| Course | DBA-8070 Seminar in Law, Ethics, and Global Society |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Discussion forum: initial post and replies |
| Length | About 420 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Doctor of Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for DBA 8070 Module 5
Module 5 Discussion: How Should We Respond to a Union Drive?
Protected Activity in the Finishing Room: A Lawful Response to Our First Union Drive
Last month several of our finishers met with a union organizer after a dispute over Saturday overtime. Some supervisors want to respond firmly, and one has already suggested reassigning the most vocal finisher to the night shift. Before anyone does, we need to know what the law allows.
Under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, workers may organize, join a union and act together to help and protect one another at work (29 U.S.C. § 157). Section 8(a)(1) then makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with, restrain or coerce workers who use them (29 U.S.C. § 158). In practice our supervisors must not warn of layoffs or a shutdown, question finishers about how they feel about the union, dangle raises to sink it or keep an eye on its meetings. The protection covers concerted complaints about overtime even if no union is involved.
Internationally, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work commits member states to freedom of association and the effective recognition of collective bargaining (International Labour Organization [ILO], 1998). Countries implement those principles very differently. In Germany, works councils elected by employees have legal rights to information and consultation, and on some matters codetermination, regardless of union membership. Freeman and Medoff (1984) argued that unions can give workers a collective voice that improves communication and reduces turnover, as well as raising wages. German law builds that voice into the workplace itself, while U.S. law leaves it to employees to choose.
My recommendation is to train supervisors this week on the prohibited conduct, to address the overtime scheduling problem on its merits for everyone and to state the company's views on unionization only through lawful, factual communication reviewed by counsel. The finishers' complaint about overtime is real, and fixing it fairly is both lawful and right. Moving the outspoken finisher to nights, as one supervisor proposed, would look like retaliation and must not happen.
Reply to Elena
Elena, your hotel plans mandatory meetings to present the company's view on unions. In Amazon.com Services, the National Labor Relations Board (2024) held that compelling attendance at such meetings violates the Act. Have you considered voluntary sessions instead?
Reply to Marcus
Marcus, you suggest labor law does not reach your remote developers because they never share a workplace. Section 7 protects concerted activity, and messages among employees in a work chat can qualify. How would you treat a group complaint raised there?
References
Freeman, R. B., & Medoff, J. L. (1984). What do unions do? Basic Books.
International Labour Organization. (1998). ILO declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work.
National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 157 (2018).
National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 158 (2018).
National Labor Relations Board. (2024). Amazon.com Services LLC, 373 NLRB No. 136.
Reading the DBA 8070 Module 5 assignment instructions
Forums are the heaviest part of DBA-8070: twelve graded ones together decide 48 percent, and an introductions forum and a closing discussion are required without a grade. In this labor law module, which sets American rules beside international ones, expect to analyze a labor question an organization faces under U.S. law, compare how international standards or another country's system would treat it and recommend what the employer should do. Cite the statute and at least one scholarly or international source. A strong post is specific about rights and prohibited conduct. Replies should engage a classmate's facts and add a legal point or question that moves the discussion forward.
Inside the DBA 8070 Module 5 example
The post opens with a real trigger, a dispute over Saturday overtime, and the temptation to respond firmly. It explains Section 7 rights and Section 8(a)(1) prohibitions and lists the acts managers must avoid, noting that concerted complaints are protected even without a union. A paragraph compares the ILO's fundamental principles and German works councils, using Freeman and Medoff's collective voice argument to show what each system builds in. The recommendation pairs supervisor training with fixing the overtime problem for everyone. One reply raises the NLRB's 2024 decision on mandatory meetings; the other explains that concerted activity can occur in a remote team's chat. The recommendation treats the overtime grievance as the real issue, which keeps the response lawful and fair.
Reading the DBA 8070 Module 5 grading rubric
Discussion posts in DBA-8070 are graded on substance, legal accuracy, scholarly support and engagement with classmates, and the forums carry nearly half of the course grade. In this module, posts earn credit for stating employee rights and employer limits precisely and for comparing systems with specific features, such as works councils, rather than generalizations about culture. A recommendation that is lawful and also addresses the underlying grievance shows ethical judgment. Replies that add a legal development or apply a rule to a classmate's facts advance the discussion more than agreement does. Citing a recent Board decision where it bears on a classmate's plan shows that the student follows how the law is applied. Posts that pair a legal rule with the grievance behind it show judgment as well as knowledge.
DBA 8070 Module 5 help: mistakes that cost marks
Common problems include posts that describe unions in general without stating what the law protects, recommendations that would themselves violate Section 8(a)(1) and comparisons that treat all other countries as one system. Some replies only agree. State the statute's rights and prohibitions, apply them to a real situation and compare one other system in detail. Recommend a lawful response and address the grievance behind the organizing. In replies, test a classmate's plan against the law. For a free first draft of your DBA-8070 Module 5 discussion post, send the labor question your organization faces. Check any planned communication against the four prohibited acts before posting it as your recommendation.
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DBA 8070 Module 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free DBA 8070 Module 5 sample paper?
The discussion post above applies U.S. and international labor law to a union drive at a millwork company, with two replies.
What does Section 7 of the NLRA protect?
Section 7 lets employees organize or join a union, negotiate collectively and take joint action over pay and conditions.
What can't employers do during a union drive?
They may not threaten, interrogate, promise benefits to defeat the union or spy on union activity, all of which interfere with Section 7 rights.
What is a works council?
An elected body of employees, required in Germany in many workplaces, with legal rights to information, consultation and some codetermination.
How much are DBA-8070 discussions worth?
Twelve graded discussions are worth 48 percent of the final grade.