LABOR RELATIONS: STRIKING A BALANCE
6TH EDITION
CHAPTER 1. CONTEMPORARY LABOR RELATIONS: OBJECTIVES, PRACTICES
AND CHALLENGES
TRUE/FALSE
1) Fundamentally, a labor union is a group of workers who join together to influence the
nature of their employment.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
2) The widening gap between the richest and poorest individuals in the U.S. is in part due to
the weakened position of labor unions.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
3) When an employer uses an employee suggestion box to gather ideas and concerns from
its employees, it is primarily addressing the labor relations goal of efficiency.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
4) The goals of efficiency, equity, and voice in the workplace rarely conflict with one
another.
, ⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
5) A key role of unions is to negotiate work rules and practices that ensure fair treatment of
employees by their managers and employers.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
6) In the United States, employees have broad protections against arbitrary dismissal such
that employers must provide a good business-related reason for firing someone.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
7) The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers' rights to act together for
mutual aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to
resolve workplace conflict.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
8) In the U.S., workers can generally be discharged for good cause, no cause, and even a
morally wrong cause.
⊚ true
⊚ false
,ANS: true
9) Most industrialized countries give employers wide latitude to dismiss employees "at will"
(i.e., without a just cause).
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
10) In 2011, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in their bid for the Super Bowl. The next
day, a Chicago car salesman was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work despite
having sold 14 cars in the previous month. In the U.S., such a dismissal is considered illegal.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
11) An organization that allows its employees to exercise their voice in the workplace using
democratic principles similar to those that are commonly accepted in a democratic society is one
that exercises industrial democracy.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
12) The concept of employee voice suggests that employees should have the right to express
their opinions in the workplace but only if they are consistent with the majority of employees or
with the employer's perspective.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
, 13) While voice and equity are important to the employment relationship, efficiency is really
the critical component. If an employer can be efficient, equity and voice will naturally follow.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false
14) In the U.S., an employer has a right to own property and make a profit, but society has
the right to place limitations and restrictions on how those profits are made.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
15) Conflicts between what the employee wants and what the employer wants are generally
resolved privately between the individual and his or her employer.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: true
16) Neoliberal market ideology places the needs and rights of workers before efficiency and
profits.
⊚ true
⊚ false
ANS: false