Strikes and Alternative Forms of Coping

Are strikes the most beneficial way of resolving labour - management conflict? Or are alternative forms of coping more beneficial?. Throughout this paper I will attempt to answer these questions by, first giving a description of each of these forms of coping. Then I will examine the effects, both positive and negative, that each of these forms of coping has on the collective bargaining process as well as the labor - management relationship. Finally I will compare the effectiveness of strikes as opposed to the effectiveness of alternative forms of coping.
A strike occurs when unionized workers collectively agree to stop working in order to try and force management to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. Under the law a strike can only occur if the existing collective bargaining agreement has expired and generally strikes do not occur unless labour and management have reached a stalemate in the contract negotiations. Negotiations often stall for a number of reasons, but the most common reasons are wage and benefit levels.
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