Learn about the three fundamental principles at the heart of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA): free collective bargaining, exclusivity, and structural autonomy. Essential knowledge for the SHRM-SCP certification exam.
Table of Contents
Question
What are the three basic principles of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)?
Answer
The three basic principles of the NLRA are free collective bargaining, the exclusivity principle, and structural autonomy.
Explanation
The three basic principles of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) are:
- Free Collective Bargaining: The NLRA establishes the right of employees to engage in collective bargaining through representatives of their own choosing, without interference or coercion from employers. This allows workers to band together and negotiate as a group with management over terms and conditions of employment like wages, hours, and benefits. The NLRA makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their collective bargaining rights.
- The Exclusivity Principle: Once a union has been certified or recognized as the exclusive bargaining representative for a group of employees, the employer is required to bargain only with that union. The union represents all employees in the bargaining unit, regardless of whether they are union members. This principle of exclusive representation is intended to promote stability in labor relations and avoid the confusion and conflict that could result from multiple unions representing subsets of employees.
- Structural Autonomy: The NLRA gives workers the right to form and join unions of their own choosing, free from employer domination or interference. Unions must be independent, autonomous organizations that are democratically controlled by their members. It is an unfair labor practice for an employer to dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of a union, or to contribute financial or other support to it. This ensures unions can freely represent the interests of workers in dealings with management.
In summary, the NLRA’s three core principles of free collective bargaining, exclusivity of representation, and union autonomy work together to protect workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively to improve their wages and working conditions, while providing a stable framework for unions and employers to negotiate and resolve disputes. Understanding these principles is essential for HR professionals preparing for the SHRM-SCP certification exam.
SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the SHRM-SCP exam and earn SHRM-SCP certification.