Week1: Overview of Unions in Air Transportation Labor Relations

Labor relations

The ongoing interaction between a labor union and an employer, involving the identification of common and specific interests, as well as the management of conflicts.

Collective Bargaining

The negotiation and administration of labor agreements representing a group of employees.

Union

An organization that represents nonsupervisory employees and negotiates on their behalf.

Unionization

The introduction of democracy into the employment relationship, allowing employees to determine representation and workplace issues.

Line managers

Individuals responsible for producing or delivering an organization's products/services, with a focus on production and sales goals.

Employee relations (non-union)/Labor relations (union)

Activities used by employers to systematically address employment problems, which can affect the company's goal achievement.

Contracts

The basis for labor relations within a unionized employer, spelling out rights and obligations, and periodically renegotiated.

Human resources or Industrial relations managers

Individuals who develop and implement employment policies, advise line managers, and negotiate/administer collective bargaining agreements.

Group cohesiveness

A high degree of similarity in values and behavior of union members, often with leaders sharing the same values.

Class Consciousness

A catalyst for union formation, developing from income inequality and perceived inequity, viewed as a means of equalizing power.

Representation election

Determines whether unrepresented employees desire union representation for collective bargaining, passing when employees believe it will have a positive outcome.

Bargaining units

A collection of employees with similar interests represented by a single union representative, formed within a single employer or involving multiple employers.

Railway Labor Act of 1926

Established a regulatory framework for labor relations in railways and airlines, aiming to negotiate labor contracts/settle disputes without self-help.

National Labor Relations Act of 1935

The first successful nationwide federal labor legislation, covering industries affecting commerce and governed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).