1. The Teamsters Union is scheduled to enter into negotiations over a new contract with The Statton Canning Company. They have gathered a great deal of information about the rank and file preferences, the local labor costs, and national trends. What five essential things should they now determine by taking all this information into consideration?

2. During the fall of 2012, public school teachers in Chicago went out on strike over, among other things, salary and pay systems, performance reviews based on standardized test scores, and job protection for laid off teachers. Some people argued that the strike was evidence that the teachers' union was too powerful. Where does the teachers' bargaining power stem from? What factors place a "check" on teachers' bargaining power?

3. Describe the seven tests of just cause. How do these tests protect the rights of employees?

4. One of the key roles of an arbitrator is to interpret the language of a contract, even when that language is unclear or ambiguous. Describe the rules that arbitrators apply to try to fairly interpret the contract.

5. A recent certification election at Lutz Industries, a large manufacturing company, ended with the union winning representation rights. Management and the union are now preparing for their first contract bargaining sessions. Assume that you are the chief negotiator for the management team. Describe your goals for protecting management rights at Lutz Industries.

6. In 2007-2008, more than 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went out on strike after contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came to impasse. The strike started in November, 2007 and concluded in February, 2008 and, by some estimates, cost the industry around $2 billion. Given the expense of the strike to the industry and lost income to the writers, what other alternatives might the writers have considered in their quest to pressure the AMPTP to make concessions? Why do you think the Writers Guild decided to strike instead of pursuing these less costly alternatives?

7. Describe the arguments for and against the use of permanent strike replacements in economic strikes.

8. Describe the steps that management and the union take to prepare for and ultimately reach a collective bargaining agreement.

9. Describe how a union organizing drive can legally be initiated.

10. Explain the process that employees must go through in order to get the NLRB to conduct a representation election.