Labor Relations Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Labor Relations Project - Essay Example Unions are an essential part of the labor process. Union members are protected by strict laws that guard their legal rights for the salary, benefits and compensations. Another opportunity is to organize collective bargaining. It is the negotiation between an employer and a group of employees, determining the conditions of employment. The collective bargaining ends in a collective agreement or contract, in which the employees are represented as the members of a union or a labor organization. Since the agreement is achieved, its maintenance is observed by federal and state laws, judicial decisions and organizational agency regulation. The major law governing collective bargain is the National Labor Relations Act, originally enacted by Congress in 1935. Employees working under collective bargaining agreements are also covered and protected by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, even if they are not union members. These acts guarantee legislative support to the emp loyees. In accordance with the NRLA a labor organization is selected to represent a unit of employees in collective bargaining. The employer has no right to interfere with this selection. The employer must bargain with the selected representative of the unit. There are certain employment laws as to the minimum salary, obligatory benefits and compensation to the employees in private sector. These are the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and some others. Being a member of a union or collective bargain, you are also entitled to all the protection against discharge (Cuomo 2007). Any proposals violating these laws cannot be included into the collective bargain. Moreover, in case the employee does not keep to the contract, the NLRA grants the members of a union or a collective