Essay on national labor relations board

Introduction

Every nation has specific agencies and organizations that ensure that all the activities are not only smooth but also meet some specific criteria. United States of America has various organizations and agencies especially within the labor industry in a bid to ensuring that all the activities of production are not affected negatively. An example of such an agency is the National Labor Relations Board, which aims at providing a good working environment. The following discussion provides an overview of the board and its functions, jurisdiction, and the procedures through which the board attains its objectives, core values, and aims.

Overview of the Board and its functions

National Labor Relations Board is an independent organization within the borders of the Unites States of America mandated to ensure that the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act are adequately and effectively followed. Amazingly, National Labor Relations Board is an agency within the federal government (Bohlander & Snell, 2007). Since the creation of the agency in 1935 by the US Congress, National Labor Relations Board has been an agency at the center or epicenter of ensuring that there are democratic and effective elections amongst the employees. Most of the elections related to employees and employers are usually done under the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (Bohlander, et al., 2010).
It is also important to note that another function of National Labor Relations Board is to take part in preventing or taking corrective measures in respect to unfair labor practices that employers and unions may have towards their employees. In other words, the National Labor Relations Board ensures that the working environment is favorable for both the employer and employee (Bohlander, et al., 2010). There are employers and unions who engage in activities and conduct promoting or creating unhealthy relationships between them and their employees. Besides, there are particular working environments that cause more problems to the employees (Bohlander & Snell, 2007). These are the conditions that National Labor Relations Board aims at preventing and taking corrective measures.

Structure, Jurisdiction, and Procedure within the Board

The structure of the National Labor Relations Board is made up of five board members, which are presidential appointees. In addition to the five board members that are appointed by the president, a general counsel also forms part of the board (Bohlander, et al., 2010). Every director has a specific function and jurisdiction in ensuring that all the main objectives and goals are attained. The National Labor Relations Board has the mandate and jurisdiction of hearing labor disputes thereby identifying ways of solving the same through a quasi-judicial process (Bohlander & Snell, 2007).
Notably, amongst the directors of the board, the general counsel has the responsibility, mandate, and jurisdiction of carrying out a thorough investigation into alleged charges and labor disputes with an aim of establishing the truth (Bohlander & Snell, 2007). Once such investigations are completed, the general counsel has the role and responsibility of prosecuting the individuals found guilty in order to restore insanity within the labor relations or working environment (Bohlander, et al., 2010). However, even though the board has powers to investigate and carry out corrective measures, the National Labor Relations Board does not possess independent power that enables it to enforce various orders related to employment issues.
The procedure involves obtaining of complaints, conducting a thorough investigation, and through quasi-judicial proceedings establishes the guilty party thus taking corrective measures (Bohlander & Snell, 2007).

References

Bohlander, G. W., & Snell, S. (2007). Managing human resources. Mason, OH: South-Western Publications.
Bohlander, G., Snell, S., Cihon, F., Castagnera, J, & Bredeson, G. (2010). Compensation administration (15th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning