HRM Employee and Labor Relations: Target Company Essay

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HRM Employee and Labor Relations:

Target Company is one of the several companies that have continued to enjoy huge profitability in the market despite being without unionized employees. Actually, the firm has continued to enjoy a reputation that is similar to that of Wal-Mart stores as an antithesis. The company enjoys a reputation as a replica corporate organization that sells the latest trends in cheap chic. Unlike Wal-Mart, Target Company offer competitive wages to its workers and benefits that are considered to be relatively better. In its store in Valley Stream, New York, Target has usually focused on developing trust between managers and employees in attempts to avoid employee unions. Actually, none of the firm's 1,755 stores in America has unionized employees because of the increased emphasis in building the relationship and trust between managers and its workers.

Working Conditions that have Provoked Employee Attention:

As an employee in this company, there are specific work conditions that have provoked the attention of the employees. In its discount chain's Valley Stream, New York, employees have recently been increasingly concerned with the existing working conditions in Target's workplace to an extent that majority support unionizing the firm. Some of these major working conditions include …

Poor Wages and Benefits:

While the Target has slightly better wages and benefits than Wal-Mart that has come under increased pressure, employees have continued to state that they receive poor wages and benefits through various means like online platforms. One of the main reasons contributing to the poor wages and benefits is the reduction of workers' shifts at the store (Geller & Wohl, 2011). In fact, employees the working hours of long-time employees have been reduced in the past few months as Target's Valley Stream store continues to recruit new workers, who are hired at low wages. As a result of the lessening of working hours, long-time employees have received poor wages and benefits as the new employees are recruited on low pay.

Discrepancy:

The poor wages and benefits have been coupled with discrepancy between the benefits of the company's executive ranks and its employees. Despite of the recent slight decline in its sales, Target has generated huge profits for the past two consecutive years. This growth and profitability has in turn been beneficial to its executive rank, who receives a hefty pay package of over 50% increase in compensation. While these executive receive such compensations, the workers receive poor wages and benefits that do not reflect Target's growth. The discrepancy in compensation is one of the major factors provoking the attention employees (Shapiro, 2011).

Benefits of Organizing a Union for Target:

As poor wages and benefits and discrepancy in the compensation of executives and other employees contribute to unfair labor relations, there have been increased calls for Target to allow union-represented employees. Organizing a union for employees in a specific company is not only beneficial to the workers but it also has several benefits to the company. Organizing a union for Target, especially in its Valley Stream store, would be beneficial to the organization in various aspects including …

Promoting Equality in the Workplace:

One of the major benefits of unionized employees to this company is that it promotes equality in the workplace. This could be a major advantage to Target's Valley Stream store because discrepancy in compensation, which is a reflection of favoritism, is one of the key factors contributing provoking workers' attention. Therefore, allowing or organizing union-represented employees will ensure that all workers are treated fairly as favoritism will not determine promotion and increase in compensation strategies. Such a measure could promote equality in the workplace because every worker will be subject to similar guidelines and job responsibilities.

Increased Profitability:

While Target has experienced steady growth in the past two years, it can further increase its profitability in the market by allowing union-represented employees. This is primarily because unionized employees tend to increase their input in their respective work responsibilities since they are fairly compensated and have high levels of job satisfaction. As a result of the increased input from employees in achievement of the firm's business goals, Target will in turn increase its profitability. Generally, unions exist not only to better or improve the lives of workers but they also exist in order to provide significant benefits to employers or companies.

Strategic Plan for Organizing a Union:

As evident in the analysis, organizing a union proves to be beneficial to both the employees and the company. However, the effectiveness of the preparation and implementation of a union depends on an efficient strategic plan for organizing or starting the union in the company or organization.

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Some of the most important components for a strategic plan to organize a union for the firm's workers include a purpose, mission, and objective statement.

The mission of organizing a union for the employees at Target's Valley Stream store is to provide a platform in which employee complaints will be listened to and addressed by the firm's executive rank. The purpose of such a process is to deal effectively with employee complaints and promote the development of a good relationship and trust between the organization's management and the workers. Consequently, the objective of starting a union at Target is to develop a means with which employees will contribute totally to the achievement of the firm's business goals as the company provides them with the necessary measures to do so.

Starting a Union:

In addition to having a strategic plan with the above mentioned elements, starting a union at Target's Valley Stream Store requires the application of various components in the process. The basic step in starting a union is signing a union card that indicates of the intention to start or form a union at the company's workplace. When majority of the workers sign the union card, these cards are in turn given to a government agency, which is normally The National Labor Relations Board. The agency then schedules and supervises a secret ballot election where employees vote to determine whether they really want a union at the organization. In cases where there is a majority vote in support of starting a union, the union is created with which the firm must discuss several employee issues with such as working conditions, wages, and benefits ("How to Start a Union," 2009).

The determination of the need for a union is normally the first step in forming the union in the company. The actual creation of the union actually involves various components that incorporate various ideas in each step. These components or step in forming a union include:

Contacting a Union:

The support of an established labor union is critical to the formation of a union in the workplace. The established unions not only help in advocating for the purpose of unionized employees in the company but it also provides full-time organizer and materials. In addition, the established union will also help in providing a lawyer if any of the employees are unfairly targeted or treated by the firm's management. In order to contact a union that is suitable for the workers at Target's Valley Stream store, the first step will involve talking to an organizer in attempts to have them consider taking us on. However, the contacted unions or organizers will be for unions that are appropriate for the company's workplace.

Targeting and Recruiting Leaders:

The targeting and recruitment of leaders is a crucial component in the process since these leaders eventually become the organizing committee of the union (Cooke, 2009). Leaders at the workplace are not only the first people to approach but this process should also involve talking to influential people in the working environment unless such people are close to the management team. The reason for approaching and recruiting leaders for the cause is that new and inexperienced employees seek guidance from leaders in the workplace. In cases where there is a good relationship between the influential people and newer employees, it will be reflected in the organizing committee.

The recruitment of leaders among workers at Target store involves talking to various co-workers in support of the formation of the union, scheduling for meetings with the paid organizer, listening to past organizing stories, and adhering to the advice of the seasoned organizer.

Creating Awareness and Education:

While the other employees may have the confidence to get involved in the formation of the union at the workplace, they may not know how to respond to any resistance from the employer or company's executive ranks. Generally, these workers will be powerless to fend off inevitable resistance and attacks on the union from Target's management due to lack of understanding of current or future events taking place. In order to gain the confidence of the other employees, awareness and education of these activities and events should be provided to these workers. The identified leaders and influential people should be mobilized to provide the training and awareness to workers. This process could involve holding various meetings of all workers….....

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