Future of Labor Relations in the United States (Essay Sample)

Future of Labor Relations
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze the future of labor relations in the United States. This will involve assessing how labor relations in the United States should progress. It will also involve assessing changes that should be made in order for the United States to realize optimum labor relations vision. For this to be assessed, the paper will consider perspectives of public policy, unions, and management as basis for analysis. The shifting density of unions will be considered to explain how it impacts the future of labor relations. Recommendations to ensure labor relationships progress will be provided.
How Labor Relations Should Progress In the United States
Basically, workers in the U.S, just like anywhere else, form unions when they have common interests in order for the union to assist them advance. These interests can range from physical working conditions to policies at the workplace with respect to benefits and wages. Unions work in such a way that they convey collective concerns of employee to their employers, thereby influencing working conditions. This is generally the strong voice that unionism has.
In order to assess the future of labor unions in the future, it is of uttermost importance to have an understanding of why labor unions in the U.S have been experiencing a decline in density. This is mostly due to shifting job composition in the U.S, where jobs are shifting from manufacturing based jobs to service and white collar jobs. Union representation is usually higher in the manufacturing sector when compared to service and white-collar jobs sector. However, union density within sectors represented most by labor unions is also on the decline. Data shows that percentage of workers represented in unions in the motor vehicle production sector dropped to 20.3 percent from 58.5 percent from 1983 to 2010, (Freeman & Kelsey, 2013, p. 8). In the warehousing and transportation sector, union representation dropped from 49.4 percent to 30.5 percent in the same period (Freeman & Kelsey, 2013, p. 8). In the construction sector, union representation dropped from 28 percent to 14.6 percent in the same period (Freeman & Kelsey, 2013, p. 8).
Labor relations in the U.S should thereby progress in the future by taking into consideration that the market economy is becoming dynamic. New jobs are emerging and old jobs changing such that unions are finding themselves in a hard situation. For labor relations to have a bright future, they thereby need to adjust to these changes in the job market. They should ensure that they organize all types of workers in all emerging economic sectors. If unions fail to organize workers in an expanding job environment, then their future would be dimmed.
Most downward trend in union density is being seen in the private sector. The private sector has always been resistant to penetration by unions. For instance, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was enacted during the 1935 Great Depression to give rights to U.S workers in the private sector to form unions (Bernardin, n. d). However, employers employ counteractive measures to ensure their employees do not join unions. Unions have been unable to make the Congress enact labor laws and reforms that can ensure it is easier to organize workers in the private sector. The top union agenda has been organizing workers but there has been no notable success in the private sector. On the other hand, unions in the public sector are also facing major attacks on their collective bargaining measures amidst the fiscal austerity measures that have threatened their functioning ability.
Changes Necessary for the U.S to Realize Optimum Labor Relations Vision
The optimum labor relations vision in the U.S, just like in any other country, is to realize the best employment relation environment to ensure competitiveness, economic growth, and prosperity. For the U.S to realize this vision, there are many changes that need to be done. For instance, employment relations should be promoted and supported but not fought. Minimum working terms and conditions should always be regulated whether in the public or private sector. This can be achieved by ensuring there is effective enforcement and administration of legislation that is applicable under labor acts. This would mean further reforming labor acts.
The government should always be at the forefront of ensuring that there is compliance with the set labor standards. Disputes between employers and employees should always be mediated and investigated with accordance to the set legislature. Educational awareness should always be offered to organizations, the business sector, institutions and organizations on the need to promote labor relations.
For labor relations to be improved successfully in the U.S to realize their ...