The second research paper for this class will focus on labor relations law, and you will have two options to choose from.  Despite the longevity of labor unions in the US, the existence and power of unions remain an issue in our society. Recent history reveals a decline in union membership and power after a peak in the 1960s and 70s. The past few years have seen passage in many states of so-called Right to Work laws which further erode the power of unions. And public employees have seen their wages and benefits under attack as school districts, cities and states scramble to balance budgets by cutting expenditures.

Option 1.

Despite the current conditions, unions have not given up and, in some instances, are trying new approaches or new locations to expand membership.   One such effort is the ongoing attempt by the United Auto Workers (UAW) to establish a foothold in auto factories in the South. An attempt was made at a VW plant in Tennessee early in 2014, and after a contentious and divisive campaign, the UAW lost a close election. However, the UAW apparently was not discouraged by this outcome and are at it again. In 2015 the UAW has continued an effort to organize a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, as well as the VW plant in Tennessee.

Search the web for all you can find both on the effort to unionize the VW plant in Tennessee and the Mercedes plant in Alabama.  The paper you will write will essentially have two sections, and should be appropriately separated. In section 1 you should analyze the approach/strategy utilized by the UAW in Tennessee, with the approach used in Alabama. What are the differences and similarities between the approaches? Are conditions in the two plants similar or different that would justify using either the same or a different approach? Why do you think they again focused on a plant making a German brand, what is the significance of doing so? Discuss these questions and whether you think the UAW will be any more successful this time around, in either Tennessee or Alabama.

In section 2 of the paper you will need to explore the social, political, and economic factors at play in the South. Why is an anti-union attitude apparently so prevalent in the South? Who does this opposition to unions benefit and why? Who does it harm and why? Would union-level wages and benefits provide an economic boost to many of the Southern states that have some of the lowest average incomes and highest levels of poverty in the nation? Why or why not? What do you believe are the reasons behind the oppositionto unions in the South? And why is the UAW determined to unionize plants there?

Option 2.

The paper you will write will have two sections, and should be appropriately separated.

The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) has been engaged in contract negotiations with the Big 3 Automakers in Detroit for many months. Starting with Fiat Chrysler earlier in the fall, then General Motors, and now with Ford, union leadership has had trouble gaining the requisite number of votes from the union membership in affected plants to approve the agreements, which were hammered out with the companies. And now, employees of the Kohler Company in Wisconsin, also represented by the UAW, went on strike the week of November 16.

In section 1 – research these separate but possibly related situations. Identify and discuss the issue(s) that are leading auto company workers to resist and possibly reject the agreements negotiated by their leadership, and the issue(s) that caused the Kohler workers to strike. Are the issues similar from situation to situation? Please explain why or why not? In your opinion, will resolution of these issues favorably for the workers help to strengthen the UAW in the long run or weaken it?  And lastly, are these situations caused by a failure of the union leadership, or by economic and/or societal and/or political factors beyond their control?  Fully discuss all these questions.

In section 2 of the paper you will need to look at potential efforts to organize workers in a broad spectrum of organizations/industries, including Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and Quicken Loans. Look into these or other situations you come across in your research. Who is behind the effort(s) – is it workers seeking higher wages and/or other benefits, or is there a union behind the efforts attempting to expand its membership? What is the general profile of the workers in these organizations/industries – younger or older, blue collar or white collar, low income or middle/high income? Can you draw any parallels with the workers in these organizations/industries and their issues & concerns, with the workers and their issues & concerns in the Big 3 auto companies and in Kohler? Finally , do you think these efforts indicate a renewed interest or faith in unions or will unions continue to decline in popularity and strength? Discuss fully.

For either Option – write a 6-8 page paper (exclusive of cover and reference pages). The paper must be word-processed, double-spaced with 1” margins, 12 point font, follow APA 6^th Edition format, and be free of spelling and grammatical errors. At a minimum, you should utilize, cite within the text of your paper, and reference at least three sources for each of the two sections. Please see the rubric in the Weekly Materials section to fully understand the expectations and grading scheme for this assignment.