It is the job of employee labor relations manuals to spell out the precise terms of employee representation in a given workplace. To that end, the National Labor Relations Board is charged with enforcing the NLRA or National Labor Relations Act, which must be obeyed at every job site regardless of the company's size or function. Employees of every stripe are protected by this congressional act, which provides them with the right to bargain collectively.

The choice of whether to allow union representation in a particular workplace is a difficult one both for employers and employees. Regardless of what a business's manual has to say about labor relations, it is illegal for companies to infringe on their laborers' rights to file petitions for union representation. An employer may frown on having to follow certain standards, but he or she is ultimately accountable to the NLRB and must adhere to its rules.

The Debate Rages On

Why should any controversy exist over a shop's union representation or lack thereof? Well, for one thing, union shops must pay their dues. Even if workers in such a shop are granted more extensive protections as a result of their unionization, it's often not worth the high cost of membership. Moreover, the decision of whether to unionize or not can tear some companies asunder, as factions arise that lobby both for and against representation, which can destroy morale.

While most employers stand in opposition of labor unions, which mandate higher pay, shorter hours, and better benefits, there are those bosses who don't mind running union shops. In their opinion, the more standardization the better, as labor rules spell out precisely what is and what is not acceptable behavior for members. This can save management a lot of headaches and make things such as wage and benefits negotiations easier.