Management wants to implement “self-directed teams” and proposes four basic principles:
- Teams: workers will no longer be assigned to narrow job specializations, but to work teams that take collective responsibility for either:
a. a complete product or client service (i.e. an insurance company) or
b. a particular portion of the work process that combines direct labor with quality control, trouble shooting, and improving the process (i.e. a factory assembly line).
- Job rotation and pay for knowledge: team members will learn other jobs in the team and have the opportunity to rotate tasks, with automatic pay increases linked to their growing job knowledge.
- Team leaders: each team will have a team leader who is a non-supervisory worker and bargaining unit member, who will help coordinate the process.
- Supervision: supervisors will be trained as facilitators and will coach the teams in their area.
Questions:
A. What is potentially positive for union members about this proposal?
B. What is potentially negative for union members about this proposal?
C. What specific outcomes does management seek from this change?
