Labor Relations Essays - Labour Relations, Trade Unions,

Labor Relations This paper will attempt to discuss the cost and benefit of trade unionism, as it exists in the United States. To understand the pros and cons, it is important to understand the environment in which trade unionism developed and the needs they attempted to satisfy. It will discuss the evolution of Trade Unionism through the centuries. From that understanding we can discuss the topic as it relates to our current environment. Historians agree that American Unionism started in the early 19th Century. These early organizations were formed along the lines of Craft. Daniel Mills explains, in Labor Relations, Crafts people worked for themselves, or in small shops. They were often in conflict with customers or merchants which they supplied. (35) These associations were formed to protect their craft, rather than as a collective bargaining union. In the mid 19th Century, America was in the middle of the industrial revolution. We were becoming an urban industrial society. Immigration was becoming a great source of labor supply. These large manufacturing enterprises, exploiting workers without regards to human cost, were ripe for National Union Organization. Jerry Borenstein states in his work, Unions In Transition, They were often loosely organized associations, which were quite short-lived and likely to disappear under hostile pressure from employers and government. (15) The unions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were formed largely to protect basic human dignity in the work place. Unions addressed basic concerns regarding safety issues, length of work day and wage. They were largely unsuccessful due to the public perception of unions as Socialistic as well as anti American. People viewed trade unions as being disruptive to the flow of free trade. It was only during the 1930's that trade unions, as we know them today, were created and accepted. With the passing of the Wagner Act of 1935, formal, legal protection was now afforded Trade Unions in America. Trade uni ons moved from being virtually outlawed by the US Government to being the beneficiaries of their legal protection. Morgan Reynolds tells us, in his Power and Privilege, the common definition of Labor Union in the American dictionaries is an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions, through the process of collective bargaining. ( 33 ) This definition is an all encompassing one that justifies the existence of unions. Assumptions must be made by unions and the union members that these items are not being provided for by the employer and therefore require an organization, the union, to fight for them. This definition describes a Good Guy / Bad Guy relationship between worker and Employer, that I believe is too simplistic. Both Union and Management act in a checks and balance relationship that is difficult to describe. We must take specific points of concern and describe the benefits trade unio nism brings to the table. Union Approach Wages Trade unions are filling a need of the American worker just as much today as they did 30, 50 or 70 years ago. Unions historically have represented the workers who were from manufacturing, Blue Collar, job classifications. These workers are not being paid an equitable share of the profits that corporations are making. The disparity between the union worker and the management personnel is ever growing. The AFL-CIO News dated June 28, 1996 describes an incident where Steelworkers were locked out of a Common Wealth Gas plant for turning down a contract calling for more than 50 concessions while two weeks previously management was given 3 million dollars compensation. This occurred while the company was making a record 54 million dollar profit. ( 2 ). It follows, when considering the previous statement, inequities in pay are as prevalent in 1996 as they were in 1926. Unions are needed to lessen these inequities by fighting for workers wages. In Richard Freeman's, What Do Unions Do, he states, Union membership advances pay treatment for groups that are historically the least paid. There is a wider disparity in the wages of Union vs. non Union workers among the following groups. The young, who are the lowest paid, the worker with least tenure, non whites and women. (

V Kurien Bio Essay Example

V Kurien Bio Essay Example V Kurien Bio Essay V Kurien Bio Essay †¦ the leader has to set a personal example and make others understand in what ways change’ is going to be useful. I believe that professionals working in our organizations must have a clarity of thought combined with a passionate pursuit of mastery of their subject. Kurien combined vision with administrative abilities. He had an uncanny ability to influence the leaders and virtually had a free hand from all prime ministers, right from Lal Bahadur Shastri to Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Despite holding him in high esteem people never felt intimidated by the man - because he would also be sublimely human as he spoke forcefully about reaching out and helping the farmer live with respect. He would chide someone for keeping the campus lights on during the day. It was the norm at NDDB to put up notes on one-sided papers, even those that went up to the Chairman. Verghese Kurien: Father of White Revolution Biography Verghese Kurien was a renowned Indian social entrepreneur and the architect of the worlds biggest agricultural development programme.The operation took India from being a milk-deficient nation, to the largest milk producer in the world and saw the birth of AMUL, the world’s biggest cooperative dairy brand. Born a Keralite, after his masters degree, he was deputed to the Government dairy at Anand in Gujarat where he rather half-heartedly served out his bond period against the scholarship given by Govt of India. However, Enthused by the challenge of doing something for the milk farmers, he resigned from his government job and volunteered to help Shri Tribhuvandas in changing the lives of farmers and end their exploitation at the hands of middlemen.This be came a journey of a lifetime for him and he ended up making Gujarat his home. He faced innumerable challenges, ranging from interference of politicians and bureaucrats, unavailability of technology and lack of trained manpower. He saw opportunity in every crisis. He founded around 30 institutions of excellence (like GCMMF, IRMA, NDDB), which are owned by farmers and run by professionals. His work has alleviated millions out of poverty not only in India but also outside. Unlike many who would have made a personal fortune and gone unquestioned, Dr Kurien retired and lived a simple middle class existence till his end.Lessons in Leadership * He always delegated greater responsibility to his subordinates. It would surprise many to know that Kurien also saw every new Amul advertisement along with the rest - on the billboards! * He had a reputation for not dressing up his thoughts and actions in political correctness. The then Chief Minister of Rajasthan did not agree to autonomy being gi ven to the milk cooperatives and told Kurien that Rajasthan’s farmers were not as capable of managing their businesses as Gujarat’s farmers.Kurien then said that if the CM’s constituency, Jodhpur (rural), was capable of electing him, surely they could manage their own little milk businesses. * Funds became a problem when the movie Manthan was being planned. Kurien asked all the farmer members to contribute Rs 2 for the film project. The low budget film won national awards and continues to be considered as the best tool to educate farmers about cooperative movements. Learn More Autobiography: I Too Had a Dream Sources Various news articles, websites of NDDB and GCMMF