Case Study

The company operates about 700 convenience stores. A sales assistant at one of the company’s stores was murdered while on duty. The murder was widely publicized, and employees complained of inadequate security measures. As a result of the murder, 15 sales assistants telephoned the union requesting a union organization effort. The union sent representatives to 60 stores in the area where the murder had occurred and left union authorization cards. Two days later the company notified the union that an injunction had been issued during a prior union campaign prohibiting solicitation on company property.
 

The next workday, the company had a meeting with the store managers in the area and talked about the need to improve security. The company officials also discussed the union’s organization activities and reminded the managers of the “no solicitation” policy and stated that a union would not necessarily do the employees any good. Later that week, the company had an unprecedented meeting for all sales assistants. Approximately 200 sales assistants attended and were paid for their time. The company officials told the employees that they did not need a union and that the employees from the union could retrieve their authorization cards. The employees were asked to voice their complaints and the employees listed the following: getting less than 40 hours work per week; not having breaks; not being paid for overtime work; working alone at night; and poor lighting at the stores.

The next day the company sent a memo to all regional personnel directing that sales assistants should work a 40-hour workweek; canopy lights were installed at all the stores; a policy was adopted that no one would be required to work alone at night; and sales assistants began receiving wages for after-hours overtime work. The company posted “no solicitation” signs in all stores and directed that those signs be enforced; if the employees did not enforce the signs, they would lose their jobs. Later that month the company held further meetings with sales assistants, who again were paid for their time. They asked to select committee representatives to meet with management to discuss their complaints. Management officials left the room while the employees selected their representatives. The company made a list of the ten most frequently mentioned items from the employees’ recommended subjects for the committee to discuss.
 

Meanwhile, the union filed a representation petition with the NLRB seeking an election in a unit of all Summitt, Ohio sales assistants. The company president told the managers to tell the sales assistants that if they joined the union, the company would close those stores. The first meeting of the Employee Management Committee was held and the ten priority items were listed, granting employees a new vacation policy, improved health-care benefits, sick days, change in holiday hours for pay, recognition of seniority ranks, and improved security systems. Not long after that, the company sent an additional memo around announcing other improvements in life, major medical, and accident insurance plans, in addition to death and family benefits and a revised disciplinary appeal system.

The union wants to file a complaint with the NLRB.  What “unfair labor practice” claim(s) could it make? For each one, what defense would the company give? Use the specific terms and concepts covered in this course to support your analysis.   Please limit your response to a maximum of 2-3 concisely written, double-spaced pages. 

The basic outline for your answer will be:

Introduction

Definition of an unfair labor practice

Analysis:

Summary

Reference(s)

The chart is a tool to help you focus your thinking and to be sure that you provide both sides’ perspectives for each ULP.  Your answer can be presented in it or via paragraphs.  You are not required to incorporate the chart in your answer.  Choose the method that explains your analysis clearly. 

Introductions

Please respond to each of the mini case studies with a 2-3 page explanation. You should use at least 4-5 resources in each case to support your position.

Mini Case Study 1

The employees of the Great Foods chain elect the Food Workers Union as their exclusive bargaining agent. Negotiations for an initial collective bargaining agreement begin, but after six months, no agreement has been reached. The company finds excess damage to merchandise in its warehouse and believes that this was intentional sabotage by dissident employees. The company notifies the union representative that any employees doing such acts will be terminated, and the union, in turn, notifies the employees. Soon thereafter, a manager notices an employee in the flour section—where he has no right to be—making quick motions with his hands. The manager then finds several bags of flour that have been cut. The employee is fired, whereupon a fellow employee and union member leads more than two dozen employees in an immediate walkout. The company discharges these employees and refuses to rehire them. The employees file a grievance with the NLRB. Are they entitled to get their jobs back? Why or why not?

Mini Case Study 2

American Shipbuilding Company has a shipyard in Chicago, Illinois. During winter months, it repairs ships operating on the Great Lakes, and the workers at the shipyard are represented by several different unions. In 1961, the unions notified the company of their intention to seek a modification of the current collective bargaining agreement. On five previous occasions, agreements had been preceded by strikes (including illegal strikes) that were called just after ships arrived in the shipyard for repairs. In this way, the unions had greatly increased their leverage in bargaining with the company. Because of this history, the company was anxious about the unions’ strike plans. In August 1961, after extended negotiations, the company and the unions reached an impasse. The company then decided to lay off most of the workers and sent the following notice: “Because of the labor dispute which has been unresolved since August of 1961, you are laid off until further notice.” The unions filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB. Did the company engage in an unfair labor practice? Why or why not?

Directions:  

1. See the NR351 Week 4 Professional Paper Worksheet Assignment page.  
2. Read the NR351 Announcement entitled IMPORTANT: Assigned Article for Weeks 4 & 6 Assignments:  
3. Download in PDF format the assigned article linked in that announcement; save it to your computer for future use.  
4. Locate the sentence required for quotation and citation. (The required sentence for direct quotation and citation is located on page 53 near the bottom of the left-hand column.  The sentence begins with the words: Effective communication during handoffs is essential since)
5. Locate the sentence required for paraphrasing and citation. (The required sentence for paraphrasing and citation is located on page 51 near the middle of the right-hand column. The sentence begins with the words: To be effective, a handoff tool must include patient-specific information that is clear,)
6. Read the entire article. 
7. Carefully review the resources and page numbers below to help you with APA format in this assignment.  
8. Complete each item below. All lines should be double spaced.  
9. Submit the completed template on the assignment page.  

Complete each item below:  

1. Reference for Assigned Article:  

Create a reference for the assigned article (see announcement) using correct APA format including: author(s), year, article title, journal name, volume number, issue number, page numbers, italics, parentheses, punctuation, double line spacing, and hanging indent. Include DOI if available. 

[See pages 316-317 in APA 7^th Edition Manual] 

Type the reference for the assigned article here beginning on the line below:  

• Quotation and Citation:  

Type the assigned quotation from the assigned article (see announcement) using correct APA citation including quotation marks, names of author(s), year, page abbreviation, page number, and parentheses, and punctuation.  

[See pages 261-262, 266, and 270-272 in APA 7^th Edition Manual] 

Type the assigned quotation and citation here beginning on the line below:  

• Paraphrased Area and Citation:  

Type appropriately paraphrased version of the assigned sentence (see announcement) using correct APA citation including names of author(s), year, and parentheses, and punctuation.  

[See pages 261-262, 266, and 269 in APA 7^th Edition Manual] 

Type an appropriate paraphrase and citation of the assigned sentence here beginning on the line below:  

• Assigned Article Summary:  

Summarize the assigned article using 200-210 words. Include all of the main ideas from the assigned article. The Summary must contain the assigned sentence for quotation and citation as noted in the announcement, the assigned sentence for the paraphrased area with citation as noted in the announcement, several additional paraphrased areas, and appropriately formatted citations.  You may also include one more short quotation if you wish.

Type your 200-210 word summary of the assigned article here beginning on the next line:  

Overview: Your task is to help the organization answer their question by critically analyzing the data. You will run descriptive statistics and a statistical test,
create a graph, interpret the results, and present the results and recommendations to non-technical decision makers in the form of a data analysis. Keep in mind
that it is your job to do this from a statistical standpoint. Be sure to justify your conclusions and recommendations with appropriate statistical support.
Prompt: In Milestone Three, you created a table listing the statistics you were going to complete to investigate your health question. In Milestone Four, you will
actually complete these calculations.
Specifically, you must address these critical elements:
I. Data Analysis
A. Graphs: In this section, you will use graphical displays to examine the data.

1. Create at least one graph that gives a sense of the potential relationship between the two variables that form your chosen health
   question. Include the graph and discuss why you selected it as opposed to others.
   B. Conduct an appropriate statistical test to answer your health question.
   C. Explain why this test is the best choice in this context.
   D. Analysis of Biostatistics: Use this section to describe your findings from a statistical standpoint. Be sure to:
2. Present key biostatistics from the graph(s) and statistical test and explain what they mean. Be sure to include a spreadsheet showing
   your work or a copy of your StatCrunch output as an appendix.
3. What statistical inferences or conclusions can you draw based on the results of your statistical test, descriptive statistics and graph?
   Justify your response.
   Rubric
   Guidelines for Submission: You will submit screenshots of the graphs, the completed table from Milestone Three, and 2–4 paragraphs explaining and
   interpreting these items in a single Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and using APA format for
   any citations.
   Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
   Data Analysis: Graphs:
   Graph
   Creates a graph that gives a sense of the
   potential relationship between two
   variables that form the chosen health
   question and discusses why this graph
   was selected over others
   Creates a graph that gives a sense of the
   potential relationship between two
   variables that form the health question
   and discusses why this graph was
   selected over others, but graph is
   inappropriate, reasons are illogical, or
   response contains inaccuracies
   Does not create a graph that gives a
   sense of the potential relationship
   between two variables
   20

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Data Analysis: Test Conducts appropriate statistical test
accurately to answer chosen health
question
Conducts statistical test to answer
chosen health question, but response
contains inaccuracies or test is not
conducted appropriately
Does not conduct appropriate statistical
test to answer chosen health question
20
Data Analysis: Best Choice Explains why test is the best choice in
this context
Explains why test is the best choice in
this context, but explanation is cursory
or contains inaccuracies
Does not explain why test is the best
choice in this context
15
Data Analysis: Analysis:
Biostatistics
Presents graph and statistical test
results, including spreadsheet showing
work or computer output, and
accurately explains what chosen
calculations mean
Presents graph and statistical test
results, including spreadsheet showing
work or computer output, and explains
what they mean, but response contains
inaccuracies or omits key details
Does not present graph and statistical
test results, including spreadsheet
showing work or computer output and
does not explain what these
calculations mean
20
Data Analysis: Analysis:
Statistical Inferences
Draws appropriate statistical inferences
based on statistical hypothesis test
results and graph and justifies response
Draws appropriate statistical inferences
based on test results and graph, but
does not justify response, justification is
illogical, or response contains
inaccuracies
Does not draw appropriate statistical
inferences or conclusions based on test
results and graph
20
Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related
to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax,
or organization
Submission has major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively impact
readability and articulation of main
ideas
Submission has critical errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent
understanding of ideas
5
Total 100%

Overview: Your task is to help the organization answer the health question by critically analyzing the data. You will run descriptive statistics and a statistical test,
create a graph, interpret the results, and present the results and recommendations to non-technical decision makers in the form of a data analysis. Keep in mind
that it is your job to do this from a statistical standpoint. Be sure to justify your conclusions and recommendations with appropriate statistical support.
Prompt: In order to successfully explore the health question, you need to plan what descriptive statistics, statistical test you need to run and what graph you
need to create. In Milestone Three, you will complete the Milestone Three Table document in which you propose the calculations and graph(s) you will need to
perform to answer the health question you are investigating. In crafting your table, consider the following:
 Watch Choosing a Statistical Test (12:31).
 What test will you need to run?
 If you are hypothesis testing, what are your null and alternative hypotheses?
 Is there a test that you want to use that you have not learned about yet? What is it? What is your plan for researching this test?
Then explain why you chose these calculations to explore your health question.
Specifically address this critical element:
I. Introduction
A. Process: Propose how you will go about answering the health question you were asked to address based on the data set provided.
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: You will submit a table and 1–2 paragraphs in a single Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman
font, one-inch margins, and using APA format for all citations. You may use the Milestone Three table document linked above as a template.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction: Process Proposes process of answering health
question based on the data set provided
Proposes process of answering health
question based on data set, but
response contains inaccuracies, omits
key procedures, or procedures
suggested are inappropriate
Does not propose process of answering
health question based on data set
90
Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related
to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax,
or organization
Submission has major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively impact
readability and articulation of main
ideas
Submission has critical errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization that prevent
understanding of ideas
10
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Total 100%