HRM 586 Week 6 Course Project

HRM 586 Week 6 Course Project
Labor Relations Course Project
Guidelines  Course Project Topics Grading Rubric
Guidelines
There is a written course project due at the end of Week 6. It should be 15-20 pages in length (excluding the cover/reference pages). Your work must be double-spaced with one inch margins and should use one of the five approved style formats (APA or MLA are preferred). You may select one topic from the list below.

You should choose a labor relations topic that is of interest to you. This could be an idea that: (a) comes out of one of the class case studies, (b) something you have wanted to investigate for a long time and have not had time for, (c) a labor relations issue that is pressing at work and needs a solution, or (d) a recommendation that you want to make to your organization's labor relations professionals or to your union.

Your paper should be organized in such a way that you integrate the following elements into your work:

    A clear thesis that consists of at least two main points
    Introduction section with a detailed background/history of the topic
    Literature review that incorporates research that supports your assertions on the topic
    Recommendation section where you will explain what you have learned and how you propose to alter or amend the situation discussed
    Conclusion

Course Project Topics

    White collar unionism in the United States in the next decade: an attempt to predict its future size and shape
    Managerial resistance to unionism: how deeply rooted, how widespread and how logical is it?
    Crime and organized labor: how much connection is there?
    Corruption in the Teamsters Union
    The role of personality in American labor union history
    An evaluation of organized labor- relationship with the black community
    Samuel Gompers and John L. Lewis: a comparison of two labor giants
    The advisability of eliminating all post-1932 collective bargaining statutes and letting the parties go back to the pre-Wagner Act “law of the jungle.”
    The NLRB- tilt to management in the 1980s and early 1990s and then to labor: Are there any lessons to be learned from these developments?
    The influence of Ronald Regan and George Bush on organized labor between 1981 and 1993
    The influence of Bill Clinton- Presidency on organized labor
    Management- replacement worker strategy after the air traffic controller strike: how potent and how fair a weapon?
    An evaluation of the influence of COPE, the AFL-CIO- Committee on Political Education
    The local union meeting and the problem of poor attendance: what, if anything, can be done about it?
    The expulsion of the Teamsters from the AFL-CIO for “corrupt influences”: did it make any real difference to either the Teamsters or the federation?
    The declining incidence of strikes in the United States and some possible explanations
    Mediation: an assessment of its potential value
    Technological innovation as a cause of strikes
    The role of violence in strike and lockout situations
    An appraisal of procedures to expedite the arbitration process: mini arbitration and grievance mediation
    Legal issues in the private arbitration process
    Effective use of the grievance procedure for settlement of disputes
    Choose one of the economic supplements discussed in the text. Research the development of the benefit in collective bargaining contracts since World War II. Be sure to address yourself to the major advantages of the supplement and its future development
    “Right-to-work” laws: desirable public policy?
    Trends in the area of management prerogatives
    Quality of work life programs: are they nothing more than a fad?
    The health insurance issue and collective bargaining
    Plant closedowns and WARN.
    The PATCO strike revisited
    Future of unions in the U.S.
    Union mergers: problems and opportunities.
    History of a particular labor union with which you are familiar
    Impact of “right-sizing” or downsizing on labor relations
    The UPS strike
    The rise and fall of Ron Carey

Grading Rubric

Content (60%)

Points / %

The Background component provides any necessary historical information and assumptions used in the paper, and any other information the reader might need to better understand the forthcoming elements of the paper.

23.4 / 15%

Scope/Depth of research - literature review. You should research the Internet and other sources to provide support for your opinions and assertions. The "literature" might exist in your organization.

46.8 / 30%

Recommendations. Write a LARGE recommendation/solution part. Explain what you have learned and how you would change or fix the situation.

62.4 / 20%

Use of sound logic

23.4 / 15%

Total

156 / 60%

Editing (10%)

Points Deduction (Per Occurrence) / %

Spelling Error

-2

Punctuation/Grammatical Error

-1

Sentence Meaning Unclear

-2

Misstatement of Fact

-5

Total (Not to Exceed)

26 / 10%

Organization (20%)

Points / %

Introduction: thesis statement contains at least two main points

16 / 8%

Body text follows order of topics and main points derived from the thesis statement

8 / 4%

Content sub-divisions follow outline

8 / 4%

Conclusion summarizes, complements thesis; contains new information

8 / 4%

Total (Not to Exceed)

52 / 20%

Documentation - Incorrectly Cited or Missing (10%)
Note: All must appear in approved format.

Points Deduction (Per Occurrence) / %

Title Page

-2

Abstract

-1

Citations in Text

-2

References

-5

Total (Not to Exceed)

26 / 10%

Category Totals

Possible Points / %

Content

156 / 60%

Organization and Cohesiveness

52 / 20%

Editing

26 / 10%

Documentation and Formatting

26 / 10%

Total

260 / 100%