Adversarial relationships are common between the management and union leaders because the latter tends to advocate on behalf of the employees. Some of the commonly raised concerns that promote an adversarial relationship between these parties are poor terms of contracts and in-conducive working environments among others.
I agree with Student One, who notes that organizing is always adversarial. This is because negotiations demand the parties involved, particularly the union itself, begin acknowledging the contract of the employees they are representing as a primary goal. However, I do not concur with Student One on the part where s(he) mentions that adversarial relationships can be avoided if the unions were to be fully committed to helping employees. My perception is that this is just but a part of the solution. The employee-union relationship is likely to improve but not the employer-union relationship (Gill, 2009).
There is no doubt that round-table talks between union leaders and employees can yield ideal contractual terms for the employees and the overall improvement productivity per employee. If employers and union leaders sit together, they can come up with better terms of service (Fossum, 2014). I agree with Student One that in some situations, some union leaders are out to protest, thereby widening the rift between employees and employers rather than bridging it. These are the kind of leaders that that promote a more adversarial relationship with no valid reason. In some fortunate, but rarer circumstances, some employers (particularly those who understand the heightened productivity of motivated employees) are out to promote the best interests of their employees. However, some employers can be mean and vindictive. As such, it is fundamental for the union to discern the kind of employer they are dealing with to device the best approaches to negotiations to avert unnecessary adversarial relationships.
References
Fossum, J. A. (2014). Labor relations. Mcgraw Hill Higher Educat.
Gill, C. (2009). Union impact on the effective adoption of high performance works practices. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 39-50.
