Exploring the Web
Chapter 1
Labor Relations from Several Points of View
1. Public Opinion Polls
Chapter 1 discusses the effect that public opinion may have on the labor relations process. Public opinion polls can provide an indication of the backing or support by the public during a strike.
The Gallup Organization’s Web page, which requires a subscription to read most of their full reports, provides abstracts to the results of polls conducted by the organization. The abstracts can provide some insight into the attitudes of the public on labor issues. Go to the Gallup page and determine if the public backed the UPS workers or the company during the strike of 1997.
The Harris Poll provides portions of their reports without charge on the Harris Interactive page. Search for the site for the results of a 2005 poll on American adults’ attitudes toward labor unions. What positive things did the majority of the adults interviewed credit labor unions with doing? How have attitudes changed since a similar survey was conducted in 1993?
2.Reports from Labor and Management Web Sites
Good sources of information on strikes and labor relations can be found by searching the Web pages of labor unions and management as well as reports from newspapers and newswires. This will allow you to see examples of the reporting of the strikes from both sides.
Go to the Web site maintained by the United Steelworkers Union and search for the “Summary of the Agreement between Goodyear and the United Steelworkers, ratified December 22, 2006.” Point out the main provisions of the Agreement as discussed in the Introduction.
Looking at a strike through articles published by the management side may give a different perspective. Go to the Goodyear site and read documents on the strike and tentative agreement. The agreement was ratified at the end of December.
3.Newspapers
The Library of Congress provides a Web page that lists links to online newspapers and new services -- News & Periodical Resources on the Web. You may know of other free news services that you search on a daily basis. Search online news sources to find articles that were published in reporting news of theInternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union and a possible strike at the KennedySpaceCenter in 2007. Did the workers strike?