Give me a specific analysis of managing employees. combine theory(Labor Relations Theory, Equity Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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Give me a specific analysis of managing employees. combine theory(Labor Relations Theory, Equity Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Employee Engagement, and Contingency Theory) with an article and take for example.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, workers at the Nestlé manufacturing plant in Toronto’s west end are facing unfair conditions including part-time pay, pension cuts, and precarious employment, and management is unwilling to negotiate a reasonable contract with its employees. As of May 19, more than 470 workers are on indefinite strike.

Workers at the factory, which produces Kit Kat bars and is the only manufacturer of Coffee Crisp in the world, started their picket line on May Day 2021. Long-term disputes around the security of permanent employment and a defined benefit pension plan have previously disrupted production at the facility.

Negotiations toward a new contract fell through over the central issue of a “tiered” workforce, which is being used by the company to deny employees equal pay for equal work, according to Unifor Local 252, the union representing chocolate production and skilled trades workers.

Tiered workforce

Nestlé’s management devised this tiered workforce scheme, formalizing a system for informal labor, in an attempt to divide workers between senior employees and new hires. The “P” classification system was part of the previous collective bargaining agreement between Nestlé Canada and Unifor Local 252, which drove the workers to strike in 2017.

Under this system, P-1 workers constitute full-time, senior employees while new hires are funneled into the P-0 category, and are paid part-time wages for the same tasks as their P-1 colleagues. In addition to lower wages, P-0 workers are provided no pension, and benefits are few, with no clear pathway to obtaining P-1 status even after years of work.

In essence, the tiered contract tries to divide the workforce into a distinct wage hierarchy, based solely on hiring dates.

According to several workers, around 20 percent of the factory’s entire workforce are part-time workers, and that proportion is growing. P-0 workers are often given tasks that are originally assigned to P-1 workers. Although the number of actual hours worked for P-0 workers can amount to full-time, P-0 workers are not classified as full-time workers.

According to management, these employees are hired “to supplement the seasonal nature of the confectionery business.” In their most recent collective agreement, the pay for “supplemental” workers is capped at $17.30 an hour, with wages frozen for three years, and is $6.50 an hour less than starting pay for full-time P-1 staff.

Prior to recent contract negotiations, Nestlé agreed to make 80 P-0 workers permanent employees, and to move as few as ten P-0 workers every year to P-1 status, reflecting their actual hours worked. New, temporary employees in 2019 hoped to be moved up to P-1 status within three years under the existing contract. Today, however, under ongoing contract negotiations, management has moved the goalposts and said it would only make temporary employees permanent when they reach 8,000 hours or approximately four years of full-time work.

As many of these temporary workers are given fewer than 1,000 hours in shifts per year after more than two years, it would now take six to eight years to secure the hours for full-time status under the company’s proposal. Unifor Local 252 says this is “an impossible feat.”

Tiered contracts are used to undermine worker solidarity from within, establishing divisions between insiders and outsiders in the process. While Nestlé “supports open dialogue and negotiations” with the labor union, it continues to employ this tool to divide workers. For decades, these concessions have been central to creating unfair and unequal conditions across industries, designing pay gaps, and attacking workers’ rights. The history of two-tier systems demonstrates just how harmful and commonplace this has become. Also at issue, according to Unifor Local 252, is the multinational company’s defined benefit pension plan, which has been contentious since a strike in 2014 after the company claimed it could not afford a secure retirement for long-time employees.

About a quarter of the Nestlé’s workers and all new hires were offered watered-down pensions. Rather than renegotiating, both Unifor and Nestlé had agreed to temporarily roll over the previous contract agreement in 2020 to weather the impacts of COVID-19. It is unclear whether employees will ever get pension funds financed using the workers’ contributions.

the article link “https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/nestle-chocolate-factory-workers-demand-equal-pay-for-equal-work

Sample Answer (Get Completed Paper)

Analyzing the management of employees in the context of the Nestlé manufacturing plant strike in Toronto’s west end, we can integrate various theoretical perspectives to understand the dynamics at play.

1. Labor Relations Theory:

   • The Labor Relations Theory suggests that labor unions play a crucial role in mediating between employees and management. In this case, Unifor Local 252 represents the interests of the workers and negotiates with Nestlé’s management.
   • The tiered workforce system, as discussed in the article, is a clear example of how management attempts to control labor costs, which is a common theme in labor relations theory. It represents an ongoing power struggle between the union and the company over fair wages and conditions.

2. Equity Theory:

   • Equity Theory posits that employees compare their inputs (effort, skills, experience) to their outputs (pay, benefits) and seek fairness in these exchanges. The tiered workforce system creates a perception of unfairness as new hires (P-0) receive lower pay and fewer benefits for similar work compared to senior employees (P-1). This inequity is a major driver of the strike.

3. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

   • Maslow’s theory highlights that employees have a hierarchy of needs, starting with basic physiological needs (e.g., fair wages) and progressing to higher-level needs like job security and self-actualization.
   • The strike at Nestlé’s plant can be viewed through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy. Workers are demanding fair wages (physiological needs) and job security (safety needs) through their protests.

4. Employee Engagement:

   • Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and involvement of employees in their work and organization. The lack of engagement is evident in this situation, as workers are protesting against unfair conditions, which suggests they are not emotionally committed to their employer.
   • The tiered workforce system, which creates disparities in pay and benefits, is likely to reduce employee engagement.

5. Contingency Theory:

   • Contingency Theory suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to management. Instead, it depends on the specific situation. In this case, Nestlé’s management has chosen to implement a tiered workforce system as a cost-saving measure.
   • However, the contingency theory also emphasizes the need for flexibility. Management’s insistence on maintaining this system despite worker protests suggests a lack of adaptability, which can lead to labor disputes.

Now, let’s apply these theories to the specific issues highlighted in the article:

• Tiered Workforce: The tiered workforce system employed by Nestlé reflects a cost-saving strategy but creates significant inequity among employees. This violates the principles of Equity Theory, leading to dissatisfaction and the strike.
• Employee Engagement: The article suggests that a substantial proportion of the workforce is part-time and faces precarious conditions. This is likely to result in low employee engagement, as these workers may not feel a strong connection to the company.
• Labor Relations: The strike itself is evidence of a breakdown in labor relations. The company’s unwillingness to negotiate a reasonable contract, as reported in the article, is fueling the dispute.
• Pension Plan: The issue of the pension plan also ties into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as it involves long-term security and financial stability. Employees are concerned about their retirement benefits, and this has been a point of contention in previous strikes.

In conclusion, the Nestlé manufacturing plant strike in Toronto illustrates a complex interplay of labor relations, equity concerns, and employee engagement issues. The tiered workforce system and the dispute over fair pay and benefits exemplify how theoretical frameworks can help us understand the dynamics of this labor struggle. It also highlights the importance of effective labor management and the need for adaptability in addressing employee concerns, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.