UMUC European Division

Course Description: A 3 semester hour graduate course that presents an introduction and overview of labor-management relations (LMR) with emphasis on the private sector but with some aspects of the public sector. The course will expose students to the scholarly literature of LMR, its concepts and application. The LMR topics include: a historical perspective, the legal environment, the collective bargaining process, and the grievance/arbitration process.

Course Objectives: Upon course completion, the student will understand:

1. An academic perspective of LMR from literature research/term paper.

2. The historical context and applied applications of LMR.

3. The role of players in the LMR process and current NLRB and court decisions.

4. Key LMR similarities and differences between the private and the public sectors.

5. Student skills requirements: prepare a scholarly paper from the literature and case analysis (individual and team approaches).

Evaluation: The final grade will be based on the following criteria:

1. Final examination (3 hours) 35%

2. Mid-Term Examination (3 hours) 35%

3. Case Analysis/Class Participation 15%

4. Term Paper* 15%

*Each student is to research/collect data on a specific labor-management issue and submit a term paper (limited to 10 pages) by session 7. More detailed information on the paper will be provided at the first class meeting.

Class Policies per University/Federal Contract Requirements:

Grading: A=90-100 points; B=80-89 points; C=70-79 points; D=60-69 points; F>60 points.

B. Attendance: Regular and punctual attendance is expected. If a class is missed, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain the material covered and the upcoming assignments. After three absences, the ESO will be notified. Work and duty obligations are the exception.

Make-up Examinations: It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentary proof in order to take a quiz/exam that was missed for job or illness reasons.
Plagiarism: Plagiarized documents submitted for course requirements/grading will receive a grade of zero (0) whether copied in whole or in part. See the European Division Catalog for UMUC policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Student preparation for each class session is a requirement.

Class Procedures:

A. The classroom approach for the course will be lectures with open discussions and case analyses (oral and written).

B. All written exercises will be graded according to content, degree of analysis, grammar, spelling, clarity, etc. Documents not meeting these criteria will result in grade reduction based on the degree of severity.

C. All written requirements are to be submitted on the set date; 10% penalty for lateness.

D. Students are to have read/prepared assignments for each session.