Final answer:
Employee Representation Plans (ERPs) were an anti-unionism approach within the context of the American Plan, which industrialists used to undermine traditional unions by offering limited worker representation without the same negotiation leverage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Employee Representation Plans (ERPs) were an anti-unionism alternative designed during the era of the American Plan. This plan was a strategy used by anti-union industrialists who promised never to negotiate with unions, aiming to associate the open shop concept with freedom and American values, contrasting with the closed shop, which required workers to join unions. ERPs, also known as company unions, were part of this broader plan and served to undermine the collective power of traditional unions by giving the impression of worker representation without the same negotiation leverage.
The businesses that supported the American Plan and ERPs feared the growing power of unions and the associated possibility of socialism. They went to great lengths to create ERPs, employing tactics such as placing American flags on nonunion products, legislating against collective bargaining, and even strategically employing workers' divisions based on ethnicity to weaken unity. These company unions offered limited benefits or one-time bonuses as a way to appeal to workers and dissuade them from joining independent unions, which often required membership fees. However, these ERPs held little power and were ultimately a tool for employers to maintain control over labor relations.