Labor Relations - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Shein’s Controversial Business Model Keeps Prices Low

December 1, 2023

The Chinese e-commerce giant Shein (pronounced Shee-In) controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. fast fashion market, with more than $8 billion in sales last year. This video explores how the retailer consistently churns out cheap shirts and dresses, which includes accusations of labor exploitation that has tarnished Shein’s image with some shoppers.

Questions:

How does Shein’s “small batch” production strategy differ from other clothing companies?
How has Shein tried to recover its reputation with U.S. consumers? Do Continue reading →

Kaiser Permanente Unions Reach Tentative Deal with Management

October 13, 2023

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From Hollywood screenwriters to American autoworkers, the last few months have seen a huge increase in union activity. Not least among these labor actions was a strike held last week by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which represents 40 percent of the healthcare giant’s non-physician workforce. The unions’ 75,000 members went on strike for three days, which was how long the action was scheduled to run. But the coalition threatened to hold another strike for eight days next month Continue reading →

Strikes, Healthcare, Medical industry, Ethics, Unions, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

[VIDEO] How Electric Vehicles Could Affect the UAW’s Future

October 11, 2023

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Since the United Auto Workers (UAW) began striking against the Big Three car companies in September, the union has expanded its action to two more plants as workers continue to fight for better contracts. This video explains one of their central concerns: the expansion of automakers into the electric vehicle (EV) market. While members of the union are worried about their wages in an EV-driven future, American car companies fear that increased labor costs could make them uncompetitive with foreign Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Product Development, Manufacturing, Cars, Unions, Transportation, Labor Relations, Strikes, Electric vehicles

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

UAW Begins Strike Against Big Three Automakers

September 15, 2023

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While South Korean car makers Kia and Hynudai face legal action from seven American cities, domestic auto companies also have their fair share of problems on the horizon. For weeks, Detroit’s Big Three–Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler)–have been deadlocked in negotiations with the United Automobile Workers (UAW). Representing more than 150,000 workers across the industry, the union has demanded a 36 percent raise over four years, pointing to rising inflation and big corporate profits. Carmakers, meanwhile, Continue reading →

Strikes, Unions, Labor Relations, Motivation, Cars, Ethics, Transportation, Manufacturing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

[VIDEO] Inside American Trucking’s Largest Bankruptcy

August 18, 2023

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The trucking company Yellow filed for bankruptcy in July after struggling for years with mounting debts and slim profit margins. The video below looks at how this low-cost carrier butted heads with unions while also failing to integrate acquisitions into its existing business, leading to the collapse of this century-old company.

Questions:

What are some factors that led Yellow to declare bankruptcy last month?
Why is it difficult for low-cost carriers like Yellow to operate in the competitive trucking industry?

Operations Management, Unions, Labor Relations, Product Development, Transportation, Product Distribution, Bankruptcy

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

[VIDEO] How Economists Use Working Hours as a Recession Indicator

July 21, 2023

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American companies have been hiring lots of new employees this year, making economists hopeful that the country will not experience a recession anytime soon. Still, other experts claim that increased hiring is not as reliable of an economic indicator as some think. The video below explains how total working hours can provide a more detailed picture of the country’s economic health and why fears of an incoming recession could be justified.

Questions:

How do economists use “hours worked” as Continue reading →

Recession, Compensation, Economics, Operations Management, Human Resources, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Videos

Hollywood Actors Join Writers on Strike

July 19, 2023

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At the beginning of May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against major Hollywood studios, citing poor working conditions and declining pay as the primary causes of the work stoppage. Although the union does not appear to be any closer to signing a new deal than they were months ago, members of the WGA have recently seen their picket lines become stocked with new faces, some of which are quite famous. That’s because last week the Screen Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Streaming Changed the Business of TV Writing

June 15, 2023

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The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for more than a month and a half as they continue to demand better working conditions in modern Hollywood. This video takes an in-depth look at how streaming services like Netflix and Hulu completely changed the business of writing for television, from shorter schedules and smaller residual checks to depriving writers of vital experience by keeping them off set.

Questions:

How does spending time “on set” allow writers to gain Continue reading →

Human Resources, Entertainment, Labor Relations, Streaming, Compensation, Television, Product Distribution, Operations Management, Ethics, Training

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Hollywood Screenwriters Go on Strike

May 3, 2023

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Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began walking picket lines yesterday after failing to agree a new deal with production companies. This strike marks an end to 15 years of labor peace in Hollywood, bringing dozens of television and film projects to an immediate and indefinite halt. According to representatives of the approximately 11,500 striking writers, the rise of streaming has upended the industry and led to declining conditions for creative workers. For example, in the past network Continue reading →

Entertainment, Ethics, Streaming, Unions, Television, Labor Relations, Movies, Strikes

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

The Tricky Task of Tracking Telecommuting

April 7, 2023

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Working from home became commonplace during the pandemic as companies increasingly kept in contact with employees through platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. As offices opened back up, though, managers started requiring workers to come in at least a few times per week. According to a recent study from the Labor Department, 72.5 percent of American businesses reported that their employees rarely or never work remotely, close to the level of 76.7 percent that preceded the pandemic.

The Continue reading →

Remote Work, Management, Office Culture, Motivation, Telecommuting, Human Resources, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions