Final answer:
The labor relations process involves employers and unions collectively negotiating work rules, known as collective bargaining. The National Labor Relations Board oversees the legal framework for union establishment and dispute resolution. Labor unions serve to balance employer-employee power dynamics and improve workers' rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The labor relations process occurs when employers and the exclusive bargaining agent (the union) engage in the joint development and administration of work rules. This process is known as collective bargaining, which typically includes negotiations on wages, work rules, complaint procedures, promotions, benefits, and workplace safety.
A significant aspect of the labor relations process is the establishment of a union, and the legal framework provided by entities such as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which resolves disputes and ensures the procedures for unionization are followed. Labor unions are pivotal in advocating for the rights and interests of workers, essentially operating like monopolies in the labor market by negotiating terms collectively rather than individually.
An understanding of organized labor is crucial as it has been a key player in the historical development of labor laws and workplace standards in the United States. These laws have enabled workers to legally form unions, participate in collective bargaining, and exercise the right to strike under certain conditions, thus balancing the power dynamics between employers and their employees.