Can Documentary Films Really Create Change

After seeing a gripping documentary film, it’s not uncommon to feel motivated to take action. But does social change actually occur as a result of a documentary? According to sociologists, documentary films may indeed play a key role in raising awareness of social issues and increasing political mobilization. Key Takeaways: Documentaries and Social Change A team of sociologists sought to investigate whether documentary films can be linked to political and social change.Researchers found that Gasland, and anti-fracking documentary, was linked to increases in discussion about fracking.Gasland was also linked to anti-fracking political mobilizations. Gasland and the Anti-Fracking Movement For a long time, many have assumed that documentary films about issues that affect society are able to motivate people to create change, but this was just an assumption, as there was no hard evidence to show such a connection. However, a 2015 sociology paper tested this theory with empirical research and found that documentary films can in fact motivate conversation around issues, promote political action, and spark social change. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Ion Bogdan Vasi of the University of Iowa, focused on the case of the 2010 film  Gasland—about the negative impacts of drilling for natural gas, or fracking—and its potential connection to the anti-fracking movement in the U.S. For their study published in American Sociological Review, the researchers looked for behaviors consistent with an anti-fracking mindset  around the time period when the film was first released (June 2010), and when it was nominated for an Academy Award (February 2011). They found that web searches for Gasland and social media chatter related to both fracking and the film spiked around those times. Speaking about the study results, Vasi said, In June 2010, the number of searches for Gasland was four times higher than the number of searches for fracking, indicating that the documentary created significant interest in the topic among the general public. Can Documentaries Help Shape the Conversation? The researchers found that attention to fracking on Twitter increased over time and received large bumps (6 and 9 percent respectively) with the films release and its award nomination. They also saw a similar increase in mass media attention to the issue, and by studying newspaper articles, found that the majority of news coverage of fracking also mentioned the film in June 2010 and January 2011. Documentaries and Political Action The researchers found a clear connection between screenings of  Gasland  and anti-fracking actions like protests, demonstrations, and civil disobedience in communities where screenings took place. These anti-fracking actions—what sociologists call mobilizations—helped fuel policy changes related to fracking the Marcellus Shale (a region that spans Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and West Virginia). Implications for Social Movements Ultimately, the study shows that a documentary film associated with a social movement—or perhaps another kind of cultural product like art or music—can have real effects at both national and local levels. In this particular case, the researchers found that the film  Gasland  had the effect of changing how the conversation around fracking was framed, from one that suggested that the practice is safe, to one that focused on the risks associated with it. This is an important finding because it suggests that documentary films (and maybe cultural products generally) can serve as important tools for social and political change. This fact could have a real impact on willingness of investors and foundations that award grants to support documentary filmmakers. This knowledge about documentary films, and the possibility of increased support for them, could lead to a rise in the production, prominence, and circulation of them. Its possible that this could also have an impact on funding for investigative journalism—a practice that has mostly fallen away as re-reporting and entertainment-focused news has skyrocketed over the last couple of decades. In the written report about the study, the researchers concluded by encouraging others to study the connections between documentary films and social movements. They suggest that there may be important lessons learned for filmmakers and activists alike by understanding why some films fail to catalyze social action while others succeed. References Diedrich, Sara. â€Å"The Power of Film.† University of Iowa: Department of Sociology and Criminology, 2 Sep. 2015. https://clas.uiowa.edu/sociology/newsletter/power-filmVasi, Ion Bogdan, et al. ‘No Fracking Way!’ Documentary Film, Discursive Opportunity, and Local Opposition Against Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States, 2010 to 2013.  American Sociological Review, vol.  80, no. 5, 2015, pp. 934-959. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122415598534

Guidelines for Using Apostrophes Correctly

Essay impressionism - 1430 Words

For the Love of Impressionism Impressionism is arguably the most beloved and famous of all the artistic styles to date, which is celebrated for its bright colour and new, imaginative view of the world and society. However, originally in Paris in the 1870s, this kind of art was viewed as controversial and undisciplined, it was considered to threaten the values that fine art was meant to uphold. Then in 1874, a group of artists got together to make their own exhibition, mostly of quite small, informal pieces of art that would not have attracted any notice in the Salon (the big annual art exhibition in Paris). They did eight shows altogether, the last one being in 1886. In the first show, the critics picked up on the title of one of Claude†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Almost always there is remarkable technique and composition associated with Degass use of lighting effects, Renoirs fat, sensuous brushstrokes, Pissarros use of slabs and bits of paint, and Gauguin and Van Goghs bold, bright c olors. Also associated with these elements is the theme of change. The Impressionists, particularly the greatest among them, seemed remarkably open to changing the way they painted. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; De Santis 3 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Impressionists subjects were often of modern day, depicting the entertainment parts of Paris, or of the landscapes around the edges of the city that had been invaded by tourism and industrialization. Pierre-Auguste Renoir mainly focused on the young women of the city at the theatres, in cafà ©s, or in the streets and gardens of Paris. Berthe Morisots favorite subjects were more domestic and tamed, showing her family and friends socializing at home. Monet, together with Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley, specialized in landscape scenes from the surrounding areas of Paris, and Degas was fascinated by the world of ballet, and by the entertainers in Pariss popular cafà ©s. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The critics at the time praised these artists initiative for organizing their own exhibitions to display and get their work seen and talked about, but their paintings wereShow MoreRelatedImpressionism and Post-Impressionism Essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesImpressionism and Post-Impressionism are two artistic movements that had profound influences on the artistic community and world as a whole. Both sought to break the molds of previous artistic styles and movements by creating work truly unique to the artist him or herself. 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They were (1) the colour and vibration of light and (2) the density of air. No one had ever painted the true colour of sunshine and shadow, and hardly anyone had thought it worthwhile to suggest that the densityRead MoreImpressionism And Its Influence On Art716 Words   |  3 PagesImpressionism is often considered the first, true, modern art style. Do you agree with this statement, or not? In your post, please refer to both Impressionist images and earlier art to support your discussion. According to Giuntini the period of modernism began in 1850 and goes to 1960. (2015, para. 2) Moreover, Giuntini continued that it started with Realist and ended with Abstract Impressionism. Other sources say that Impressionism was the first truly modern artistic style. I am a tendency

The War Of The Vietnam War - 1704 Words

In the United States, we learned about how we beat the British during the Revolutionary War, even before we were a country. How we jumped in during WWI to help bring it to an end. Also, how we raided the shores of Omaha to save Europe from Hitler, and drop nukes on Japan. We learned how we beat the Soviet Union so hard during the Cold War that they don’t even exist anymore. One war that America does not seem to talk about is the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a proxy war during the Cold War, but it is always swept aside. The Vietnam War divided the U.S. as the war continued throughout the years. The U.S. shouldn’t have been involved in the Vietnam War because the Domino Theory was not correct. Before the U.S. started combat in Vietnam,†¦show more content†¦As a result of the Geneva Conference, French influence started to go away in Indochina and two new nations were born. After the French had left Vietnam and the rest of Indochina, the U.S. willingly took res ponsibility of South Vietnam. North Vietnam, on the other hand, fully established itself as a communist country under Ho Chi Minh’s leadership. The U.S. first sent American advisors to Vietnam after the Viet Cong, Viet Minh sympathizers, started becoming a threat in South Vietnam (â€Å"Vietnam War History†). At first, President John F. Kennedy sent military advisors to Vietnam to report the conditions there. They advised aid and the American military to help stop the Viet Cong. President Kennedy was a firm believer in the â€Å"Domino Theory,† and as a result, he increased aid. U.S. military in South Vietnam grew up to 9,000 troops by 1962 (â€Å"Vietnam War History†.) The U.S. started sending combat forces in 1965 (Tucker). Thereafter, the number of troops continued to increase, in the article, â€Å"Vietnam War,† the author comments, â€Å"At the end of 1964, about 23,500 Americans had been serving in Vietnam, but by the close of 1968, that number would grow to 525,000 in a steady stream of additional deployments† (Tucker). Thousands of Americans were sent to serve in the war, and after only four years that number went up to hundreds of thousands American soldiers. Initially, the U.S. was staying out of

Impact Of Globalization On Business Management - 1947 Words

Globalization, according to Rothenberg (2013), is defined as â€Å"the integration among the people, government, and companies of different countries.† Globalization is the creation and expansion of economic and social connections among people and organizations around the world. This process is fueled by movement of people, goods, ideas, technology, and money across national boundaries. Globalization of business is the change of a business from a company operating in one country to one that operates in multiple countries. It is the interconnection of international markets and management of businesses as global industries. Business management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired business goals and objectives. Globalization brings many challenges to business management in several areas. Overcoming these challenges can have an enormous positive impact on a business. Primarily, globalization creates a business entity with a global market that is typically many times larger than the business’ original domestic market.. Hill, (2005) refers to global markets as the â€Å"merging of historically distinct and separate national markets into one huge global marketplace† Very simply, to increase consumer demand, a local, domestic industry may choose to expand and extend their business to the international level thereby increasing their potential consumer base by millions or more. A major impact is seen in the increase in the number of transactions in general and inShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Management On The Globalization Of Business849 Words   |  4 PagesThis essay is about the impact of management on the globalization of business. 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Research Assignment on Labor Relations free essay sample

Define and discuss the term â€Å"collective bargaining. † Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about a real life example of a collective bargaining action. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (10 points) Collective bargaining can be defined as. Process by which members of the labor force, operating through authorized union representatives, negotiate with their employers concerning wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits† (Answers. com, 2007). There can be advantages for both employees and employers in regards to collective bargaining. The advantage for employees is it â€Å"ensures adequate wages and working conditions by providing them with a collective voice. It also allows them to influence personnel decisions and to achieve a fair distribution o f gains from technological progress and productivity increases† (International Labour Organization Website, 2007). The advantage for employers is â€Å"collective bargaining helps to stabilize industrial relations by maintaining industrial peace that otherwise may be disrupted by labor unrest. Through collective bargaining employers can also address the need for adjustment to facilitate modernization and restructuring† (International Labour Organization Website, 2007). An example of collective bargaining is the article, Take-home pay: minus $108. 28. This article is about Wausau’s education support professional and their wages. These workers are paid by the hour and do not get paid when school is closed—these days not being pay include snow days, spring, winter, and summer break, or teacher inservice days. The difficult part is that they still get charge for their full health premium. Last year insurance was $302 and now it is $389 a month. Many of the workers are being paid below the minimum living wage (On WEAC, 2007). Wausau’s education support professionals are using collective bargaining to get their point across to their employer that these wages are unfair. They organized a march to gain the employers attention that change needs to happen. They need to be able to pay their insurance premiums that were raised should be making at least the minimum living wage if not higher. 2. Identify three laws that support collective bargaining. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about each. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (30 points) There are many laws that support collective bargaining. These laws have helped improve job industries. Three laws that support collective bargaining include the Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was created to prohibit discrimination between men and women determining compensation for equal pay. This act is today a controversy subject. The article, Equal Pay For Equal Work Effort Stalled, brings up some very good questions, â€Å"So why then, in 2006, could it be that college-educated women are still earning not quite 75 cents for every dollar of a similarly educated man? Its a pay gap that has actually widened in the last decade, says an Economic Policy Institute analysis† (Tampa Tribune, 2006). Although the act was passed there is still work to be done regarding equal pay since the gap between men and women pay has changed much over the years. The Fair Labor Standards Act can be defined as, â€Å"A federal law that guarantees a workers right to be paid fairly. The FLSA defines the 40-hour workweek, sets out the federal minimum wage, states requirements for overtime and places restrictions on child labor† (NOLO, 2007). This law is taken very seriously and can have harsh repercussions. According to, The Fair Labor Standards Act: The High Cost of Non-Compliance, â€Å"Employers facing enforcement by the United States Department of Labor or private suits by employees are recognizing the high costs associated with non-compliance: injunctions, demands for payment of back pay, civil money penalties, fines, liquidated damages and in some cases attorneys fees. Willful violators may also be prosecuted criminally† (Irwin, 2007). Family and Medical Leave Act can be defined as, â€Å"A federal law that requires employers to provide an employee with 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a years time for the birth or adoption of a child, family health needs or personal illness. The employer must allow the employee to return to the same position or a position similar to that held before taking the leave. There are exceptions to the FMLA: the most notable is that only employers with 50 or more employees are coveredabout half the workforce† (NOLO, 2007). The FMLA has be a great contribution to helping employees balance their work and family responsibilities. Due this Act and driven mothers this had some employers develop innovative programs to help working mother. Some example include: a clean, private, and comfortable space (not a bathroom); a comfortable chair; a refrigerator for storing expressed milk; the provision of a breast-pump or a breast-pump allowance; adequate break time to breastfeed or express milk; and other programs to help mother strike balance between motherhood and having careers (Scott, 2007). These programs help reduce absenteeism rates, increased employee morale, and increased employee retention. 3. List four issues that are potential components of a collective bargaining agreement. Pick any two of the four issues youve listed and include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about each of those [two] collective bargaining issues in action. Write succinct and complete summaries on the contents of each of the articles youve provided along with your critical comments about each article. Support your findings with referenced research. (40 points) Four issues that are potential components of a collective bargaining agreement are employee rights, job rights, union rights, and management rights. The two that I will focus on are employee rights and union rights. According to our Labor Relations Book, employee rights include: just cause discipline and discharge; seniority rights in layoffs, promotions, etc. ; compensation; fair hearing through grievance procedures. The article, Certification of Largest Civil Rights Class OKd , focuses on seniority rights in promotions. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Feb 6 upheld certification of the largest civil rights class action ever against a private employer now approximately 2 million women who have worked for Wal-Mart and are claiming discrimination in pay and promotion. The plaintiffs claimed they were paid less than men in comparable positions despite achieving higher performance ratings and greater seniority; they rece ived fewer promotions to in-store management positions than men; and they had to wait longer to advance. They sought certification of a class of all women who work or have worked at Wal-Mart, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief plus lost wages and punitive damages. † People in general should not be overlooked with their seniority for possible promotions and advances. Union rights include: exclusive bargaining agent, union bulletin board in the workplace; union leader access to the workplace; shop stewards; and union security and dues checkoff clauses (Labor Relations Book). The article, La Porte agrees on meet, confer / Council, union now can negotiate on salary, benefits, is an article that demonstrates exclusive bargaining agent. The La Porte Police Officers Association now becomes the the sole and exclusive bargaining agent of all the police officers employed by the municipality, excluding the head of the police department, said La Porte Police Officers Association president Matt Novosad. Councilmen Barry Beasley, Tommy Moser and Tom Mosteit served on an ad hoc committee that recommended the city accept a petition signed by 67 officers to allow the union to negotiate on a one-on- one basis in areas of benefits, salaries, tenure and disciplinary issues. Now there is one person to do the negations between employees and employer. 4. Describe the process of establishing a bargaining unit. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about any part of the process of establishing a bargaining unit. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (10 points) The first step to establishing a bargaining unit is initiation. An example is when unions organize campaigns by advertising, distributing information. The next step is building support and an example is signing the authorization card. If more than 50% cards signed then the next step is request voluntary recognition. If less than 50% cards are signed then filing an election petition with the NLRB, NLRB determines appropriateness of the unit, at least 30% of cards must be signed, NLRB elections occur, and finally if more than 50% vote for the union the union is recognized and employer must bargain. Now back to the more than 50% cards signed leading to requesting voluntary recognition, the next step would be either employer accepts or employer denies. If the employer denies than goes to the filing a petition with NLRB. If employer accepts than union is recognized and employer must bargain (Labor Relations, pg. 232-233). An example of establishing a bargaining unit it the article on Steelworkers trying to resuscitate unions; Anyones eligible to join; Minnesota to be testing ground for new effort. This article is about the initiation phase of establishing a bargaining unit. The steel works are trying to find anybody interested to join. All they have to do is go to their website they listed to sign up and pay the dues of $40 and $20 if youre a student or unemployed. They offering a hot line and offering workplace counseling services to all workers. The gives steelworkers an opportunity to call is they feel being cheated, harassed, discriminated against. In the 21st century, a person can sign up and find information on many bargaining units that are trying to be established or already are. A person a can go the website to sign up and pay dues. They keep current information of what it going on with the bargaining unit. This allows those units to get information out too many people to keep their support. 5. List three examples of unfair labor practices. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] two current web-based news item/magazine articles, each pertaining to at least one of the three examples of unfair labor practices youve cited. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of each of the articles youve provided along with your critical comments about each article. Support your findings with referenced research. 30 points) Three examples of unfair labor practices include: to refuse to bargain with the union that is the lawful representative of its employees, to discriminate against employees for engaging in concerted or union activities or refraining from them, and to discriminate against an employee for filing charges with the NLRB or taking part in any NLRB proceedings. The two that I will foc us on are to discriminate against employees for engaging in concerted or union activities or refraining from them and to discriminate against an employee for filing charges with the NLRB or taking part in any NLRB proceedings. The article Business Briefs is a great example of an unfair labor practice associated with firing and screening applicants that have an association with the union. This occurred with employment with Starbucks. â€Å"The board alleges that former New York employee Isis Saenz was unlawfully fired in 2006 for her support of union activity. It also alleges that Veronica Park, a New York district manager in 2006, interrogated employees about their activities on behalf of the Industrial Workers of the World† (Seattle Times, 2007). The article also mentions, â€Å"Starbucks paid nearly $2,000 to settle an IWW complaint with the NLRB, and in 2005 it paid $165,000 to settle charges that it had screened against job applicants with possible union sympathies and fired an employee for refusing to continue such screening at its Kent roasting plant† (Seattle Times, 2007) Companies should be held responsible for screening and firing employees and potential employees that are involved with the union. Another example of unfair labor practice is the article about and UPS driver â€Å"who was accused of an allegation having no merit to these accusations was discriminated, harassed and abused during these proceedings as Teamsters local union 435 stood by and allowed this abusive behavior from the company (UPS) to continue† (Wmass Indymedia, 2007). Not only was he ignored by his employer, but also by the union. This would be an example of unfair labor practice regarding to discriminate against an employee for filing charges with the NLRB or taking part in any NLRB proceedings. . Describe the role and function of an arbitrator. Include and discuss a current web-based news item/magazine article about an arbitrator or a labor relations-related arbitration action. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (10 points) â€Å"The grievance pr ocedure is intended to provide an orderly and fair dispute resolution method. But suppose management just ignores the union’s arguments and evidence at each step of the procedure† (Labor Relations, pg. 357). The step to take in this situation is an arbitrator. This process includes: a. the Association may appeal the grievance to arbitration. The request for arbitration must be given in writing to the designated City representative by the Association within 10 standard working days from the date of the third step answer. Any grievance not appealed in writing shall be considered waived. b. An arbitrator ma be selected by mutual agreement between Association’s representative and the City’s representative. Should the representative fail to mutually agree on the arbitrator, they shall make a joint request to the State Mediation and Conciliation Service or the American Arbitration Association for a list of five qualified arbitrators. The parties shall each strike two names from the list and the remaining person shall be accepted as the arbitrator. The first party to strike will be determined by the flip of a coin. c. It is understood that the arbitrator will only interpret the Agreement and will in no instance add to, delete from, or amend and part thereof. The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding on the City, the Association, and employee. d. All fees and expenses for the arbitrator will be borne equally by the Association and the City. (Labor Relations, pg. 356). An example of an arbitrator’s ruling is â€Å"Marion Jones decided to file a breach-of-contract suit in 2005 against another of her coaches, Dan Pfaff, who coached her in 2003 and 2004. Unfortunately for Jones, the suit didnt go quite as planned. Pfaff denied any wrongdoing, according to the Times, and countersued for money he said Jones owed him. A Texas arbitrator ruled in favor of Pfaff, who won a judgment against Jones for about $240,000 in unpaid training fees and legal expenses† (Brennan, 2006). Unfortunately this did not turn out well for Jones, but arbitrator ha s to be fair when doing his job. 7. Outline the process of implementing a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about a CBA being implemented. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (10 points) First we will examine the Employer side of the process of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). These steps include: assigning a bargaining team and responsibilities, conduct external benchmarking/data collection, review experience under current contract and fit with corporate strategic and financial goals, prepare strike and contingency plan, develop bargaining proposals and agenda; anticipate the other side, notify union and FMCS of intent to bargain, establish ground rules, multiple negations sessions and internal caucuses, reach tentative agreement, prepare debriefing materials for managers; strike preparations if needed, sign new contract (Labor Relations, pg. 294). Now we will examine the union side of the process. These steps include: elect bargaining committee and determine responsibilities, identify membership concerns and goals, review current contract, discuss issues with National Union, develop bargaining proposals and Agenda; anticipate other side, notify employer and FMCS of intent to bargain, establish ground rules, multiple negations sessions and internal caucuses, reach tentative agreement, debrief membership; conduct contract ratification vote; obtain national union approval; strike preparations if needed, sign new contract (Labor Relations, pg 294). The NBA is known for having a collective bargaining agreement. Here is an example of violation of the CBA, â€Å"Jackson, a guard for the Golden State Warriors, pleaded guilty last month to a felony count of criminal recklessness for firing a gun outside an Indianapolis strip club last fall, when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He was fined $5,000 and performed 100 hours of community service† (The Associated Press, 2007). His violation of the CBA is â€Å"a minimum 10-game suspension when a player is convicted of or pleads no contest to a violent felony. While the league felt these crimes fell short of that, it did hit each player with a harsher penalty than other players because of their histories. Both were serious offenses and each are repeat violators of N. B. A. rules, a league spokesman, Tim Frank, said† (The Associated Press, 2007). Collect bargaining agreements are there to be followed, if not then there will be consequences. 8. Describe the process of decertification of a labor bargaining unit. Include and discuss [showing relevance or applicability] a current web-based news item/magazine article about the decertification process, proceeding, or action. Write a succinct and complete summary on the contents of the article youve provided along with your critical comments about that article. Support your findings with referenced research. (10 points) Decertification of a labor bargaining unit is done by decertification election. â€Å"This type of election is used to determine if a majority of unionized employees no longer wish to be represented by their union. If so, this union is decertified and looses its right to represent and bargain for employees† (Labor Relations, pg 236). According to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc. , The National Labor Relations Board maintains many rules governing when employees can file for a decertification election. For unions already in place with a negotiated contract, the NLRB’s general rule is that decertification elections can only be held near the expiration of the contract (or every three years, whichever comes first). This is called the â€Å"contract bar† rule. If you miss that window period, you will have to wait for the next one. For â€Å"new† unions which just became the exclusive bargaining representative and do not yet have a collective bargaining agreement, the general NLRB rule is that the union and employer must bargain in good faith for approximately a year before the NLRB will hold a decertification election Under the National Labor Relations Act, if 30% or more of the employees in a bargaining unit sign a Decertification Petition, the National Labor Relations Board will conduct a secret ballot election to determine if a majority of the employees wish to decertify the union and stop it from any further â€Å"exclusive representation. If the petitioning employees win that election, then the company becomes nonunion and all employees are free to bargain on their own, and negotiate their own terms and conditions of employment. Moreover, if 50% or more of the employees in a bargaining unit sign a petition that they no longer want to be represented by the union, the employer can withdraw recogniti on without an election if it wishes to do so (Except where the contract bar applies). A good article on the declassification of bargaining units is Unions Struggle as Communications Industry Shifts. In November 2002, Comcast completed its acquisition of ATT Broadband, a company in which union representation had been steadily growing. Since Comcasts takeover, 22 bargaining units from the former ATT Broadband have voted to decertify their union status, including one in Fresno, Calif. , where technicians voted 92 to 58 on May 12 to get rid of the union. In California alone, the union lost decertification votes at Comcast shops in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Modesto all in 2003. Comcast still has 22 union shops† (Richtel, 2007). The reason the fast decline, â€Å"Comcast says workers are voting to decertify because they may be more satisfied with Comcast management, which it says is more receptive to worker needs than the national top-down management of ATT Broadband† (Richtel, 2007). Comcast made the comment that they are not against unions, but â€Å"even as unions struggle nationwide, with just 12. 5 percent of the total work force unionized in 2004 compared with 22 percent in 1980, they face a particularly bleak future in the telecommunications industry† (Richtel, 2007) The unions have made such progress of change over the years, but the union member’s seem to be declining. This may be due to employers offering employees better benefits and better wages. Unions may not be need as much in the 21st century because of their history and due to employers accepting change.

Staffs Agreements in Franchise

Question: Describe about the Report for Staffs Agreements in Franchise. Answer: Introduction On the part of an employer, failure to meet the obligations of the work place and the requirements of the employees would have serious impact. The entire brand would be negatively affected in cases where the employer works in corporation with a franchise. In the context of the above statements it can be stated that complying with legal frameworks and policies in association of staff agreements plays vital role. Body While working with staffs and employers who is a part of the franchise there are certain legal policies that are required to be present in the agreement between the employees and the staffs. Firstly, the workplace should have an Enterprise or Workplace Agreement, with the staffs with the help of which the staffs will be provided with a set of minimum employment conditions. It is a statement of responsibilities and reciprocal rights which is agreed between a group of employees and an employer. On the basis of the responsibilities that employees have to perform the conditions like minimum pay and associated aspects in the agreement will apply. On the basis of an award, the entire business and the duties to be performed by the staffs will be covered if there is no registered agreement. In such cases, the minimum conditions and pay in the award will be applicable. It needs to be mentioned here that maximum number of people working in Australia are covered by 122 occupation and industry a wards. This implies that number of employees will be covered by an award, who are not covered by an agreement. In order to provide the staffs with a fair and equal scope of working, the agreement should also incorporate the Fair Work Act 2009 in the agreement (Austrade, 2016). With the help of incorporating this act in the agreement the staffs can be provided with flexible working arrangements, minimum entitlements eliminate discrimination against employees and establish fairness at work. Other than that, emphasizing upon Disability Discrimination Act 1992 also helps in establishing equality and preventing discrimination on the basis of any king of disability. The importance of this act in staff agreements in case of franchise can be seen from the fact that McDonalds Australia Enterprise Agreement 2013 is approved under this act and this core purpose of the act is to establish fairness and prevent discrimination against the staffs (Franchise Business, 2014). The fact that since 2011 McDonalds Australia has signed Proactive Compliance Deed with Fair Work Ombudsman further establishes the importance of establishing fairness in staff agreements in franchise. In order to ensure equality at work, McDonalds is also seen to strongly comply with Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The staff agreement should also highlight upon National Employment Standards (NES) with the help of which the staffs are provided with 10 minimum employment entitlements that are required to be given to all employees (Fair Work Ombudsman, 2015). Conclusion Thus it can be concluded by stating that in order to establish effective staff agreement in franchise the above discussed legal provisions are required to be present in the agreement. References Austrade.gov.au. (2016). Employment agreements - Austrade. [online] Available at: https://www.austrade.gov.au/International/Invest/Guide-to-investing/Running-a-business/Employing-people-in-Australia/Australian-employment-conditions/Employment-agreements [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Fair Work Ombudsman. (2015). Welcome to the Fair Work Ombudsman website. [online] Available at: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/helping-the-community/campaigns/franchise-assistance/information-for-franchisors [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Franchise Business. (2014). Young employees the focus of McDonald's agreement with Fair Work. [online] Available at: https://www.franchisebusiness.com.au/news/young-employees-the-focus-of-mcdonald-s-second-agr [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016].