Union Apollo Corporation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2034 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/09/20 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Running head: THE UNION DRIVE AT APOLLO CORPORATION The Union Drive at Apollo Corporation [Name of Student] Kaplan University MT203: Human Resource Management [Name of Professor] [Date of Submission] The Union Drive at Apollo Corporation The case study of labor relations at Apollo Corporation concentrates on the violations committed by the Human Resource Director with regards to the termination of employment of a long-time employee despite the employee having substandard qualities in terms of work performance as well as incoherence of company policies. This paper would present the events leading to the case of Bob Thomas, an employee who has been terminated after he had been discovered to be involved in the creation of a union in Apollo Corporation, the violations committed by the Human Resource Direction regarding the various labor relations laws and the justifications given by each party regarding their actions and decisions. The paper will also present recommendations o n how such circumstances may be avoided by managers of this company and other companies in the future. Review/Analysis of the Case Apollo Corporation HR Director Jean Lipski had decided to meet up with managers of the company in order to modify the relationship between the supervisors and employees of the company. The company has been known to have a laid-back atmosphere in terms of its relationship with its employees. As a result, company policies such as the adherence of the employees to their attendance in the company and the disciplinary actions associated for the failure to comply with these policies were never implemented (Bohlander Snell, 2007). However, because the company was involved in the highly competitive industry of the production of general component parts for communications, Lipski instructed the managers in the meeting she conducted with them to strengthen and tightening of the relationship between the supervisors of the company and its employees. This would be accomplished by the supervisors enforcing company policies and the corresponding disciplinary actions to employees who fail to adhere to these policies (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Upon learning of the changes in the management being imposed by the Human Resource department, many employees were disgruntled. Bob Thomas was one of them. While he vocally expressed his frustrations regarding the changes in management relations with the employees, he secretly began to worry that he may be fired as a result of this. This was because his record for the previous years has been anything but satisfactory. He had been known in the company as a complainer, a trouble maker and highly critical of the management of the company. On top of this, his attendance record for the past five years has been extremely poor. This caused him to contact the union organizer of the Brotherhood of Machine Engineers. He expressed to the union organizer of his desire to begin a union drive in the company. The union organizer agreed to this and soon, Thomas began to distribute fliers to employees regarding the union. His activities reached Lipski. As a result, Lipski called Thomas to her office to advise him that he was being relieved from his position in the company on the grounds of having been evaluated to have substandard level in his work performance and a poor attendance record (Bohlander Snell, 2007). After he was fired from Apollo Corporation, Thomas immediately contacted the union organizer and advised him of the circumstances surrounding his termination in the company. Together, Thomas and the union organizer headed to the regional office of the NLRB to file an unfair labor practice charge against the company on the grounds that Thomas was fired for being involved in the organization of the union in the company, using the reason of his poor work performance and attendance to justify the termination. Lipski, who had minimal experience dealing with unions, was deeply troub led regarding this situation particularly since she observed that the union was fully committed to unionize the employees of Apollo Corporation (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Analysis of Findings In the United States, employees and employers are governed by labor relation laws in order to create an environment to allow them to exercise both their rights and responsibilities. In the case of Bob Thomas, however, the Human Resource department in the person of Jean Lipski had violated a number of these laws. The most obvious of this was the violation of the Wagner Act of 1935 which is also known as the National Labor Relations Act. According this section 7 of this act, employees â€Å"have the right to self-organization, to form, join or assist labor organization† (p. 597) with the purpose of ensuring that the welfare of the employees of an organization is protected. Although the reasons provided by Lipski for the termination of Bob Thomas from the company could be substantiated by records and documents, he was terminated only after Lipski discovered that Thomas was organizing a union in the company. The sequence of the events can cause enough doubt on the part of Thomas and the union organizer that the main reason for his termination was his involvement with the organization of the union which was covered up by his poor performance record (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Lipski’s decision to meet only with the managers of the company regarding the changes of the relationship between managers and employees caused her to commit two unlawful labor practices stipulated in Section 8 of the Wagner Act of 1935 and the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. The first of which is that by not including the employees in the meeting, her decision can be considered as an act of refusing to get involved into some form of collective bargaining with the employees of the company. The same holds true when she terminated Thomas without first discussing the matter with him and being o pen to some form of negotiation to occur between her and Thomas. The second unlawful practice Lipski committed was restraining the company’s employees of their rights which include the right to set up a union in the company. This was clearly seen in her decision to terminate Thomas after discovering that he was organizing a union in Apollo Corporation (Bohlander Snell, 2007). In order to justify her actions, Lipski would be able to present to the NLRB supporting documentations that would show that for five years, Thomas’ attendance was poor along with his performance evaluation and his character evaluation. On top of this, Lipski would be able to present copies of the company policy to the NLRB for review, which will stipulate not only the expectations of the company to their employees regarding work performance and attendance, but also the corresponding sanctions associated with these policies. Moreover, Lipski would be able to argue that because Thomas has bee n employed in the company for a period of nineteen years, it follows that he should by now be fully aware of the company policies and the corresponding disciplinary actions that will be carried out as a result of the employee’s failure to adhere to these policies. As such, Lipski would be able to present evidence that the termination of Thomas from the company was not in any way associated with his involvement to the organization of a union in the company. Rather, the termination was a result of the poor performance of Thomas as an employee of Apollo Corporation. On the other hand, Thomas may dispute Lipski’s allegations by presenting to the company the events that led to his termination. Thomas may be able to justify his poor attendance record by advising to the NLRB that in his nineteen years working in the company, the company did not give much weight to schedule and attendance adherence. He then could quote section 8 of the Wagner Act of 1935 and the Taft-Har tley Act of 1947 to prove that Lipski’s decision to only meet with the managers of the company in order to modify the relationship between the managers and the employees as a decision that did not allow the employees to negotiate with their managers regarding the changes that Lipski wanted to enforce. Because this decision has disgruntled the other employees of the company as well, Thomas may be able to bring in some of his colleagues to support his claim that the employees were not included in the meeting that would affect not only the managers but more so the employees of the company. Thomas could also quote these laws with regards on how he was terminated by the company. He could argue that he was not allowed to negotiate the decision passed by the Human Resource department regarding his termination. He could contest the severity of the sanction that was imposed to him since he could argue to the NLRB that he was never reprimanded for any of the reasons that were use d by the company. Furthermore, because he was the prime organizer of the union in Apollo Corporation, he could use this as justification that he was terminated on the grounds of creating a union in the company. Recommendation In order to avoid cases such as that that occurred in Apollo Corporation, managers and employees must be present to discuss changes in the company’s policy since both parties would be affected by any decisions that would be reached. In the event that the company’s employees had established a union in the company, representatives from the management and the union must be present. Managers should establish and present the goals that they wish to achieve to the employees or union negotiators. Examples of these goals would include cost cutting and the retention of control over the operations of the company to ensure that the company remains at par with its competitors. Based on these goals, the union negotiators or employees of the company shoul d be given the opportunity to discuss issues regarding their salaries, working hours and working conditions. Ideally, both parties would be able to reach a compromise, and it is this compromise that would be implemented by the management of the company (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Oftentimes, differences between the employees and the management cannot be resolved amicably. As such, management should implement a grievance procedure in the company which would allow employees to forward their needs and desires to management. These grievance procedures should consist of various steps with specific filing and reply times that both management and employees must adhere to. These grievance procedures must also ensure that the highest level of the grievance process is arbitration which is where resolutions may be reached and the parties would reach a compromise with the help of a mediator called an arbitrator. It would be the arbitrator’s responsibility to look into the policies re garding the company’s employment, the written agreement that was submitted, testimonies from both parties and the possible resolutions that could be arrived based on these (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Summary and Conclusions The case of Bob Thomas in Apollo Corporation is a perfect example of the consequences a Human Resources Director will face as a result of a lack of experience and knowledge regarding labor and union relations. In the case of Apollo Corporation, although Jean Lipski had just cause to terminate Bob Thomas because of his poor performance at work, Lipski’s decision not to include the employees in her meeting with the supervisors and managers of the company have provided Bob Thomas to file a case against the company with the NLRB on the grounds of unlawful labor practices exhibited by the company, particularly by the Human Resource department through its director. In closing, labor laws were formulated in order to ensure that both managers and employees are able to exercise their rights and their responsibilities in the company. These laws should be strictly followed by companies regardless of the industry they are a part of or the size of the company in order to ensure that not only that companies would not have to face lawsuits against them filed by the employees in relation to their failure to give importance to their needs but also to ensure that a healthy working environment and relationship is fostered which would result to the success of the company. Reference Bohlander, G. W. Snell, S. A. (2007). Managing human resources (14 ed. ). Florence, KY: South-Western Publishing. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Union Apollo Corporation" essay for you Create order

Steve Jobs - My Hero’s Mastery Journey Essay - 1025 Words

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Us Constitution Free Essays

From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation failed to provide the United States with an effective government. It acted as though a loose confederation, or â€Å"firm league of friendship. † The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government that linked the thirteen states in common problems such as foreign affairs, and a judicial arm. We will write a custom essay sample on Us Constitution or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although, there was no executive branch, which meant no leader to enforce laws. Also, the Congress was weak (it was designed that way), and therefore the government could merely advocate and appeal.The United States faced two main problems: the lack of the central government’s power, and its inability to collect and/or create revenue. Each state was in fact not very coherent with the central government. Nor were the states coherent with each other. The states possessed more control than the central government, as the Articles of Confederation forbade the government to command, coerce, or control. It could not act directly upon the individual citizens of sovereign states. Also, the government could only recommend laws, taxes, and other pieces of legislation to a state.Most often, when the government advocated for a law to be passed in a certain state, the state would reject the recommendation, like Rhode Island had done in 1782 (Doc. A). Moreover, the central government had no power to regulate commerce. This is due to how reluctant the states were to hand over control of taxation and commerce, after they had just won it from Great Britain. Without a central power to control these two aspects of the economy, the states were free to establish different, and often conflicting laws regarding tariffs and navigation. This led states to become only farther apart from each other, rather than more unified.Additionally, despite the weak, unsuccessful government, to make any change to the Articles of Confederation required unanimous ratification. Unanimity was near impossible, meaning that the Articles could never be amended. With a government this weak, people would lose confidence in it, and won’t realize the benefit of the liberty they won from the British (Doc. G). Next, the Articles of Confederation failed to allow the central government to collect revenue. In addition to the central government already being weak, it could not effectively collect taxes. Congress, dealing with a large war debt, could not even pay its own soldiers their promised money (Doc. C). Congress needed some form of revenue to get out of debt, so it established a tax quota for each of the states. It then asked each of them to contribute to their share on a voluntary basis. The government, lacking a president (executive branch), had no way to enforce this tax. Congress was lucky if they received one-fourth of their desired tax amount. Furthermore, Congress could not tax trade or any commerce; as for they did not set the regulations for it. Despite not fully â€Å"paying federal taxes†, states still scrambled to get money, and some ended up having to foreclose farms of debtors. Events like this in Massachusetts (along with the high taxes issued by the state), caused Shays’s Rebellion. This was occurred when a group of debtors demanded that the state issue paper money, lighten taxes, and suspend property takeovers. Even though the rebellion was crushed, it was a sign that in order for the United States to survive, a new constitution with a stronger federal government must be created.With a government so weak and ineffective, it is clear that the United States could not survive without a new constitution. This is evident through the lack of the central government’s power, and its inability to generate revenue. As time went by, more and more people began to realize this, which soon began the pursuit of the U. S. Constitution. Therefore, it is obvious that from 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation did not provide the United States with an effective government. (American Pageant was textbook used) How to cite Us Constitution, Papers

My Love for Animals free essay sample

As I neared the gate, bag in hand, she, Sunny Rose bounded towards me wagging her tail wildly. She turned her great big blob of her head towards me and began jumping and playing around me as she welcomed me home. I sat down and said, Hi there big fella, had a good day. † She immediately lifted her paw and slapped it down hard on my out stretched hand. Her hand shake was warm and inviting. She opened her mouth and an alarming quantity of slippery pink tongue rolled out and licked me Ive always loved animals ever since I was a little girl. I remember caring for baby birds that fell out of a nest in my backyard. I also once cared for a cat that was injured by an irresponsible driver. I wept bitterly when my pet gold fish died and we had to give it a watery grave down the toilet. We will write a custom essay sample on My Love for Animals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I think it is very easy to love dogs. They are wonderful companions; loyal and trustworthy. They will play safely with kids or keep a house bound person company all day long and they make wonderful guide dogs. It is true that training a dog takes considerable time and effort but its time well spent because they pay you back generously with affection, intelligence and good humour. Being a dog owner builds character and provides a lot of pleasure. Pets are a name for animals that live with you and share your life. They are interesting because you can play with them and take to them as if they are humans. It is a known fact that pets help you to lead longer and happier lives because of the companionship, exercise and responsibility they provide. They offer companionship to keep stress and depression away. Many Psychiatrists have found that patients with anger management problems can be calmer with a pet around the house. It Calms the nerves and eliminates aggravation. Can you hear the cries of those who do not communicate in the human language? How about the fearful mewing of a motherless kitten? Does your heart skip a beat when you hear the whimpering of a lost puppy? Are you filled with sadness when you see an animal that has been hit by a car? Do you take in strays and feed them because they are all skin and bone? If so you love animals just like me.