Labor Relations Course Project
Guidelines
There is a written Course Project due at the end of Week 6. It should be 15–20 pages in length (excluding the cover and reference pages). Your work must be double spaced with 1-in. margins and should use one of the five approved style formats (APA or MLA are preferred). You may select one topic from the list below.
You should choose a labor relations topic that is of interest to you. This could be (a) an idea that comes out of one of the class case studies, (b) something you have wanted to investigate for a long time and have not had time for, (c) a labor relations issue that is pressing at work and needs a solution, or (d) a recommendation that you want to make to your organization’s labor relations professionals or to your union.
Your paper should be organized in such a way that you integrate the following elements into your work.
- A clear thesis that consists of at least two main points
- An introduction section with a detailed background or history of the topic
- A literature review that incorporates research supporting your assertions on the topic
- A recommendation section in which you will explain what you have learned and how you propose to alter or amend the situation discussed
- A conclusion
Course Project Topics
- The Relation of Job Satisfaction to Union Involvement
- Managing in a Union Environment
- Should Labor Unions Be Expanded or Restricted?
- Collective Bargaining and Contract Administration: Present and Future
- The Future of Unions in the United States
- Right-to-Work Laws: Where Are They Headed in the Future?
- Labor Unions’ Influence in the Political Arena
- Written Employment Contracts: Are They Right for a Company?
- White-Collar Unionism in the United States in the Next Decade: An Attempt to Predict its Future Size and Shape
- Managerial Resistance to Unionism: How Deeply Rooted, How Widespread, and How Logical Is It?
- An Evaluation of Organized Labor’s Relationship With the Black Community
- The Influence of Bill Clinton’s Presidency on Organized Labor
- Management’s Replacement Worker Strategy After the Air Traffic Controller Strike: How Potent and How Fair a Weapon?
- The Declining Incidence of Strikes in the United States and Some Possible Explanations
- Mediation: An Assessment of its Potential Value
- Technological Innovation as a Cause of Strikes
- The Role of Violence in Strike and Lockout Situations
- Legal Issues in the Private Arbitration Process
- Effective Use of the Grievance Procedure for Settlement of Disputes
- Trends in the Area of Management Prerogatives
- Quality of Work-Life Programs: Are They Nothing More Than a Fad?
- Plant Closedowns and WARN
- Union Mergers: Problems and Opportunities
- History of a Particular Labor Union With Which You Are Familiar
Grading Rubrics
| Content (60%) | Points |
| The background component provides any necessary historical information and assumptions used in the paper and any other information the reader might need to better understand the forthcoming elements of the paper. | 15 |
| Scope and depth of research—literature review: You should research on the Internet and in other sources to provide support for your opinions and assertions. The literature might exist in your organization. | 50 |
| Recommendations: Write a large recommendation or solution part. Explain what you have learned and how you would change or fix the situation. | 46 |
| Use sound logic. | 15 |
| Total | 126 |
| Editing (10%) | Points Deduction (Per Occurrence) |
| Spelling error | -8 |
| Punctuation or grammatical error | -6 |
| Sentence meaning unclear | -5 |
| Misstatement of fact | -2 |
| Total (Not to Exceed) | 21 |
| Organization (20%) | Points |
| Introduction: Thesis statement contains at least two main points. | 16 |
| Body text follows order of topics and main points are derived from the thesis statement. | 10 |
| Content subdivisions follow outline. | 8 |
| Conclusion summarizes and complements thesis; it contains new information. | 8 |
| Total | 42 |
| Documentation: Incorrectly Cited or Missing (10%) Note: All must appear in approved format. |
Points Deduction (Per Occurrence) |
| Title page | -2 |
| Abstract | -5 |
| Citations in text | -6 |
| References | -8 |
| Total (Not to Exceed) | 21 |
| Category Totals | Possible Points/% |
| Content | 126/60% |
| Organization and cohesiveness | 42/20% |
| Editing | 21/10% |
| Documentation and formatting | 21/10% |
| Total | 210/100% |
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