Sixty years ago or more workers formed and joined unions because of extremely low wages, unsafe working conditions, uncertainty over job stability, arbitrary dismissals and disciplinary action, long working hours and little or no control over the structure of their jobs. Their only weapon against what they believed were serious injustices was the power of collective bargaining and the strike. Do you think that in these days of enlightened management, with better working hours, wages, and benefits already established in so many businesses, there is still a need for unions? Are workers now able to bargain effectively with managers on an individual basis?

Suppose that a female employee in a very responsible position in a company with an excellent salary and benefits is assigned to work for a high-level executive who subjects her to subtle but persistent sexual harassment. If she is reasonably sure that making a formal complaint against this executive may stop this harassment but could lead to retaliation by the company in terms of future promotions and benefits or more choice work assignments, should she simply continue to endure it? What would you advise her to do?

Need a Hint?

The modified version of the obligation of government to provide jobs to qualified people who can't find them in the private sector makes government the employer of last resort. Should these jobs be simply "make-work" projects or does the government have the same responsibility as private employers to try to make the work meaningful—at least in Norman Bowie's sense of promoting worker autonomy?