Management and Union Conflicts - Week 5 - Managing and Organizing People

8/8/2019 Management and Union Conflicts - Week 5 - Managing and Organizing People

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MANAGEMENT AND UNION CONFLICTS

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Managing and Organizing People

Final Paper

May, 2010


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I. THE ORGANIZATION:

The United States Postal Service, Florida

II. IDENTIFY AN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR PROBLEM WHICH AFFECTS ORGANIZATIONAL

PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY:

The United States Postal Service has constantly been plagued with differences and disagreements

between management and its union workers that have caused a decrease in productivity and

performance. The increased number of complaints utilized a vast majority of time spent negotiating or

compromising a settlement or agreement.

III. HOW THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP POWER STRUGGLES MANIFEST IN EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR AND

AFFECTS ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY:

With a constant power struggle between the two entities, with neither wanting to back down,

employees are caught in the middle. If an employee bucks the system, he or she could possibly lose

his/her job, benefits and livelihood, while on the other hand, if the employee decides to fight with the

union, there also could be repercussions and retaliation from management as well as his/ her fellow

workers.

IV. PRELIMINARY RESOURCE SEARCH ON YOUR TOPIC TO CONFIRM THE VALIDITY OF YOUR TOPIC:

Bendersky, C. (2007). Complementarities in Organizational Dispute Resolution Systems: How

System Characteristics Affect Individuals' Conflict Experiences. Industrial &

Labor Relations Review, Vol. 60, No. 2, Article 3. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Cornell


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UniversitySchool of Industrial Labor database.

Deery, S. J. & Iverson, R. D. (2005) Labor-Management Cooperation: Antecedents and Impact

on Organizational Performance. Industrial &

Labor Relations Review, Vol. 58, No.4, Article 4. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Cornell


Godard, J. (2009). The Exceptional Decline of the American Labor Movement. Industrial &



Gooding, G. (2008). The Cost of Unionization: The Hidden Impacts of a Union-Represented

Workforce. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from, http://vexillate.com/GG-WP-CostOf.pdf.

Phillips-Carson, P., K. Carson, B. Birkenmeier & A. Toma. (2006). Looking For

Loyalty In All The Wrong Places: A Study of Union Organization and Commitments. Retrieved April 9,

2010, from Entrepreneur Magazine, http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article. (Document

ID: 160542380)

THE IMPACT TO EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR WHEN CHANGE MANAGEMENT IS INEFFECTIVELY

COMMUNICATED CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE ORGANIZATION:

The impact on an employees negative behavior is usually one that also has a negative effect on the

organization because the employee loses the importance of caring about the organization outlook. The


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employee then sees the organization as just a place for a paycheck. As a result, the employee tends to

resist changes from management.

IDENTIFY HOW THE PROBLEM AFFECTS INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BEHAVIOR IN THE ORGANIZATION:

As these problems increase, individual and group behavior in an organization tend to flow out of the

organization and reflect negatively to the public. For example, if mail carriers or sales associates are not

satisfied with their work environment, management, the union or anything that involves the work, these

employees will eventually portray their displeasure with whomever is within their daily interaction and

vent negatively. This behavior would cast a bad outlook on the organization.

V. DESCRIBE THE RATIONALE FOR YOUR SELECTED TOPIC, INCLUDING THE REASONS WHY THE TOPIC

IS IMPORTANT TO THE ORGANIZATION:

I chose this topic, not mainly because of my previous employment with the United States Postal Service

and my past position as a union steward, but also because I wanted to give the reader a firsthand

perspective of a major problem within the United States Postal Service that has been rampant for many

years without any concrete solution in sight. It seems as if this issue continues on a revolving door

without any closure. This topic is very important to the survival of the United States Postal Service

because of the recent economic forecast, many organizations are tasked to find ways to cut their

budgets and the United States Postal Service is also competing heavily against the Internet, email, and

other companies such as United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (FedEx).

VI. ELEMENTS OF THOUGHTS:

PURPOSE:


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I would like to inform readers about the impact that the friction between management and the union

causes within the organization and how the effects of this conflict has resonated to the customers and

competitors. It seems that the public is also aware of the long standing conflicts

QUESTIONS:

What recommendations may be necessary to resolve these disputes and decrease the in-house

bickering and is it possible to bring balance between management and the unions to ensure a positive

commitment to the employees as well as commitment to the community?

INFORMATION:

In seeking resolve to these answers, I will be drawing on my past experience as well as researching my

results and conclusion.

INFERENCES/CONCLUSION:

To explain the reason why the union fights so hard for workers rights and why management thinks that

they should oppose every issue.

CONCEPTS:

I want the reader to know what some of the most important problems facing the United States Postal

Service management and the unions that represent its workforce.

ASSUMPTIONS:

It is assumed that postal workers are overpaid, lazy and complain too much about the organization that

employs them. Most think that the unions are the cause of many conflicts between management and


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the workers. In this paper, I will show how many organizations other than the United Postal Service face

some of the same conflicts and discord with management.

IMPLICATIONS/CONSEQUENCES:

The readers should be informed of the consequences and implications of removing the union from the

United States Postal Service. How would the workers respond to this change?

POINT OF VIEW:

I want to explain another point of view to the reader that sometimes, the cause of the bickering can

come from the union leaderships lack of cooperation with management and their hostility to building

serious collective resistance to management.

VII. ANALYZE POTENTIAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST YOUR POSITION:

Some arguments against my position could include an issue that is very rampant now. For example,

because of the state of our economy and some unemployment across the country approaching double

digits within many states, major corporations such as the United States Postal Service could seek to

rescue their profits through layoffs and decimating wages and benefits. The large sums of money and

resources spent in the past fighting grievances could be eliminated. Additionally, in an effort to balance

its budget, management could continue to seek ways to chip away at postal worker gains, largely

through attrition, automation, with an attempt to whittle away at the workforce.

VIII. EXPLAIN HOW YOU WOULD REFUTE ARGUMENTS AGAINST YOUR POSITION AND FURTHER

DEFINE AND SUPPORT YOUR REASONING AND RATIONALE:

My arguments would be that while management may think that attacking the workers or cutting budget

may solve some of their budget woes, the union and workers must continue to show that they have an


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economic necessity to defend themselves with a strong workers movement that can greatly affect the

outcome and force what funds exist to meet more of the workers' needs. In my support for reasoning

and rationale, I would like to explain how it may be possible for management and the union to fight

together for resources that could assist the worker as well as the United States Postal Service. For

example, in my opinion, the same way trillions of government dollars were handed over to insure that

the banking, auto and insurance companies continue to survive, this aid could be offered to benefit the

postal worker, management and the organization. After all, the United States Postal Service is an

American icon, just like General Motors and Ford.

IX. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Baker, Paddy. (2002). State of the Unions. Works Management, Vol. 55 Issue 5, p14, 3p.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Training Institute International

This article reports on the results of a survey conducted on the roles unions play in the manufacturing

workplaces of the 21st century and what the relationship with management is like. The article noted

that unions on some sites can be suspicious of, improvements by management and that there had been

reports of management being so hostile to the introduction of unions on their sites that representatives

have had to be smuggled on to the premises.

Baruch Bush, R. A., & Folger, J. P. (2005). The Promise of Mediation: The Transformative

Approach to Conflict. R Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Cornell University School of Industrial

Labor database.

The authors illustrated the impact of transformative mediation by giving examples


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of successful use of the transformative approach for conflict resolution. The shows how the

transformative approach focuses on empowerment and its ability to transform people's attitudes and

outlook toward conflict. The authors also clarified some misconceptions about transformative mediation

Brodsky, N. (2005). Subcontracting Made Easy and Why the Union Cant Win: It's Time For Labor

Leaders To Start Thinking Like Business Leaders. Vol. 27 Issue 2, p47, 2p, 1c.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Inc Magazine database.

Brodsky describes the issues a manager has with the local union at a job site. Management has a

problem with the general contractor, who is union. This leads management to think about the next time

he needs some work done, he may consider looking into hiring a non-union subcontractor. This causes

much conflict between the local union and management.

Colvin, A. J. (2003). The Dual Transformation of Workplace Dispute Resolution. Industrial Resolution, 42

(4), 712. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Works database.

Colvin examines the effects varied work structures had on grievance rates and dispute resolution. He

indicated that the dispute resolution systems that involved non-managerial decision makers had higher

grievance rates than ones with managerial decision makers. Self-managed teams had low grievance

rates.

De la Cruz, T. (2005). Role of Labor Unions in Hotel Industry. Hotel & Motel Management;

Vol. 220 Issue 10, p34, 2p. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Works database.

The author conducted a panel discussion on labor unions and their role in the hospitality industry. It is

mentioned that management can beat a union campaign by listening to employee concerns, and it can

lose a union campaign by responding to employees in the wrong way. One person in the article sees


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labor unions as the stabilizing third party that has created a work force with high productivity, low

grievance, and no employee lawsuits. He contends that such a work force yields the best customer

service.

Elswick, J. (2004). UFCW Strike Augers Further Conflict Over Health Benefits. Employee

Benefit News, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p1, 2p, and 2c. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from Mediation

Works database.

This article discusses The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) strike that occurred in

Southern California over medical benefits. This article noted that experts said that the outcome would

set a new precedent for labor relations and could possibly influence the national debate over health

care access and affordability. The article also mentions how other unions across the nation pledged the

support to the UFCW.

Fiala, J. (2005). Labor Union Vies for Change. DVM: The Newsmagazine of Veterinary

Medicine Vol. 36 Issue 6, p1, 3p. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from Mediation

Works database.

Fiala explains how a few hospital members unionized at a VeterinaryHospital in order to fight for better

wages and health care. The workers felt that there was no connection between the board of directors

and them so they unionized so that their voices would be heard. The article also discusses how

management did not take the workers seriously until they unionized.

Wheeler, H. N. (2005). The Third Way. Business & Economic Review, Vol. 51 Issue 2, p6, 3p.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Business and Economic Review database.


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This article in the Business & Economic Review reports on how unions have to

even the playing field between them and management. The author also discusses how the unions have

to use nontraditional strategies for constraining management opposition as well as to gain

governmental support; two main issues that sustain a strong labor union existence in a national system.

Win, Win (2005). Conflict and Mediation in the Workplace: Human Resource Magazine. Retrieved April

10, 2010, from SHRM Human Resource Magazine database.This magazine article illustrates

how resolving workplace disputes can become

very time consuming and costly. The article explains why modern organizations

are beginning to adopt the latest trend in corporate conflict resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution

(ADR). Companies are saving time and money by resolving issues in shorter amounts of time at the

lowest levels of their organizations. In addition to these savings organizations are also witnessing

increases in employee morale, productivity, and improved reputations in their markets

Wolfe, P. (2003). The New Mexico Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors

Association's Quality Connection. New Mexico Business Journal, Dec 2003, Vol. 27 Issue 12, p13,

4p, 3c, 2bw. Retrieved April 11, 2010, New Mexico Business Journal online database.

This article discusses the cooperation between the management and laborers of the New Mexico

chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NM-NECA) and the International Brotherhood

of Electrical Workers (IBEW). This article also reports on the development of Quality Connection, which

brings contractors (management) and electricians (labor) together working to set up programs, training

and the best services for the organization.

X. OUTLINE:


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Management and Union Conflicts within the United States Postal Service

I. The United States Postal Service and their conflicts with the Union

II. Analysis/Theories

A. Conflict resolution program enacted within the United States Postal Service

Rachleff, P. (2005). A Labor Intensive Strategy. Tikkun, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p49, 2p. Retrieved April 11, 2010,

from, http://www.mediate.com/articles/rachleff1.cfm.

Ripps, S., S. (2004). Labor Union Tackles Workplace Conflict. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from,

http://www.mediate.com/articles/ripps1.cfm.

B. The results of the conflict resolution system

Gaynier, L.P. (2005). Transformative mediation: In search of a theory of practice. Conflict Resolution

Quarterly, 22(3), 397-408. Retrieved, April 10, 2010, from Conflict Resolution Quarterly online database.

C. Effective channels of communication

Baharvar, D. (2004). The Problem With "Problem Solving": Learning From Other Approaches To

Mediation Retrieved, April 11, 2010 from Cornell University School of Industrial Labor database.

Ellis, D. G., & Maoz, I. (2003). A Communication and Cultural Codes approach to Ethno-national Conflict.

The International Journal of Conflict Management, 14(3/4), 255-272. Retrieved, April 11, 2010 from

Cornell University School of Industrial Labor database.

II. Analysis/Theories:


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Conflict resolution program enacted within the United States Postal Service: At times, the supervisor

and employees cannot resolve personality differences. The unions strategy for resolving a grievance

may not be satisfactory to the union member and this can causes issues that labor unions confront daily.

What can a labor union do to help its members resolve conflict? Ripps (2004) contends that the

traditional union approach to solving conflict is rarely concise and not always effective. He continues to

note that in order to better serve its members, the union must offer a conflict resolution program,

which offered a unique conflict management system that would focus on resolving problems without

resorting to the time consuming and costly grievance procedure. Ripps (2004) added that while union

representatives are skilled in traditional problem solving methods involving grievances and arbitration,

they have little experience with current conflict resolution techniques. The traditional processes do not

afford a timely remedy but instead foster an adversarial climate, with continual disputes between union

members and management which disrupts the unions mission and foster a negative working

relationship. Rachleff (2005) reiterated that conflict will stem from perceptions and lack of

communication and by creating a culture for the members, they is an added emphasis for open

communication while offering a variety of problem solving methods.

The results of the conflict resolution system: Changing the focus of union staff and members presents a

unique challenge. Training programs must be established for union staff and shop stewards on conflict

resolution techniques, including mediation, facilitation and early neutral intervention. Gaynier (2005)

teaches that the training program should include presentations that provide union staff and members

with information about how to communicate openly and effectively, and teaching ways to identify and

deescalate conflict. Gaynier (2005) stated that the goal of the union should be to provide members with

a safe, confidential vehicle to improve work relationships enhance communication and resolve conflict


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quickly. The union believes this program will have a significant impact on the number of grievances filed,

will enhance work relationships between members and employers, will decrease incidents of workplace

violence and will open the door to cooperative problem solving in other areas.

Effective channels of communication: Effective use and incorporation of conflict resolution techniques

for several thousand United Sates Postal Service union members have taken some time. However,

Baharvar (2004) said that most training programs follow a facilitative, problem solving approach, which

is producing a cadre of mediators who share similar values and perspectives. Under the standard

approach, disputes are essentially seen as problems. The mediator is seen as a negotiation consultant

who helps the parties to go beyond their positions to identify mutually acceptable solutions that satisfy

their interests. This perspective is rooted in transformative communication theory and research. The

research presented supports evidence that cultural groups evolve a code and orientation to

communication. These codes can be bridges or barriers to communication. The authors assert that

awareness and understanding of intergroup interaction processes and cultural-communication codes is

vital in ethno-national conflict resolution (Ellis 2003) to an organization.

CONCLUSION

The authors agreed that there have been considerable benefits and improvements of introducing the

conflict resolution systems to the union and management at the United States Postal Service. The

results give the courts the authority to require the introduction of a mediation scheme at a particular

employer, if that employer fails to observe basic standards of human rights within a democratic society.

This argument can be made on financial or moral grounds. Finally, if there is a reasonable, empirically

grounded, expectation that fewer disputes will be brought to court in the future, then there is a

compelling ethical argument that mediation (conflict resolution) will and have produced outcomes with


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higher levels of satisfaction for both disputing parties with a higher percentage of working relationships

remaining intact in the aftermath of conflict.

References

Baharvar, D. (2004). The Problem With "Problem Solving": Learning From Other Approaches

To Mediation Retrieved, April 11, 2010 from CornellUniversitySchool of Industrial

Labor database.

Baker, Paddy. (2002). State of the Unions. Works Management, Vol. 55 Issue 5, p14, 3p.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Training Institute International

Baruch Bush, R. A., & Folger, J. P. (2005). The Promise of Mediation: The Transformative

Approach to Conflict. R Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Cornell University School of Industrial

Labor database.

Bendersky, C. (2007). Complementarities in Organizational Dispute Resolution Systems: How

System Characteristics Affect Individuals' Conflict Experiences. Industrial &

Labor Relations Review, Vol. 60, No. 2, Article 3. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Cornell



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Brodsky, N. (2005). Subcontracting Made Easy and Why the Union Cant Win: It's Time For Labor Leaders

To Start Thinking Like Business Leaders. Vol. 27 Issue 2, p47, 2p, 1c.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Inc Magazine database.

Colvin, A. J. (2003). The Dual Transformation of Workplace Dispute Resolution. Industrial Resolution, 42

(4), 712. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Works database.

Deery, S. J. & Iverson, R. D. (2005) Labor-Management Cooperation: Antecedents and Impact

on Organizational Performance. Industrial &



De la Cruz, T. (2005). Role of Labor Unions in Hotel Industry. Hotel & Motel Management;

Vol. 220 Issue 10, p34, 2p. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Mediation Works database.

Ellis, D. G., & Maoz, I. (2003). A Communication and Cultural Codes approach to

Ethno-national Conflict. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 14(3/4), 255-272.

Retrieved, April 11, 2010 from CornellUniversitySchool of Industrial Labor

database.

Elswick, J. (2004). UFCW Strike Augers Further Conflict Over Health Benefits. Employee

Benefit News, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p1, 2p, and 2c. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from Mediation

Works database.


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Fiala, J. (2005). Labor Union Vies for Change. DVM: The Newsmagazine of Veterinary

Medicine Vol. 36 Issue 6, p1, 3p. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from Mediation

Works database.

Gaynier, L.P. (2005). Transformative mediation: In search of a theory of practice. Conflict

Resolution Quarterly, 22(3), 397-408. Retrieved, April 10, 2010, from Conflict

Resolution Quarterly online database.

Godard, J. (2009). The Exceptional Decline of the American Labor Movement. Industrial &

Labor Relations Review, Vol. 63, No.1, Article 5. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from CornellUniversity

School of Industrial Labor database.

Gooding, G. (2008). The Cost of Unionization: The Hidden Impacts of a Union-Represented

Workforce. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from, http://vexillate.com/GG-WP-CostOf.pdf.

Phillips-Carson, P., K. Carson, B. Birkenmeier & A. Toma. (2006). Looking For

Loyalty In All The Wrong Places: A Study of Union Organization and Commitments. Retrieved

April 9, 2010, from Entrepreneur Magazine,

http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article. (Document ID: 160542380)

Rachleff, P. (2005). A Labor Intensive Strategy. Tikkun, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p49, 2p. Retrieved

April 11, 2010, from, http://www.mediate.com/articles/rachleff1.cfm.


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Ripps, S., S. (2004). Labor Union Tackles Workplace Conflict. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from,

http://www.mediate.com/articles/ripps1.cfm.

Wheeler, H. N. (2005). The Third Way. Business & Economic Review, Vol. 51 Issue 2, p6,3p.

Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Business and Economic Review database.

Win, Win (2005). Conflict and Mediation in the Workplace: Human Resource Magazine. Retrieved April

10, 2010, from SHRM Human Resource Magazine database.

Wolfe, P. (2003). The New Mexico Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors

Association's Quality Connection. New Mexico Business Journal, Dec 2003, Vol. 27 Issue 12, p13,

4p, 3c, 2bw. Retrieved April 11, 2010, New Mexico Business Journal online database.

Documents

Management and Union Conflicts - Week 5 - Managing and Organizing People