Question 1

The National Labor Relations Board was primarily established for the purpose of ________.
A) investigating unfair labor practice charges
B) overseeing the establishment of local unions
C) managing the membership of the AFL-CIO
D) negotiating contracts on behalf of local unions

Accepted Answer

A) The National Labor Relations Board was established to enforce the provisions of the Wagner Act, which banned unfair labor practices. The NLRB oversees union elections, but not the establishment of unions.

Question 2

Which of the following best explains why union membership has fallen since 1955?
A) Domestic companies are shifting from manufacturing to service-based operations.
B) Union members earn less on average compared to non-union members.
C) Union membership is too expensive for most blue-collar workers.
D) Foreign-owned manufacturers will not hire union members.

Accepted Answer

A) Union membership has fallen since its peak in 1955. Reasons include the shift from manufacturing to service jobs.

Question 3

In 1947, which type of union security was outlawed in interstate commerce?
A) closed shop
B) agency shop
C) union shop
D) preferential shop

Accepted Answer

A) Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members. Congress outlawed closed shops in interstate commerce in 1947, but they still exist in some states for particular industries.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the AFL-CIO?
A) voluntary federation of national and international labor unions
B) local union for automobile workers in Detroit, Michigan
C) federation of firms that fight unionization in their plants
D) regional branch of the National Labor Relations Board

Accepted Answer

A) The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a voluntary federation of about 56 national and international labor unions in the United States.

Question 5

With the maintenance of membership arrangement of union security, how long must union members employed by a firm maintain union membership?
A) until there is a wage increase
B) for the contract period
C) until negotiations end
D) for at least 1 year

Accepted Answer

B) With the maintenance of membership arrangement, employees do not have to belong to the union. However, union members employed by the firm must maintain membership in the union for the contract period.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the closed shop form of union security?
A) A company hires non-union people if they agree to join the union.
B) Union members receive preferential treatment in hiring.
C) Employees who do not belong to the union are required to pay dues.
D) A company can hire only current union members.

Accepted Answer

D) Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members. Congress outlawed closed shops in interstate commerce in 1947, but they still exist in some states for particular industries (such as printing). They account for fewer than 5% of union contracts.

Question 7

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire non-union people, but those people must join the union within a prescribed period of time.
A) closed shop
B) union shop
C) agency shop
D) open shop

Accepted Answer

B) With the union shop, the company can hire non-union people, but they must join the union after a prescribed period and pay dues. Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members.

Question 8

Which type of union security accounts for almost three-fourths of union contracts?
A) preferential shop
B) agency shop
C) closed shop
D) union shop

Accepted Answer

D) The union shop accounts for about 73% of union contracts. Closed shop and maintenance of membership both account for less than 5% of all contracts.

Question 9

In which human resource activity does a typical labor agreement NOT give the union a role?
A) recruitment
B) selection
C) dismissal
D) appraisals

Accepted Answer

D) The typical labor agreement also gives the union a role in other human resource activities, including recruiting, selecting, compensating, promoting, training, and discharging employees. Unions typically play no role in performance appraisals.

Question 10

The ________ form of union security means that the employees who do not belong to the union still must pay union dues because the union's efforts benefit them all.
A) closed shop
B) union shop
C) agency shop
D) open shop

Accepted Answer

C) With the agency shop, employees who do not belong to the union still must pay the union an amount equal to union dues on the assumption that the union's efforts benefit all the workers. Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members.

Question 11

The agency shop form of union security means that the ________.
A) company can hire only union members
B) company can hire non-union people if they vow to join the union
C) employees who do not belong to the union must still pay dues
D) employees can decide whether to join the union and pay dues

Accepted Answer

C) With the agency shop, employees who do not belong to the union still must pay the union an amount equal to union dues on the assumption that the union's efforts benefit all the workers. Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members.

Question 12

Right-to-work laws inhibit union formation by ________.
A) outlawing unions in right-to-work states
B) prohibiting any form of union security
C) making union membership a precondition for employment
D) leaving the question of union security up to each company

Accepted Answer

B) Right-to-work laws do not outlaw unions. They do outlaw (within those states) any form of union security. "Right to work" is a term used to describe state statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.

Question 13

Which of the following was established by the Wagner Act?
A) National Labor Relations Committee
B) Norris-LaGuardia Group
C) National Labor Relations Board
D) Knights of Labor

Accepted Answer

C) The Wagner Act created the National Labor Relations Board to enforce the provisions of the Norris-LaGuardia Act. It did this by banning certain unfair labor practices and by providing for secret-ballot elections and majority rule for determining whether a firm's employees would unionize.

Question 14

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire only union members.
A) closed shop
B) union shop
C) agency shop
D) maintenance of membership agreement

Accepted Answer

A) Under the closed shop form of union security, the company can hire only current union members. Congress outlawed closed shops in interstate commerce in 1947, but they still exist in some states for particular industries.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes a "yellow-dog" contract?
A) Employers agree to abide by the guidelines of the local labor unions.
B) As a condition of employment, an employee agrees not to join a union.
C) Union members agree to the agency shop form of union security.
D) As a condition of employment, an employee agrees not to picket.

Accepted Answer

B) "Yellow-dog" contracts, whereby management could require non-union membership as a condition for employment, were widely enforced.

Question 16

About ________% of people working in the United States belong to unions.
A) 5
B) 12
C) 20
D) 45

Accepted Answer

B) Just over 17.7 million U.S. workers belong to unions-around 12.4% of the total number of men and women working in this country.

Question 17

The term "________" describes statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.
A) termination at will
B) right to work
C) open shop
D) free labor

Accepted Answer

B) "Right to work" is a term used to describe state statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment. Right-to-work laws do not outlaw unions, but they do outlaw any form of union security.

Question 18

Which of the following bans certain unfair labor practices and provides for majority rule and secret ballot elections?
A) Landrum-Griffin Act
B) Norris-LaGuardia Act
C) Wagner Act
D) Taft-Hartley Act

Accepted Answer

C) Congress passed the National Labor Relations (or Wagner) Act to add teeth to the Norris-LaGuardia Act. It did this by banning certain unfair labor practices and by providing for secret-ballot elections and majority rule for determining whether a firm's employees would unionize.

Question 19

Which of the following guaranteed each employee the right to bargain collectively free from interference, restraint, or coercion?
A) National Labor Relations Act
B) Norris-LaGuardia Act
C) National Labor Relations Board
D) Taft-Hartley Act

Accepted Answer

B) The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 guaranteed to each employee the right to bargain collectively "free from interference, restraint, or coercion." The National Labor Relations Act added on to Norris-LaGuardia by banning certain unfair labor practices.

Question 20

Which form of union security means that union members have preference in hiring, but the employer can hire non-union members?
A) closed shop
B) union shop
C) agency shop
D) preferential shop

Accepted Answer

D) With preferential shop, union members receive preference in hiring. With the agency shop, employees who do not belong to the union still must pay the union an amount equal to union dues.

Quiz 13: Working with Unions and Resolving Disputes

The National Labor Relations Board was primarily established for the purpose of ________.

Which of the following best explains why union membership has fallen since 1955?

In 1947, which type of union security was outlawed in interstate commerce?

Which of the following best describes the AFL-CIO?

With the maintenance of membership arrangement of union security, how long must union members employed by a firm maintain union membership?

Which of the following best describes the closed shop form of union security?

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire non-union people, but those people must join the union within a prescribed period of time.

Which type of union security accounts for almost three-fourths of union contracts?

In which human resource activity does a typical labor agreement NOT give the union a role?

The ________ form of union security means that the employees who do not belong to the union still must pay union dues because the union's efforts benefit them all.

The agency shop form of union security means that the ________.

Right-to-work laws inhibit union formation by ________.

Which of the following was established by the Wagner Act?

The ________ form of union security means that the company can hire only union members.

Which of the following best describes a "yellow-dog" contract?

About ________% of people working in the United States belong to unions.

The term "________" describes statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.

Which of the following bans certain unfair labor practices and provides for majority rule and secret ballot elections?

Which of the following guaranteed each employee the right to bargain collectively free from interference, restraint, or coercion?

Which form of union security means that union members have preference in hiring, but the employer can hire non-union members?