Exam Schedule Fall 2008

Here you will find the course exam schedule.  Any changes will also be noted here.

1. The first quiz is Friday, September 12

2. The mid-term exam is Friday, October 3

3. The second quiz is Friday, October 10

4. The third quiz is Monday, November 3

5. The fourth quiz is Wednesday, November 12

5. The fifth quiz is Wednesday, December 3

6. The final exam is Wednesday, December 10 (noon-2:30 p.m.)

Sample exam questions

These are some of the questions that were asked on the final exam the last time this course was taught.  They are a very good sample of the kinds of questions you can expect on quizzes, the mid-term and the final in this course.

Definitional Question: these appear on the mid-term and final: 1) Explain the concept of the "settlement range." What is it and why is it important? 2) What is grievance arbitration? Are there other kinds of arbitration? Why is grievance arbitration important? Explain?

Readings Questions: these appear on the quizzes: 1) According to Getman (“After the Strike: The Lasting Impact of Hiring Striker Replacements”) what happened to discipline and the work ethic in the plant that he studied after the strike ended? Explain. 2) According to Johnson, “Airlines: Can Collective Bargaining Weather the Storm?” (in Clark, Delaney and Frost) how does the representation election process under the Railway Labor Act differ from that under the National Labor Relations Act? Explain.

Lecture/Text Question: these appear on the mid-term and final: 1) Explain in as much detail as space allows the difference between the formal structure of bargaining and informal bargaining structure. Give an example. 2) Explain in as much detail as space allows the unique way in which mediation is used under the Railway Labor Act.

Long essay: this type of question appears only on the final: It has sometimes been said that collective bargaining is unpopular because strikes are costly to innocent members of the public and therefore we should have collective bargaining but outlaw strikes. Discuss this proposition considering various aspects of the bargaining process and using specific examples from at least four different industries. If we were to outlaw strikes, how would bargaining operate and could it be made to operate effectively?