Pocket Guide to the Basics of Labor Relations

By Rhonda Albey
2nd edition, 2009

$12 each

Order Online
Mail-In Order Form

The 2009 edition of Pocket Guide to the Basics of Labor Relations has even more practical advice on the day-to-day work of labor relations; more guidance on preparing for negotiations; more discussion of the dynamics of the bargaining process; more effective bargaining techniques; more alternatives to traditional bargaining; and more online resources!

It takes time and experience to understand the nuances of labor relations, but here's a start.

If you are a manager who has just been given an assignment that includes labor relations responsibility, or if you are a newly appointed union representative, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's easy to make mistakes, and there's pressure from both sides! This Pocket Guide will help you get your bearings and survive the initial stages of what can be a difficult, but rewarding, line of work. This book will tell you:

• Why we have public employee unions
• State laws that regulate labor relations
• The language of labor relations
• What is in the typical contract
• How to negotiate and administer labor agreements
• How to handle grievances
• What to do in arbitration and unfair practice hearings
• How to handle agency shop arrangements
• How to cope with extraordinary situations (including downsizing and/or restructuring, work actions, and organizing drives).

Author Rhonda Albey is a principal analyst in the Employee Relations Division of the California Accounting Office, where she has working since 1990, following other budget/administrative positions in her 20-year career. She holds a Ph.D. From UCLA in Education and Management, and has been an instructor in the Undergraduate Management Program at the University of Phoenix since 1996.

 

Contents

I. Introduction	1
II. The Need for Public Employee Unions	3
• History of Public Sector Labor Relations in California	3
• What Unions Do That Civil Service Does Not	4
III. State Laws Governing Public Employee Relations	6
• Employer Rights and Responsibilities	8
• Union Rights and Responsibilities	8
• Employee Rights and Responsibilities	9
IV. The Language of Labor Relations	11
V. What Labor Relations Representatives Do All Day	20
VI. The Contract	22
• Past Practice	24
VII. Contract Negotiations	26
• Preparing for Bargaining	26
• Roles of Bargaining Team Members	29
• Conducting Negotiations	32
VIII. Enforcing Labor Contracts	44
IX. Managing Conflict and Handling Grievances	46
• The Grievance Process	47
X. Arbitration and Unfair Practice Hearings	49
• Preparing for Hearings	50
XI. Agency Shop	54
XII. Certification Elections	56
XIII. Other Challenges	59
• Strikes	59
• Workforce Reductions	61
• Restructuring	62
XIV. Additional Resources	64
XV. Index of Terms	67