The Labor Relations Process: A Partnership Approach to Creating Strategic Competitive Advantage, Second Edition gives us insight into managing both unionized and non-unionized employees. In the competitive global business environment, labor relations management plays a critical role in determining not only a company’s competitiveness but also that of an industry, a city, and a country. Users of this book have the opportunity to look at real cases of successful labor relations processes and explore the possibility of adopting at least some of the practices that have been proven to be effective in at least one context.

The transformation that has taken place in Singapore’s industrial relations system and the remarkable improvement in global competitiveness of the Singapore economy in the past several decades provide numerous compelling and valuable lessons which local and overseas managers, government officials, and unionists/employees, can learn jointly. Based on the Singapore experiences, the key ingredient for an effective labor relations system that contributes to national and organizational success in an all-win manner is “industrial peace with justice” and the key success factor to make sure that this ingredient works its wonders is “incessant constructive tripartite deliberation”. As managers, government officials, and unionists/employees approach the subject matter collaboratively to evaluate the alternatives available for them to move forward together under a win-win-win partnership, they should be able to find the solutions best-suited for their circumstances.

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Part 1 Recognizing Rights and Responsibilities of Unions and Management
1. Union-Management Relationships in Perspective.
2. Evolution of Labor-Management Relationships.
3. Legal Influences.
4. Unions and Management: Key Participants in the Labor Relations Process.
5. Why and How Unions are Organized.
Part 2 The Bargaining Process and Outcomes
6. Negotiating the Labor Agreement.
7. Economic Issues.
8. Administrative Issues.
9. Resolving Negotiation (Interest) Disputes and the Use of Economic Pressure.
Part 3 Administering the Labor Agreement
10. Contract Administration.
11. Labor and Employment Arbitration.
12. Employee Discipline.
Part 4 Applying the Labor Relations Process to Different Labor Relations
Systems
13. Labor Relations in the Public Sector.
14. Labor Relations in Multinational Corporations and Other Countries.
Index

The Labor Relations Process: A Partnership Approach to Creating Strategic Competitive Advantage, Second Edition gives us insight into managing both unionized and non-unionized employees. In the competitive global business environment, labor relations management plays a critical role in determining not only a company’s competitiveness but also that of an industry, a city, and a country. Users of this book have the opportunity to look at real cases of successful labor relations processes and explore the possibility of adopting at least some of the practices that have been proven to be effective in at least one context. The transformation that has taken place in Singapore’s industrial relations system and the remarkable improvement in global competitiveness of the Singapore economy in the past several decades provide numerous compelling and valuable lessons which local and overseas managers, government officials, and unionists/employees, can learn jointly. Based on the Singapore experiences, the key ingredient for an effective labor relations system that contributes to national and organizational success in an all-win manner is “industrial peace with justice” and the key success factor to make sure that this ingredient works its wonders is “incessant constructive tripartite deliberation”. As managers, government officials, and unionists/employees approach the subject matter collaboratively to evaluate the alternatives available for them to move forward together under a win-win-win partnership, they should be able to find the solutions best-suited for their circumstances. Appreciate the different environmental conditions facing managers, government officials, and unionists/employees in different countries that tend to drive their actions away from the ideal. Links macro-level environmental conditions to micro-level workplace practices to help managers, government officials, and unionists/employees see the correspondence or incompatibility between them. Critical reviews, insightful conjectures, and confident predictions based on personal involvement and experiences.