Compose a Reflective Summary of the Role of Human Resources in Labor Relations in an Organization

A valuable skill in Human Resources Management is the ability to critically analyze and resolve troublesome situations. Many different aspects of unions have been presented in this course. Likely at this point you have a very good understanding of each of these different aspects, such as the pros and cons to forming unions, today’s local and global union environment, attitudes and characteristics of union leadership, and bargaining and negotiation in unionized environments. You also learned about these topics from a human resources standpoint concerning your role as a human resource professional.

It is always a good idea at the end of a course to spend some time reflecting not only on what you have learned, but what you will be able to do with the new knowledge you have gained in your personal and professional life. Theories and research are very important, but application of the theories and the research is what happens as a Human Resources professional, so you especially want to be able to take what you have learned and apply it to your role as a human resource professional.

In a reflective paper, offer a detailed explanation of how the knowledge gained in this course provided you with an understanding of the role of human resources in union environments as well as the dynamics involved in a unionized organization. What challenges do human resource managers face in dealing with a unionized organization? Be detailed and succinct in your explanation of what you have gained from the course.

Support your insights paper with a minimum of seven (7) external resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

Length: 12-15 pages, not including title and reference pages

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards where applicable.

As a specialized role in the field of human resources, labor relations specialists provide information and support to management during the collective bargaining process. Labor relations professionals are able to collect, coordinate, and provide management with data on wages, labor law, and collective bargaining trends.  Using their vast knowledge about economics, wage data, labor law, and collective bargaining trends they are able to interpret and administer employee’ contracts with respect to grievances, wages, benefits, and union practices and often develop, implement, and oversee programs to insure compliance with the negotiated union contract.

As you have seen over the past 7 weeks, human resources can take an active role in labor relations in an organization.  Being able to communicate with and to both management and labor is a critical skill. Human resources may be asked to write letters and memos related to labor relations activities and collective bargaining agreements; draft contract proposals or counter-proposals for collective bargaining; and make presentations to increase knowledge and awareness on labor-related issues. 

In this last week of the course, you are being asked to review and reflect upon what you have learned during the previous weeks about labor relations, unions, and the various roles that human resources play in labor relations. 

Over the years, the scope and role human resource management has evolved to meet the growth and changing needs of organizations. The human resources function is comprised of several broad disciplines or areas such as recruitment and talent acquisition; training and development; benefits and compensation; risk management and workplace safety; and employee relations and labor relations. Many organizations distinguish the roles and tasks between employee relations and labor relations. Within the Human Resources Department, Labor Relations acts as the nexus between management, staff and employees. The labor relations role within Human Resources is often associated with issues such as conducting investigations, counseling and providing disciplinary action when required. In regards to a unionized environment, human resources can provide assistance in areas such as performance management; planning layoffs; discipline and dismissal; interpretation and administration of union contracts and related policies; disputes/complaints and grievances; and mediation and negotiation of complaints. Human Resources helps to create and maintain a more harmonious work environment for both management and employees by providing various interventions such as problem-solving, mediation, counseling, or training in these areas.

Some of the key responsibilities for human resource professionals in labor relations are:

• Presenting the position of the company or of labor during arbitration or other labor negotiation,
• Negotiating collective bargaining agreements,
• Resolving disputes between workers and managers,
• Coordinating grievance procedures to handle employee complaints, and
• Monitoring the company and/or workforce adherence to those agreements.

As organizations grew from local markets to become global enterprises, human resources had to progress to understand, interact, and address the needs of a workforce situated in a different culture, with different values and standards. This also meant that human resources had to recognize and adhere to various local laws as well as international labor laws.

References: 

Cristiani, A., & Peiró, J. M. (2015). Human resource function strategic

role and trade unions: exploring their impact on human     resource management practices in Uruguayan firms. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(3), 381-400. doi:10.1080/09585192.2014.925946 

Rau, B. L. (2012). The diffusion of HR practices in unions. Human Resource Management Review, 22(1), 27-42. doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2011.06.001 

Robinson, R. R. (2014). Human beings with rights: Unions and democracy in the 21st century. Innovation Journal, 19(1),1-9. 

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