Labor Relations - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] The Fall (and Rise?) of Unions in the U.S.

August 12, 2022

Thousands of workers at Amazon warehouses and Starbucks stores across the country have voted to unionize in recent months, potentially reversing decades of declining union membership in the U.S. This video takes a close look at the history of unions in postwar America, examining the reasons why service industries largely stayed unorganized and how that could change in the coming years.

Questions:

Why did union membership start to decline in the 1970s and 1980s?
Do you think U.S. legislators Continue reading →

Motivation, Global, Ethics, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Unions, Labor Relations, Compensation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, 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, Videos

Pilots Demand Big Changes from Airlines

July 12, 2022

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since the start of the summer travel season, air carriers have canceled thousands of flights as they grapple with bad weather, high fuel costs, and rampant inflation. Along with these problems, airlines are also encountering increased resistance from one of their most important groups of employees: pilots. Faced with large workloads and an unpredictable post-pandemic environment, pilots are demanding substantial wage increases as well as quality of life benefits from their employers.

According to analysts, airlines are likely to Continue reading →

Motivation, Global, Travel, Human Resources, Supply & Demand, Unions, Airlines, Labor Relations, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

McDonald’s Plans to Sell Its Locations in Russia

May 18, 2022

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In January 1990, McDonald’s made history when the company opened its first location in Moscow, creating a symbol of unity between the U.S. and Russia after decades of tension. “In the history of McDonald’s, it was one of our proudest and most exciting milestones,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski. “After nearly half a century of Cold War animosity, the image of the Golden Arches shining above Pushkin Square heralded for many, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the beginning of Continue reading →

Branding, Global, McDonald’s, Ethics, Russia, Labor Relations, Product Distribution, Ukraine, Food & Drink, Marketing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Amazon Workers at New York Warehouse Vote to Unionize

April 8, 2022

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The e-commerce giant Amazon is the second largest private employer in the U.S., with more than 1 million employees working in fulfillment centers and corporate offices around the country. For years, labor activists have sought to unionize this enormous workforce, but past efforts largely failed to gain traction. That may be starting to change, however, if recent developments at New York’s largest Amazon warehouse are any indication.

Last week, staff at the JFK8 facility on Staten Island voted 2,654 Continue reading →

Unions, Labor Relations, Management, Motivation, Operations Management, Ethics, Amazon, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

Omicron Variant Brings New Problems to Backlogged Supply Chain

January 20, 2022

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although heavy traffic in U.S. ports did not end up canceling Christmas last year, the supply chain crisis still led to some empty shelves and expensive items as companies struggled to obtain needed inventory. Now that the holiday shopping season is long over, however, some officials are optimistic that the worst has passed as ports in Southern California work through their backlogs and shipping costs drop from their September 2021 highs. But like so many other aspects of American Continue reading →

Supply chains, Manufacturing, Transportation, Labor Relations, Product Distribution, Shipping, Supply & Demand, Collective bargaining, China, Global

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] How the ‘Great Resignation’ Is Reshaping the American Workforce

November 16, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The pandemic completely upended the concept of work in the U.S., resulting first in mass layoffs as companies closed down followed by mass resignations when businesses returned. This video looks at how the first problem may have led to the “Great Resignation” as workers continue to leave their jobs and companies struggle to attract talent.

Questions:

Why have employment rates in travel and hospitality struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels?
What are some of the causes of the Great Resignation? Continue reading →

Compensation, Hiring, Motivation, Travel, Global, Human Resources, Supply & Demand, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Videos

In-Office Employees Continue to Zoom All Day

September 29, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

At the beginning of the year, the widespread distribution of Covid vaccines gave many companies the confidence to start plotting their triumphant returns to office life. Then the spread of the delta variant largely thwarted these plans as firms brought back just a fraction of the staffers they had intended to. And for those few employees who returned to offices, most are still doing the same thing that they’ve done since March 2020: Zoom meetings.

For example, Nick Kneer Continue reading →

Telecommuting, Coronavirus, Motivation, Organizational Culture, Human Resources, Pandemic, Labor Relations, Office environment, Zoom

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Restaurants Reconsider Wage Structures after Employee Shortage

September 23, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since the widespread restaurant shutdowns of 2020, workers have steadily started to leave the food service industry, many for good. Along with the dangers of working in public during a pandemic, employees also found that some customers at reopened restaurants tended to tip less while others responded aggressively to mask rules. As a result, eateries across the country have nearly one million fewer filled positions than they did before the pandemic, amounting to an 8 percent decrease. And in a Continue reading →

Labor Relations, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Hiring, Restaurants, Recruitment, Food & Drink, Human Resources, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

[VIDEO] What One Winemaker’s Pricing Decisions Tell Us About Inflation

September 10, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although demand for wine from California’s Napa Valley has never been higher, supply is low across the region after years of drought, wildfires, and then the pandemic disrupted production. This video looks at the inflationary pressures currently weighing on winemakers as they consider whether or not to raise prices on the latest vintages.

Questions:

What inflationary factors are driving winemakers to raise prices on their products?
What are the potential advantages and disadvantages for businesses when they raise prices?

Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Pricing, Manufacturing, Labor Relations, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How Scarlett Johansson’s Disney Lawsuit Could Change Actor Pay

August 13, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week, we looked at how Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney alleging that Black Widow’s premiere on the company’s streaming platform deprived the movie star of income. The video below dives into further detail about how this upcoming legal battle could set the stage for big changes in Hollywood as on-screen talent looks to grab a piece of the increasingly important streaming market.

Questions:

How could Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney potentially transform actor compensation in Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Ethics, Movies, Labor Relations, Compensation, Entertainment, Streaming

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media