Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Flashcards

A parks employee files a grievance claiming the supervisor violated the collective bargaining agreement by assigning overtime without following the contract's rotation procedure. What is the FIRST step in the standard grievance process?

Answer: Attempt informal resolution between the employee and the immediate supervisor

Most collective bargaining agreements establish a multi-step grievance process that begins with informal resolution at the lowest supervisory level. Arbitration is a last resort invoked only after earlier steps — including supervisor, department head, and HR review — have failed to resolve the dispute.

Which clause in a collective bargaining agreement explicitly preserves the agency's right to manage daily operations, set work schedules, and make employment decisions within the bounds of the contract?

Answer: Management rights clause

The management rights clause reserves specified operational decision-making authority for the employer. It typically covers the right to hire, discipline, direct work, determine schedules, and set agency policy — provided these actions do not violate other provisions of the agreement.

During contract negotiations, the union and management reach an impasse on wages. Which mechanism is most commonly used in public-sector labor disputes when negotiations stall?

Answer: Interest arbitration by a neutral third party

Interest arbitration is commonly used in public-sector labor disputes — particularly where strikes are legally prohibited — in which a neutral arbitrator hears both sides and issues a binding decision on the unresolved contract terms. Many states restrict or prohibit public employee strikes, making arbitration the primary impasse resolution mechanism.

A parks executive reassigns work traditionally performed by union members to part-time seasonal employees without bargaining with the union. This action most likely constitutes:

Answer: An unfair labor practice (ULP)

Unilaterally changing a mandatory subject of bargaining — such as the scope of bargaining unit work — without first bargaining in good faith with the union is typically an unfair labor practice (ULP). Wages, hours, and working conditions are mandatory subjects that require negotiation before the employer implements changes.

Under most public-sector collective bargaining frameworks, which of the following is a MANDATORY subject of bargaining?

Answer: Employee wages and health insurance benefits

Wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment — including health insurance — are mandatory subjects of bargaining that the employer must negotiate in good faith. Agency mission, number of facilities, and capital priorities are management prerogatives, not mandatory bargaining subjects.

A parks director is preparing for upcoming contract negotiations. Which action best demonstrates good-faith bargaining?

Answer: Meeting regularly with the union, sharing relevant information, and genuinely considering union proposals

Good-faith bargaining requires meeting at reasonable times, sharing information relevant to negotiations, and genuinely considering the other party's proposals with an intent to reach agreement. Presenting take-it-or-leave-it offers, withholding relevant financial data, and bypassing the union to deal directly with employees are all recognized bad-faith bargaining violations.