Using Labor anagement Committees to Improve Productivity

In the past decade the American public has shown increasing concern with industrial productivity. US productivity growth rate places 6th out of 7 leading industrial nations. While poor productivity is not a simple problem, some experts believe the key to faster productivity growth is more effective cooperation between employers and workers. Joint labor-management committees are a result of this perceived need for cooperation. Such committees are designed to improve the quality of working life and to induce higher levels of productivity. The size of a labor-management committee is usually 8 to 12 individuals, half from labor and half from management. Created through collective bargaining, these committees are advisory bodies and restrict their attention to issues of mutual interest not generally addressed in written agreements. Six examples of labor-management committee applications are presented. The examples illustrate that the committees offer a number of benefits, including: 1. fewer grievances and disciplinary actions, 2. a reduction in absenteeism, and 3. improvement in the quality of the company's product or service.