file an age discrimination suit, which is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Recommendations to minimize possible litigation in these situations would be to give proper notification before the 45 day window and to base staff reduction decisions on performance reviews. There are several benefits to joining a union. One would be having a legal representation and a voice to negotiate fair work related issues. A major reason for joining unions is wage increases. According to Tucker (2012), “It’s easier for both management and labor to negotiate increased benefits, particularly retirement benefits, than increased cash compensation…” (p. 7). Another benefit would be better healthcare for all professionals. Other benefits would be safer working conditions and legal representation. The unionization process involves a series of steps leading to the union becoming the bargaining agent for the employees. Casio (2010) states “The Wagner Act, or National Labor Relations Act , of 1935 affirmed the right of all employees to engage in union activities, to organize, and to bargain collectively without interference or coercion from management “ (p. 515). The first step is to organize the drive and get at least 30% participation to sign up. The next step is to inquire about National Labor Relations Board representation. If the NLRB is wanted, then there would be elections and offices to fill. If the votes are at least 50%, then the union is NLRB-certified as a bargaining unit. As a bargaining unit, the union would participate in collective bargaining on behalf of the employees with management to accomplish hopefully a win-win solution. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiations unions to teach agreements that regulate working conditions. The effects of bargaining on the organization are better salaries, better retirement, and safe work environment. References Casio, W. (2010). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Tucker, M. (2012, May). A different role for teachers unions. Education Digest, 77(9), 4-10. www.aft.org