How to Get a Job in HealthCare Administration

How to Get a Job in HealthCare Administration if you look around at industries that have weathered the recession with few losses in jobs and pay, the healthcare professions are at the forefront. and the best news is, not every job in health care requires advanced medical training or degrees. there are literally hundreds of opportunities in different aspects of the field, both clinical and otherwise. here are five strategies to get your foot in the door- a crucial first step toward getting your career off the ground.1. pay attentionparticularly when trying to break into a new and complicated industry, it’s crucial to do a good deal of research. what are the driving issues of the moment? who are the important companies and names to keep in mind? bone up until you can speak intelligently about the industry. then figure out who’s hiring, and start staking out networking opportunities.2. minglenetworking is going to be your best friend here. remember that the most important factor when changing careers is who you know ( not what you know). volunteer, get active in social media discussions, ask friends of friends to introduce you to their contacts. show your eagerness and willingness to the right people and eventually you’ll find your in.3. assess your skill setyou may think you’re starting at the bottom rung with nothing, but most likely you have a number of skills under your belt that are totally transferrable into your new health care career. experience in sales, it, marketing, client care, administration- all of these can be extremely valuable. when in doubt, find an entry-level non-clinical position that can get you through the door, then work your way further into the field from that position.4. be humbleyou may be a 5- or 10-year veteran in the workforce, but if you have 0 years medical experience, you might want to take a step back and consider taking a job that might otherwise be beneath your current stage in life. remember that an entry-level gig in your brand-new medical car eer might serve you 10 times better (and much faster) than any position in current field. do what’s right for you, but remember to maintain some perspective.5. ask for helpfinding a mentor can be just the thing to help you on your quest. once you get your first gig in a hospital or office, even if you’re barely just answering the phones, you can absolutely seek out an experienced veteran and ask them to help steer you in the right direction. you’ll never go wrong emphasizing your willingness to learn, to put in the hard work and effort, and your keenness to keep advancing in your field.interested? Â  apply here

Ethnocentrism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnocentrism - Article Example The only reason behind such a behavior was ethnocentrism. Of importance is the fact that ethnicity is not related to the biology of a person, therefore being alterable and flexible. This is not true for race, which is considered to be the innate qualities of a person, which therefore is unalterable and fixed. Therefore, we can infer that race is a profound reality based on biological origins while ethnicity is relatively superficial. Ethnocentrism therefore does not gives importance to the physical characteristics of a person as long as that person remains a member of that culture. Contrary to this, racism does not give importance to cultural attachment. Rather it favors those who are biologically similar. Racism therefore fails to accommodate those who have similar ideas and interests but are biologically different. The delivery of health care to growing populations of multiple ethnicities in modern day world is a challenge for modern day health care providers. Lapses in cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding which mainly stems from the ethnocentric behavior of health care professionals result in non-compliance of the patients (Thiederman, 1986). Differences in religions and practices may in turn become the cause of disliking a patient by the health care providers. Superstitious behaviors may lead a health care provider to think that patient has some mental abnormality, while the patient is merely practicing what he believes in. Such matters require careful consideration by the health care providers to avoid causing loss to patients. Similarly, patients may suffer from poor standard of care due to the fact that a particular health care provider dislikes a particular ethnicity. Vienna Declaraction states that â€Å"the universal nature† of all human rights and fundamental freedom is â€Å"beyond question† (Ayton-Shenker,

Smart city and IT enablement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smart city and IT enablement - Research Paper Example A smart city generally, strives towards making itself smarter in terms of efficiency, sustainability, ensuring equity and enhancing livability. Smart cities rely, among others, on the compilation of brilliant computing technologies that are applied on the significant infrastructure elements and services. Smart computing is all about a new generation of amalgamated hardware, software combined with network technologies that offer IT systems with the real time consciousness of the real world and complex analytics that assist citizens in making smart decisions, which would help them optimize their business processes (Chourabi, 2012). A development approach that is directed to a smart city includes concerns such as flexibility, awareness, synergy, transformability, a strategic conduct, some sense of individuality and a self decisiveness. A smart city denotes an interconnected, intelligent and an instrumented city. Instrumentation enhances the capturing and integration of live real world i nformation through the use of personal devices, sensors, appliances, smart phones, the internet and other comparable data acquirement systems which include the social networks (Chourabi, 2012). ... This projects and initiatives are meant to serve the citizens at large and also improve their lives. These initiatives engage multiple of stakeholders, leading to most cities developing a need to have better governance, to be able to manage the above projects and initiatives (Chourabi, 2012). Governance involves the execution of processes with components that are responsible for exchanging of information in regard to the set rules and standards in order to ensure attainment of the goals and objectives. A lot of cities have been in a position to garner the advantages of technology emergence, which has seen the improvement of their form of governance. Governance that is technology based is termed as smart governance. It is thus, a representation of a broad collection of technologies practices, policies, the social norms and all the other information that interrelate to maintain the activities of city governing. Smart governance is said to be the core of the smart cities initiative, thu s representing a vital challenge for a smart city initiative (Chourabi, 2012). How Technology Influences Efficiency in a Smart City Technology is said to be one of the key drivers of the initiative that pertains to the smart cities. The amalgamation of Technology with expansion projects altogether bring change to the urban setting of a city and thereafter, provide a range of potential opportunities that can contribute in the enhancement of management and functionality of a given smart city. The infrastructure that entails a smart city is often linked through the help of ICT that enhances a more efficient control. On the other hand, this kind of interdependence augments the rate of security risks. The

The Acts of Remembering and Memorializing Assignment

The Acts of Remembering and Memorializing - Assignment Example The rhetoric significance of the artifact becomes the critical issue that invites fresh interpretations that affect the present and the future. According to Foss (1986), Vietnam Veterans Memorial successfully appeals to the visitors because it not only violates the conventional form and expectations but exploits visitors’ personal experience and evokes memories that are unique. Foss believes that aesthetic response and rhetoric response are different. Aesthetic response is designed towards providing visitors with pleasant sensory feelings, especially the visual aspects in terms of color, shape, design etc. But the rhetoric response tends to explore hidden meaning to the shape, color, and environment. The difference between the two is important because aesthetic and rhetoric responses together give credence to the success of the artifact. They ensure that it serves its basic purpose of remembering and memorialization of past which can be interpreted creatively to connect with the present. According to Blair and Michel (2000), the Civil Rights Memorial performs civil rights tactics because the artifact is able to engage visitors and goads them to delve deeper and connect. This is interesting because the artifact is strategically located at Montgomery, Alabama which is rich in civil rights history and on the open plaza which is near to the Church where Martin Luther King served as pastor and where the voting march rights had ended in 1965. Performance plays important role in the remembering and memorializing because the public memorials need to evoke images of the past which should instigate responses from the visitors and engage them in constructive dialogues. Blair and Michel’s ideas closely relate with that of Olson, Finnegan, and Hope because they all agree that public memorials impel rhetoric responses which make people interact not only with the artifacts but also with the historical past.

Canadian Multiculturalism Reflected In Poetry

Canadian Multiculturalism Reflected In Poetry It was in the autumn of 2007 when our teacher announced us that at our following meeting we were going to have a special guest, coming from Canada. It raised my attention the fact that our guest was a Romanian born Canadian poet and she was going to share with us her experience as a poet and, moreover, as a citizen in the multicultural Canada. This was how I first heard about Flavia Cosma. She entered our class accompanied by our teacher and by one of her editors, carrying a heavy bag which proved to be crammed with books and told us that books represented her life. My first wonder was to hear her speaking in Romanian, especially after I had been told that she had been living in Canada since 1974. She took care to explain us that she would never cease thinking, writing and loving in Romanian. It appeared to me that tears were going to trickle on her face. This happened each time she was mentioning something about her native country or about her mother tongue, managing to transmit us her feelings. It was even more impressive to find out the circumstances that made her leave her country. Little by little she imparted us her entire story, showing that she was a perfect case to fit in the multicultural Canada. As her life was thoroughly influenced by the social situation of Romania, in a period when she was afraid to make her writings public, Flavia Cosma is eager to promote around the world the policy of the country that offered her the help to become such a renowned poet. She praises Canada for giving her the hope and the confidence in her, as well as for offering her the chance to prove herself and her mother country her real value. At a time when her own country was oppressing her for writing in such an original way, a foreign country helped Flavia to become famous and backed her up almost unconditioned. Actually, the only thing that she had to do was to translate her work in English, which proved to be of great difficulty at the beginning. She went on telling us that her first feelings that she had for Canada were of intense hatred, as she did not know a single grain of English. But Canada was willingly to adapt her as a citizen, and gave her the opportunity to study English and adapt to the Canadian culture. She preferred to leave the compromise that she had to do in Romania for the work that she started to do in Canada. Her work was even more praised abroad than in Romania and Flavia felt extremely lucky to find this, after a couple of years that she had spent in different Refugee Camps. She took pleasure in giving birth to her work and struggled to make it public. After so many years, she says that it was worth, and declares that she was not that courageous as some of her Romanian counterparts were. Many of them ended up in prison or even dead, due to their desire to act different then the others did. She left Romania with the hope for freedom, and she knew that she had nothing to lose, as in her country she had abs olutely no chance to publish her poems. Being out of the country, she heard of the Romanian Revolution and felt a great joy. Canada offered her the possibility of creating The Association of Democracy in Romania. Since its formation, this organization has supported eleven Romanian orphanages, a help that proved to be reciprocal, as it enabled Flavia to resume her relations with Romania. Once again, she was grateful to the Canadian society that roused in her the interest in social themes and social justice. It also motivated her to start the work at some documentaries about the situation of post-communist Romania, the one entitled Romania a Country at the Crossroads receiving The Canadian Scene Prize for Television Documentaries. We were listening carefully to her, and could hardly believe all the hardships she had to fight with in order to achieve her dream, the sweet dream of liberty, as she told us. She took out a couple of books from her bag and handled them with special care. She started to recite to us, and we were more absorbed by her emotions than by her lyrics. Her voice was trembling with thrills at each word, at each verse. It was clear how much the Romanian language meant to her. She had probably noticed our surprise and explained to us that she gets very nervous when she recites her poems in the language they were composed in, because she finds no other language more musical than Romanian itself. Her point of view was strengthened by many foreigners who listened to her reciting in Romanian. She said that they were profoundly impressed by the way the poems sound in her native language and that the fact that she continues to write in Romanian helps her to remain in touch with her mother country. Later on she invited us to read aloud some of her poems. It was surprising how beautiful they appeared in the silence of our classroom. We were told that she received an important Translation Prize for her 47 Poems, a book that appeared with the support of an American English Professor that helped her with translations. The English variant also sounded fine, but it did not manage to touch our souls the way the Romanian version did. Other publications of Flavia Cosma that followed this one were represented by the novel The Fire that Burns Us, whose pages she took out of the country with great risks, the books Wormood Wine and Fata Morgana which also represent publications that appeared abroad. She left our seminar with the promise that she would return soon, and that she would share other information about her literature and, of course, about the Canadian space. The latter theme does not miss from any of her discourses and lectures, as she is a member of a Canadian association that promotes Canadian values abroad. When asked in one interview that I found published in one of the books of my teacher, Flavia Cosma mentioned that the Canadian state is very generous to her for her speaking in the universities about their multicultural policies. Cf. Balaj, (Interviu cu Flavia Cosma, in Rodica Albu, English in Canada. Representations of Language and Identity. 2006, 327-332). The spring of 2008 brought again the Romanian poet to the University of Iasi. This time she delivered a lecture about traditions and tolerance in the Canadian society. She talked to us about the unique experience Canada offers in what concerns the diversity in all fields of culture: language, nationality, religion etc. Flavia was happy to tell us that the Canadian society invites you to bring your contribution to their culture, and not to forget your national values, as the United States do. She also talked to us about the numerous organizations of art and literature that encourage immigrants to develop their talent and make it known over the world. She spoke to us with such emphasis as though she was a Canadian-born person herself. She was also proud to inform us that the nationality that is placed first in Canada in terms of level of schooling is represented by Romanian children. Just as she said in the interview I mentioned above, she feels at home in the plane, between the two de stinations: Canada and Romania. I had a great pleasure to accompany Flavia on a short walk around the city of Iasi. At the Metropolitan Cathedral she asked for an icon with Saint Anthony. She explained to me later that even though she is orthodox, she borrowed this saint from the Canadians, as he offers her great help, especially in the art of creation. For Flavia, the art of creating poetry is given by the Holy Grace, and she is thankful to God for the fact that a poem is sometimes written even before seeing the paper. This happens because Flavia does not write only on paper, but she writes in her thoughts, and she feels that something misses to her if she does not write on a certain day. This proves how great significance poetry and writing in general have for her. She left me in Copou, offering me one of her books, together with her Internet site. She advised me to visit it, to find more things about her and about Canada. I realized how much she loves this country from the simple fact that she also offered me a little red trinket with a maple leaf below and with the inscription Canada. She took such a pleasure when talking about her poetry that made me get closer to her poems and try to understand them. She said that her work is for everybody and that she dislikes being a hermetic poet. As soon as I started to read her lyrics, I also understood her double identity: she writes with the freedom of a foreigner, having a very open horizon, but she does not deny the Romanian soul. There are so many constructions in her poetry that are just untranslatable and even difficult to be given an English counterpart: lumină lină, vajnici duÃ…Å ¸mani, zborul-nezbor and braÃ…Â £ul mlădios are to be found in the poem entitled Anotimpul iubirii- The Season of Love. Flavias poetry abounds in such constructions that pose great difficulties when being translated, for she writes with her Romanian soul. Poems like Cà ¢ntec de seară, Durerea te à ®mbată, Noapte, Cà ¢nd singuratatea, which is a specific Romanian construction, and Se-n volbură vulturii were translated as Song of Evening, The Pain that Intoxicates You, Darkness, When Loneliness and Eagles Are Turning Circles. The poems of Flavia Cosma also abound in entire stanzas that are difficult to be translated, due to the Romanian context: Ah, pasăre, / Dulce te pleacă, / Lin te coboară, / Mamă gingasă, / Mamă năframă, / Peste iedul uitat in cà ¢mp/ de-astă-vară. The English version does not sound that musical, even though it renders the main idea: Ah, bird, / Bow sweet, / Come down calmly, / Gentle mother, / Kerchief mother, / Above the kid forgotten in the field / Since last summer. Another poem that seems not to have found its proper English counterpart is represented by America: E tulbure mierea / Prelinsă din faguri deschiÃ…Å ¸i dimineaÃ…Â £a. / Frate, de ce Ã…Â £i-e palidă faÃ…Â £a?. This poem was translated with the help of Don Wilson: The honey is like mud / Oozing from open honeycombs in the morning. / Brother, why is your face pale?. Besides this sort of poems, Flavia also wrote extraordinary lyrics that had an impressive impact in English: But on the roads of night I goad / The chalky-white buffaloes-for-burden / Circling hills, climbing, descending, / Seeking answers, breathing. This poem is part of the 47 Poems, the book that received the Translation Prize. I singled out Flavias case because I happened to be familiar with it, but, starting from that and from what I have been able to identify as tipycally Canadian, I can imagine a true cultural mosaic of ethnic voices writing between cultures. What I have no way knowing is to what extent these Canadian writers of various origins listen to each other and resonate with each other aesthetic preferences. As I continued to read the poems, I felt that poetry represents for Flavia the only thread that binds her to Romania. Writing poems makes her discover the unknown mysteries and convey them to the readers through her lyrics. A few lines above I made a mistake and I wrote potery instead of poetry. I believe that the only mistake consists of the fact that I missed one t, because this is what Flavia does: just like the potters make real pieces of art out of simple sand and water, she builds up masterpieces out of simple materials, such as words, because when it comes about working there is nothing for Flavia to love more than words.

Emersons Theories of Education vs Modern-day Theories Essay -- Compar

Emerson and today’s theories of education view discipline as necessary for the progress of students in the classroom; however, Emerson’s beliefs differ from modern-day theories of discipline in "respecting a child" encompassing "patience", "the receiving mind" and "discovers for himself his goal in life." Emerson realized that progressive learning is not a dictator relationship. "Respecting a child" will enhance the student’s ability to achieve their goals. As today’s society lives in the fast lane so does our educational society. "So to regard a young child, the young man, requires, no doubt, rare patience: a patience that nothing but faith in the remedial forces of the soul can give" (Gilman 444). Patience is this unattainable trait that people seek, but never find. Our society is a whirling downfall of enormous debt because of the lack of patience that so many people have adopted as a way of life. Stores are full of consumers that "must have" at that very moment. Unfortunately, the same philosophy of thought is embedded in today’s education. Evaluating today’s theories of education, patience is a luxury that can not be spared. The new "No child left behind" legislation theorizes the idea that standardized testing will improve the instruction level of students. In actualization, the government is teaching the students and the teachers are their puppets. The government likes to call this education reform, however in many eyes it is education death. "The 100 percent goal was simply a target, an admittedly unreachable goal designed to motivate schools to stretch themselves to do better, such as scientists trying to cure cancer or gardeners hoping to grow the perfect tomato" (Matthews 1). Beginning with the first day of school... ... How does society "respect a child" when education is consumed with close-mindedness, repetition, dictatorship and sinful nature. References: Bracey, Gerald W. Are US Students Behind? Web 20 Nov 2014. Http: www.prospect.org/print/V9/37/bracey-g.html Dorja, Rig’dzin. Dangerous Friend: The teacher –student relationship in Vajnayana Buddhism. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www. Samadhicushions.com/Samadhi.cgi/S-1998 Gilman, William H. Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. A Signet Classic. New York, New York 10014 Matthews, Jay. No Child Left Behind Act: Facts and Fiction. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com /ac2/wp-dyn/A23818- 2003Nov10?language=printer. Swanson, Robert. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www.sudval.org/users/archives/dsm4 Years of Schooling Smother Creativity. Web 20 Nov 2014. jordan.dpsnc.net/fcmqr1998/schooling.html

MG420 DLC Labor Relations Essay

1. Define the term â€Å"collective bargaining† and list and describe four issues that are mandatory components of a collective bargaining agreement. Efficiency, equity, and voice, these are the three primary objectives of labor relations, of employees, and even of some management employees. Workers seem to lean more towards equity and voice at the workplace, while management usually prefers efficiency. The complicated part is attempting to balance all three for an overall idyllic medium at the workplace for both employers and employees. One of the most encouraging guidelines that should be taken in attaining this balancing act would be through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is a process of negotiating an agreement regarding the terms and conditions of employment through a system of shared responsibility and decision-making between labor and management (Budd 11-12). During a collective bargaining period, workers’ representatives approach the employer and attempt to negotiate a contract which both sides can agree upon, terms can typically be about wages, hours, promotions, benefits, and other employment components as well as procedures for handling disputes arising under it. An example that can better explain the importance of a collective bargaining is in an article called â€Å"Teachers’ union sues Middleton-Cross Plains school district†, (http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/teachers-union-sues-middleton-cross-plains-school-district/article_d169fd40-5996-11e0-9c87-001cc4c03286.html), the author discusses how the union representing teachers in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District sued the district Monday over their collective bargaining negotiations. According to the complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court, the union said the district â€Å"bargained in bad faith† and proposed non-negotiable contract changes including removal of just cause for discipline and discharge, total district discretion of work  hours, elimination of seniority protections, elimination of fair share union dues, modifications/freezes on salary schedules and elimination of compensatory time off. The union also objected to the district proposal that the School Board be the final step in the grievance procedure as opposed to having a third-party arbitrator as the current agreement states (Kittner, 2011). In this article, we see how the teacher’s union could not effectively negotiate an agreement regarding the terms and conditions of employment with the Cross Plain school district and had to sue for a good-faith collective bargaining agreement. According to our textbook, four issues that are mandatory components of a collective bargaining a greement are as follow: (Budd 11-12) Compensation: Wages and benefits Vacations and holidays Shift premiums Profit sharing Employee Rights and responsibilities: Seniority rights Job standards Workplace rules Employer rights and responsibilities: Management rights Just cause discipline and discharge Subcontracting and safety standard Dispute resolution and ongoing decision making: Grievance procedures Committees and consultation Renegotiation procedures The two mandatory components of a collective bargaining agreement I would like to discuss in more detail are employee rights and grievance procedures. According to our textbook one of the four types of employees’ rights frequently granted in union contract is â€Å"just cause discipline and discharge†, an employee can be disciplined and discharged only for â€Å"cause† or â€Å"just cause†. As such, employees have the right to insist there be valid, job-related for reasons for discipline and dismissal (Budd 310). In an  article called â€Å"Is Poor Performance â€Å"Just Cause† for Discharge?†, provides a good example of employees’ rights â€Å"just cause discipline and discharge. The article discusses how the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in favor of an employer who had discharged an employee for poor performance. The court ruled that the employees’ poor performance constituted a â€Å"breach of duty reasonably owed the employer† which is one of the seven reasons that constitute â€Å"just cause† for discharge under Indiana law and contracts (Lyman, 2012). The article also discusses how employer tried to improve the employees’ behavior. â€Å"The employee’s supervisors repeatedly discussed with employee the mistakes†¦but the mistakes â€Å"would happen over, and over, and over again.† Co-workers had continuing problems with the employee where she would always blame others for her problems. Despite counseling on multiple occasions, she showed no improvement† (Lyman, 2012). The second mandatory component of a collective bargaining agreement I would like to discuss, is grievance procedures. According to our textbook, a grievance is generally defined as a claim by an employee that he or she is adversely affected by the misinterpretation or misapplication of a written company policy or collectively bargained agreement. To address grievances, employers typically implement a grievance procedure (Budd 321). Most collective bargaining agreements include procedures for filing and resolving grievances. An article from the Daily Freeman News called â€Å"Saugerties school board wants grievance discussion with teachers’ union instead of arbitration† (http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20140215/saugerties-school-board-wants-grievance-discussion-with-teachers-union-instead-of-arbitration), discusses a grievance raised during a Board of Education meeting which involves a guidance counselor in the junior high school who has 329 students, which exce eds the 250 maximum student load. The union, in filing its grievance, asked that the student load be reduced and the counselor receive additional pay for the period in which it exceeded 250 (Zangla, 2014). Within a union environment, the processes will typically involve the employee, union representatives and members of the employer’s management team. The article goes into detail how they will be meeting and try to avoid arbitration. â€Å"Board President George Heidcamp said trustees want to resolve  the grievance with the teachers’ union without going to arbitration, which could cost taxpayers $10,000 or more† (Zangla, 2014). In summary, collective bargaining centers on the basic components of the system where employees, employers and union members meet in order to find what works best and find a solution. A key note to successful collective bargaining is the state of affairs and persons who are entrusted to negotiate should have the traits of patience, trustworthiness, friendliness, integrity, and fairness. Collective bargaining through its mandatory components have enabled many unions and labor management to either agree or take the next steps in trying to get a fair and profitable agreement for both parties. Works Cited Budd, John W. Labor Relations: Striking a Balance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print. Kittner, Gena. Teachers’ union sues Middleton-Cross Plains school district. 28 Mar 2011. Web. 19 Apr 2014. . Lyman, Stephen W. Is Poor Performance â€Å"Just Cause† for Discharge? 31 Aug 2012. Web. 19 Apr 2014. . Zangla, Ariel. Saugerties school board wants grievance discussion with teachers’ union instead of arbitration. 15 Feb 2014. Web. 19 Apr 2014. . 2. List and discuss three U.S. laws that support collective bargaining, and three examples of employer unfair labor practices. We have learned that collective bargaining is the negotiations involving the representatives of labor and management for terms and conditions of employment that will apply to the employee. It is also important to understand labor laws that support collective bargaining that protect union activity to balance efficiency, equity and voice. According to our textbook, the three U.S. laws that support collective bargaining between labor and management, are the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (The Wagner Act), the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (The Taft-Hartley Act), and Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (The Landrum- Griffin Act) (Budd 109). The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act builds upon previous legislative attempts to promote and protect workers’ abilities to unionize in the private sector if they so choose. It guarantees the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively with  their employers, and to engage in other protected organized activity. Employees covered by the Act are also protected from certain types of employer and union misconduct. (Budd 119). In an interesting Wall Street Journal article called â€Å"Volkswagen’s Union Gamble† (http://www.no2uaw.com/vws-gamble.html), provides a good example of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) at work. The article discusses how Volkswagen and the United Auto Workers union are trying to get workers from Chattanooga, TN plant to vote on unionizing. According to the article, â€Å"Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are voting this week on whether to become the first foreign-owned unionized auto plant in the American South. The United Auto Workers union desperately needs the victory and is getting help from the National Labor Relations Board and even from Volkswagen, which may come to regret selling out their workers to the union† (WSJ, 2014). The editorial also goes into detail how the UAW tried to sidestep a secret-ballot election via a dubious â€Å"card check.† There logic for this was due to the fact that the Wagner Act allows a union to be certified if a majority of workers sign authorization cards and an employer acquiesces. Unfortunately, the workers argue that non-union plants have lower production costs, more workforce flexibility and less labor strife. They also argue â€Å"Volkswagen’s un-neutral â€Å"neutrality agreement† with the UAW is arguably a violation of Taft-Hartley’s prohibition on employers giving a â€Å"thing of value† to a union seeking to organize its employees† and filed charges with the NLRB alleging that the UAW had lied to workers and bullied them into signing cards (WSJ, 2014). The debate about Volkswagen’s violation of the Taft-Hartley Act is ongoing and it takes us to our second U.S. laws that support collective bargaining. The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, which is also known as the Taft-Hartley Act amends and adds to the Wagner Act in diverse and far-reaching ways and can be divided into three categories, â€Å"Restrictions on union actions, Enhanced rights of individuals and employers, and New dispute resolution procedures† (Budd 128). The purpose and policy of the Taft-Hartley Act was â€Å"to prescribe the legitimate rights of both employees and employers, to provide orderly and peaceful procedures for preventing the interference by either with the legitimate right of the other, to protect  the rights of individual employees in their relations with labor organizations and to protect the rights of the public in connection with labor disputes affecting commerce† (Budd 127). The act also empowers the U.S. president to petition a court to suspend a strike deemed a national security strike (Budd 128). In an article from the New York Times called â€Å"Dockworkers Strike Threatens to Close the East Coast Ports† (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/dockworkers-strike-threatens-to-close-east-coast-ports.html?_r=0), discusses how â€Å"dockworkers are flexing their muscles again, threatening a strike that would shut seaports from Massachusetts to Texas. It would be the first such coast wide strike since a two month walkout in 1977 that paralyzed the flow of tens of billions of dollars of imports – and the nation’s retailers and other businesses fear a painful replay if the 14,500 dockworkers make good on their threats† (Greenhouse, 2012). The strike threat has so alarmed corporate America that of more than 100 business groups which wrote to President Obama to urge him to intervene to push the two sides to settle – and, if need be, to invoke his emergency powers under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act to bar a strike (Greenhouse, 2012). Eventually the strike was averted, the two sides agreed to sit down with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to discuss extending the long shore workers’ contract, during which time both negotiations and port operations would continue. Another U.S. law that supports collective bargaining is the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (The Landrum- Griffin Act) deals with the relationship between a union and its members. The Landrum- Griffin creates a bill of rights for union members that guarantees all union members equal rights of participation in internal union affairs, including voting and expressing views† (Budd 131). Part of the bill of rights of this act specifically mentions that all union members are entitled to receive a copy of the collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, the Landrum-Griffin Act tries to hinder corruption and racketeering in three ways. â€Å"First, unions and their officer are required to disclose financial records by filing reports with the U.S. Department of Labor. Second, the Landrum-Griffin act restricts the use of union trusteeships. Third, the Landrum-Griffin Act establishes the fiduciary responsibility of union leaders† (Budd 132-133). In a Wall Street Journal article titled â€Å"Obama Tries to Stop Union Disclosure† asserts how union membership peaked in the 1950s, when more than one-third of American workers belonged to a union. Approximately just about 7.6% of American private-sector workers belong to a union. A Rasmussen Research survey conducted in March found that 81% of nonunion members do not want to belong to a union. (WSJ, 2009). The response by union leaders and their Democratic allies to declining union membership is the Employee Free Choice Act. To increase unionization, it would deprive workers of private balloting in organizing elections, and it would substitute a signature-card process that would expose workers to coercion. The bill would also deny workers the right to ratify, or not ratify, labor contracts drafted by government arbitrators when negotiations in newly unionized workplaces exceed the bill’s rigid timetable (WSJ, 2009). Unfortunately, we see that instead of the democratic government abiding by the Landrum-Griffin Act, it is trying to create laws to appeal some of the current laws that protect union members from the unions or government. In the three above cases, the U.S. laws support collective bargaining, as well as protect from employer unfair practices. An unfair labor practices are defined according to our textbook as an illegal employers’ actions (Budd 122). The Wagner Act or the National Labor Relations Act has specific guidelines that both employees and employers must follow in order to maintain a positive work environment. At times, unfair labor practices do occur and place the workers in chaos. One of the unfair labor practice prohibits employers from interfering, restraining, or coercing employees who are exercising their Section 7 rights. Circulating antiunion petitions, using unnecessary surveillance to watch union activities, threatening employees with being fired, demoted, or causing physical harm, and bribing employees with wage increases are examples of Section 8(a)(1) known as the â€Å"universal enforcer† because it covers all employer violations of employee rights (Budd 123). The second unfair labor practice is known as Domination of a Labor Organization or Company Union Ban. Senator Wagner wanted to avoid management â€Å"handling† unions, preventing workers from forming legitimate, independent unions. Employers that initiate the formation of a union, provide financial support to a union, create a  nonunion employee representation plan, or create a labor-management committee that discusses wages and working conditions with some give and take with management is in direct violation of Section 8(a)(2) (Budd 123-124). The third unfair labor practice deals with employers discriminating to encourage or discourage union membership. Examples include firing a union supporter or someone trying to form a union, transferring a union supporter to a less desirable job or promoting an employee because of opposing a union, refusing to hire a potential employee because of past union participation or simply closing a part of a business because of antiunion reason s are examples of Section 8(a)(3) (Budd 123-124). A good example of two unfair labor practices is in an article called â€Å"1981 Strike Leaves Legacy for American Workers† (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5604656), in which the author discusses how over 30 years ago, former President Ronald Reagan set a defining moment in the history of the aviation, his presidency, and labor relations by firing thousands of unionized air traffic controllers for illegally going on strike. In February 1981, new contract negotiations open between Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which employs the air-traffic controllers. Citing safety concerns, PATCO calls for a reduced 32-hour work week, a $10,000 pay increase for all air-traffic controllers and a better benefits package for retirement. Contract negotiations with the FAA stall (Schalch, 2006). Then in August 1984, strike action began with 13,000 employees walking off the job in various locations, halting operations as busy airports including Dallas, Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Chicago. At that point, then President Reagan intervened sending a warning statement that anyone not returning to work within 48 hours would be terminated. Two days later most of the striking employees were fired. They were replaced by employees not participating the protests and military air traffic controllers (Schalch, 2006). As I understand the employer unfair practices, the firing of the unionizes traffic controllers and the hiring of new traffic controllers was a direct violation of Sections 8(a)(1) and (3), threatening employees with job loss, firing a union supporter, and promoting a union opponent to a better job. In conclusion, the three labor laws have shed some much needed light as to the rights of both employers and employees, not to mention has also set some much needed boundaries as to how far each side can go without treading into illegal or unfair territory. These laws must be put into place to regulate both sides equally and it also provides no confusion as to the right and wrong paths one must take when leading to collective bargaining. The examples of unfair labor practices by employers provide a clear view as to the lengths some employers will go to in an attempt to avoid or divert a union being organized. The Wagner Act has specific sections in its law that provides employers the knowledge of what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Works Cited Budd, John W. Labor Relations: Striking a Balance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print. Greenhouse, Steven. Dockworkers Strike Threatens to Close East Coast Ports. 26 Dec 2012. Web. 22 Apr 2014. . Schalch, Kathleen. 1981 Strike Leaves Legacy for American Workers. 2006 Aug 2006. Web. 22 Apr 2014. . Wall Street Journal (Editorial): Volkswagen’s Union Gamble. 12 Feb 2014. Web. 20 Apr 2014. . 3. Describe the process of establishing and decertifying a collective bargaining unit in the workplace. As discussed earlier in this research paper, the definition of collective bargaining is technically when a group of employees negotiate as a unit with their employer over pay, benefits and working conditions. Chris Langford, a strategist and organizer at the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), (http://www.ifpte.org/news/details/Why-Collective-Bargaining-Rights-Are-Important), states that the principle stems from the idea that as a group, employees have more strength or bargaining power if they collaborate than they do if they try to negotiate with their employer individually. Because of its basis in collaboration, collective bargaining is inherently a democratic process since a majority of employees select the subjects they bargain over and vote on whether they agree to a contract (Langford, 2012). In our textbook the author, discusses how a bargaining unit is a group of several workers involved in a similar industry or occupational field that, on the determination of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), can engage in collective bargaining (Budd 199). This group also helps the union represent the other employees in the industry to handle any issues, improprieties, or unfair work ethics or practices that may come to light. To establish a bargaining unit, certain laws and doctrines must be strictly adhered to, the worker group must also have first established an organized union the deals with their specific industry. The union represents the group exclusively, and deals with all negotiations and discussions to further the workers’ causes. Once a union has been formed, the NLRB, looks at several criteria before allowing part of the worker group to be recognized as a bargaining unit. The NLRB reviews the workers’ mutual interests in working conditions, wages earned, training protocols, and number of hours in a work week. They also look at the management scope, the public interest factor, and the worker group’s history of bargaining in the past through other associations (Budd 200). According to an article called â€Å"WNBA and Players Association Sign New Collective Bargaining Agreement† , the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) announced that they have entered into a new eight-year collective bargaining agreement. The new collective bargaining agreement includes an additional 12th roster spot, salary cap increases and reduced revenue sharing thresholds, making it more likely that the players will share in league revenue growth. In the article, we can see how an established a collective bargaining unit represent its specific employees (women basketball pl ayers) to conduct collective bargaining with their employers (WNBA, 2014). So what happens if the collective bargaining unit (union) employees no longer want to be represented? To determine the wishes of the majority of the employees, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) allows employees to call for a special election to get rid of the union as their â€Å"exclusive representative.† This is called a Decertification election.