Chapter 8 - Employment, Labor, and Wages

Civilian labor force

Men and women 16 years old and over who are either working or actively looking for a job

Craft/trade union

An association of skilled workers who perform the same kind of work

Industrial Union

An association of all workers in the same industry, regardless of the job each worker performs.

Lockout

Refusal to let employees work until management demands are met

Company union

union organized, supported, or run by employers

Great Depression

the greatest period of economic decline and stagnation in United States history

Right-to-work law

state law making it illegal to force workers to join a union as a condition of employment

Independent unions

unions that do not belong to the AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO

combination of two unions formed in 1955 that set up unions in industries that had not been unionized before

Closed shop

situation in which the employer agrees to hire only union members

Union shop

employment situation where workers do not have to belong to the union to be hired

Modified union shop

workers do not have to belong to a union to be hired and cannot be made to join one to keep their jobs

Agency shop

agreement that does not require a worker to join a union as a condition to get or keep a job, but does require the worker to pay union dues

Grievance procedure

provision for resolving issues that may come up later

Mediation

process of bringing in a neutral third person to help settle a dispute

Arbitration

process in which both sides agree to place differences before a third party whose decision is final

Fact finding

agreement between union and management to have a neutral third party collect facts and present recommendations

Injunction

court order not to act

Seizure

temporary takeover of operations

Collective bargaining

negotiation process between union representatives and management

Unskilled labor

workers who mainly use their hands because they lack advanced training or skills

Semi-skilled labor

workers with enough mechanical ability to operate machines requiring minimal training

Skilled labor

able to operate complex equipment and can perform their tasks with little supervision.

Professional labor

individuals with the highest level of knowledge-based education and managerial skills.