Managing Conflict Skills, Case Study Example

Managing conflict skills in order to fix problems in the work environment concerning employees of the labor union is important to know for both management and employees of UPS. Labor unions are considered organizations that are meant to represent the labor right and relevant interest of workers such as wages and salaries, over time, working environment, costs, among other things. Labor unions are more common in public schools and public businesses, but not so common in private business. Primarily, union security clauses are the cause of employees to engage in labor unions. Employees engage in the labor union by choice, because unions are not allowed to force any employees to become a member.

Thanks to President Roosevelt, The National Labor Relations Board was enacted in 1935. This was due to the National Labor Relations Act which was meant to be an overview of rules and regulations regarding worker strikers, employees negotiations, and employee drives. This enactment was mostly responsible for the elections of unions board members and dealing with unusual labor practices that were considered unfair to the employees. The UPS company is active in the advancement of their employees and work force from an internal standpoint. Most of the members of the labor union started as union member employees and worked their way up to management positions at UPS. Because these employees were members of the labor union and moved up in management positions, this helped them to solidify a profound understanding of the working environment at UPS. Employees at UPS are granted incentives to their positions such as health care benefits, 401 k plans, and reimbursements for school of college tuitions. It is due to various working conditions that the unions felt that the UPS company was ready for a labor union to be organized.

For the most part, employees are satisfied with the incentives they receive from working with the UPS company. Some labor union employees however, are not exactly content with their present working conditions and use their labor union position to put blame on the UPS management team. During meetings held by the labor unions, most of the concerns which are discussed are regarding salary and wages, working conditions, and whether such factors are fair to the employee working force or not.

The National Labor Relations Board also acted as a mediator for employees and their disputes with employers by keeping a close eye on labor unions activities. It has shown in the past the UPS employees have ways of addressing any issues they feel are unfair towards them to their management counterparts. An example of how they do this is through labor strikes, and campaigning their arguments by wearing t-shirts and holding signs that address what they feel are unfair practices of their employer. Management has responded to such accusations by standing on the grounds that the UPS employees are expected to perform their respective duties at the set pace of the work environment. This pace is set by how fast the majority of the UPS employees perform their duties. Thus, UPS management claims that anybody who is unable or unwilling to maintain the given work pace is not allowed to work for the company under the grounds of being inadequate or unqualified. Union management relations today are usually more structured with unique procedures for both parties, employees and management, when any concerns or disagreements arise. The minimization of such issues itself serves as a replacement to reduce labor unions members.