HRMN 300 Human Resource Management: Labor Unions & Workplace Safety

This discussion board post examines the current state of labor unions in the US, including membership statistics and trends. It also delves into common safety and security concerns in today's workplaces, such as accidents, theft, and workplace violence. The post discusses relevant laws and regulations, as well as strategies that HR managers can implement to mitigate these issues, including employee training, security measures, and adherence to safety protocols. The author shares their perspective on the benefits of union membership and how unions can protect employees from unjust dismissal. The post references key concepts such as collective bargaining, OSHA regulations, and the importance of a safe work environment. The post also analyzes the role of HR in creating a safe and secure workplace, and the impact of employee morale and productivity on these issues. The author supports their ideas with references to provided resources.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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1HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Question 1: Labor Unions
Labor Unions summarize your understanding of union membership today in the US.
What is the current status of union membership? Share some statistics and trends. Did
you ever belong to a labor union? If you did, do you think union membership benefited
you? If you did not, do you think a union would have benefited you? Why or why not?
The labor unions today represent the workers and the employees of the business
organization which is recognized under US labor law. The union members stands today to
work on collective bargaining over salaries and wages along with other benefits such as
working conditions for all the members of Union (Benefits of Union Membership, 2020). The
union leaders represent the members of the union, In case there is any kind of disputes within
the management of the organization over violations of contract provisions. The trade union
members usually engage themselves in different lobbying activities as well as electioneering
at the state and federal level. Today, majority of the trade union in United Stated as aligned
with two large umbrella organizations that is the AFL-CIO introduced in the year 1955 and
the ‘Change to Win Federation’ in the year 2005, which was spitted from AFL-CIO. Both
the umbrella organizations advocate various policies and laws for the members of the union
in United Sates. The leaders of the organizations take an active role in politics. They are
mainly concerned with global trade issues. In the year 2019, there are total members in union
trade were 14.6 in US as compared to 17.7 million in the year 1983. The union membership
rate of public sector workers are 33.6%nwhich is five times higher in comparison to private
sector workers (6.2%) (Union Members Summary, 2020). Although I am not yet a union
member, I believe that being a union member would protect me from unjust dismissal from
the organization that I work for through collective bargaining agreements (CBA). The non
union members of the organizations are considered to be ‘at will’ employees; they can be
hired and fired at almost any time as per the discretion of the management (Benefits of Union
Membership, 2020). Hence, being a member would protect me from these unjust situations.

2HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Question 2: Safety and Security
Discuss some of the common safety and security concerns in today’s workplace. What
are some important laws that may help organizations reduce risk? What are some
strategies HR managers can develop to mitigate some of these issues? Use the resources
provided to support your ideas
Employee safety and health at work place are essential for a productive workplace.
There have been incidents of annual workplace accidents such as employee falling from
ladder, scaffolding and other elevated surfaces. There is poor understanding of security and
protection protocol, this occurs from improper workplace conditions. Theft is another serious
workplace issues that is faced by today’s organization (Boholm, Möller & Hansson, 2016).
In order to overcome these workplace issues, it is essential to have strict laws and policies.
The HR department can comprehensively address theft issues in organizations by taking steps
like installing cameras, proper supervision, prevention and concise situational evaluation. The
employees of the business organization must be trained on effective protocol and alerting a
supervisor. There are incidents of workplace violence. Therefore, the management must
ensure that the workplace is well lit with cameras installed (Smith & Tischler, 2015). The
employees of the organization must be trained in safety procedures with useful course of
action. They must be provided with equipment precautions such as guardrails, pulley supports
and roles in contraction areas. The HR department of the business organization can educate
the employees and spread awareness among the employees to reduce workplace hazards and
accidents(Smith & Tischler, 2015).

3HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
References
Boholm, M., Möller, N., & Hansson, S. O. (2016). The concepts of risk, safety, and security:
applications in everyday language. Risk analysis, 36(2), 320-338.
Smith, K. J., & Tischler, R. J. (2015). Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace. Employment
Relations Today, 42(1), 73-79.
Benefits of Union Membership. (2020). Retrieved 9 March 2020, from
https://www.unionplus.org/page/benefits-union-membership
Union Members Summary. (2020). Retrieved 9 March 2020, from
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm