Alfonso Byrd
MBA 576
Paper # 4
Conflicts and Negotiations
My organization handles conflicts on three different levels. They are handled by the facilitator, the union, or by a labor relations agent if all else fails. With my company belonging to a union, most negotiation is done by a union representative, normally a shop steward. In cases where a facilitator and a production worker are at conflict, the shop steward will sit in and make sure that no rights are being violated and any penalties are levied just. The shop steward can also serve the facilitator with a grievance if the worker feels that they are being wronged. For example, there was a situation where I signed up to donate blood during a plant wide blood drive. The union had approved my donating and I was the responsibility of my facilitator to place a floater on my job and send me to give blood. The blood drive lasted for two days and each day my facilitator said he would send me and never did. When I found out that others were allowed to go but not me I decided to file a grievance against my facilitator. I called my shop steward, explained the situation, and proceeded with the proper paperwork.
When conflicts between workers happen it is stressed to allow the union to handle it. By doing so the conflict could be an off the record situation and not count against an employee or go on their record. Sometimes the conflicts continue and there is no other recourse but to have the facilitator and or labor relations mediate and come up with a resolution. When conflicts get to that level, they tend to lead to some time off for someone and/or relocation to another section or department. This reminds me of a situation where a co-worker was complaining about radios being too loud. We agreed to lower the volume but she continued to complain. No resolution could be agreed upon and we were off to labor relations. Labor gave us with radios a sound level to play the music and suggested that the girl...