1 | P a g e Q&A with Damon Silvers of the AFL-CIO As workers’ wages fall, organized labor may experience a resurgence. Interview by Adam Van Brimmer 6/23/2014 Organized labor in America is in decline. Unions currently represent less than 7 percent of the private- sector workforce, the lowest percentage in decades. Those numbers trouble Damon Silvers, policy director for the AFL-CIO. Yet Silvers anticipates a resurgence in the labor movement as workers seek to regain bargaining power. Falling real wages coupled with cuts to health and retirement benefits make that push inevitable. A federation of U.S. labor unions, the AFL- CIO represents more than 12 million public- and private-sector union members. What is the greatest threat to the American worker’s economic security? It’s not a threat, it’s a reality—and it’s falling wages. There are two big issues at work here. One is essentially a policy decision to push our economy to compete globally on flat, low wages. The other is that plummeting wages create a country that cannot maintain its place in the world, one that is unable to preserve its infrastructure and educate its workforce. That’s a scary situation because if you don’t have infrastructure and educated workers, you go from being an economy that can make choices to one locked into decline, or close to it. Organized labor has long worked to protect wages only to see its influence wane. What’s holding the labor movement back? The American labor movement has been badly damaged by the generation-long, societal choice of trying to compete globally through lower wages. Unions are and will continue to be an obstacle to that strategy, as their purpose is to make sure workers get their fair share of the wealth they create. The Great Recession has also hurt, as mass unemployment kills labor unions. Job losses not only 2 | P a g e diminish our numbers but also damage the average worker’s ability to organize, since being out of work or fearing for one’s job damages self-confidence. What could lead to labor’s revival? The issue comes down to rebuilding the collective confidence of the workforce in their own ability to bargain effectively. The labor movement’s success going forward will come from being an effective tool for that effort. Where does the labor movement stand in terms of its political influence? The numbers bounce around a little bit, but labor union household membership has remained around a quarter of the electorate. That’s nothing to sneeze at in terms of political clout. But the reality is it all depends on the ability of labor unions to be a vehicle for working people to bargain for themselves. If we don’t do that, the political power we have will not be sustainable. How can HR professionals improve their relationships with labor and workers? The most important thing is to be interested in having a productive relationship. Once ...

1. 1 | P a g e
Q&A with Damon Silvers of the AFL-CIO
As workers’ wages fall, organized labor may experience a
resurgence.
Interview by Adam Van Brimmer
6/23/2014
Organized labor in America is in decline. Unions
currently represent less than 7 percent of the private-
sector workforce, the lowest percentage in decades.
Those numbers trouble Damon Silvers, policy director
for the AFL-CIO. Yet Silvers anticipates a resurgence
in the labor movement as workers seek to regain
bargaining power. Falling real wages coupled with
cuts to health and retirement benefits make that push
inevitable. A federation of U.S. labor unions, the AFL-
CIO represents more than 12 million public- and

2. private-sector union members.
What is the greatest threat to the American
worker’s economic security?
It’s not a threat, it’s a reality—and it’s falling wages.
There are two big issues at work here. One is
essentially a policy decision to push our economy to
compete globally on flat, low wages. The other is that
plummeting wages create a country that cannot
maintain its place in the world, one that is unable to
preserve its infrastructure and educate its workforce.
That’s a scary situation because if you don’t have
infrastructure and educated workers, you go from being an
economy that can make choices to one
locked into decline, or close to it.
Organized labor has long worked to protect wages only to see
its influence wane. What’s
holding the labor movement back?
The American labor movement has been badly damaged by the
generation-long, societal choice of
trying to compete globally through lower wages. Unions are and

3. will continue to be an obstacle to
that strategy, as their purpose is to make sure workers get their
fair share of the wealth they create.
The Great Recession has also hurt, as mass unemployment kills
labor unions. Job losses not only
2 | P a g e
diminish our numbers but also damage the average worker’s
ability to organize, since being out of
work or fearing for one’s job damages self-confidence.
What could lead to labor’s revival?
The issue comes down to rebuilding the collective confidence of
the workforce in their own ability to
bargain effectively. The labor movement’s success going
forward will come from being an effective
tool for that effort.
Where does the labor movement stand in terms of its political
influence?
The numbers bounce around a little bit, but labor union
household membership has remained
around a quarter of the electorate.

4. That’s nothing to sneeze at in terms of political clout. But the
reality is it all depends on the ability of
labor unions to be a vehicle for working people to bargain for
themselves. If we don’t do that, the
political power we have will not be sustainable.
How can HR professionals improve their relationships with
labor and workers?
The most important thing is to be interested in having a
productive relationship. Once a business or
an HR director starts from that place, many things become
rather simple. In every relationship a
company has with the people who provide it with the resources
to do business, there is both an
element of conflict and an element of collaboration. Whether
company leaders are sitting down with
a lender, a vendor or a labor representative, everybody wants to
get the deal done, but at their own
price. It’s normal for there to be some contentiousness in all
relationships of this kind.
What advantages do HR departments with in-house labor
experts have over those that wholly
outsource that role?
Outside firms can be good sources of expertise. Yet if you
depend on them for anything really

5. critical, you run the risk that the firm’s own agenda comes into
the process. What is the firm’s
priority? More business? More fees? With any critical function,
it’s wise to have in-house expertise in
line with your organization’s interest.
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist and freelance writer based in
Georgia.
Q&A with Damon Silvers of the AFL-CIO
As workers’ wages fall, organized labor may experience a
resurgence.
Case Study Comparisons
HCS/490 Version 7
3
University of Phoenix Material
Case Study Comparisons
Part 1
Complete the chart below that differentiates the following
insurance types.
Plan Type
Characteristics of Plan (5 to 7 characteristics)
Target Audience for Plan
Indemnity Plan

6. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
Consumer Directed Health Plan (CDHPs)
Medicaid
Medicare
Part 2
Review the insurance plans and answer the following questions.
Services
Bronze
Silver
Gold

7. Monthly Cost
$163.00
$194.00
$245.00
Deductible
$6,000.00
$4,000.00
$1000.00
Primary Care
$35.00 co-pay for three visits, then 20% of co-insurance
$30.00 co-pay/provider/day
$20.00 co-pay/provider/day
Specialist Visit
$70.00 co-pay for three visits, then 20% of co-insurance
$60.00 co-pay/provider/day
$40.00 co-pay/provider/day
Preventive Care/Screening/Immunization
No charge
No charge
No charge
Diagnostic Test (x-ray, blood work)
$35.00 co-pay or 20% of co-insurance if co-pay limit is
researched
Office visit co-pay or 20% of co-insurance
Office visit co-pay or 20% of co-insurance
Level 1 Prescription Drugs
$25 co-pay/30 day supply
$15.00 co-pay/30 supply
$15.00 co-pay/30 supply
Emergency Room Services
20% of co-insurance
$350.00 co-pay/facility/day
$250.00 co-pay/facility/day
Emergency Medical Transportation
20% of co-insurance
20% of co-insurance

8. 20% of co-insurance
Urgent Care
$75 co-pay
$60.00 co-pay/provider/day
$60.00 co-pay/provider/day
Hospital Stay (Facility fee, physician/surgeon fee)
20% of co-insurance
20% of co-insurance
20% of co-insurance
1. Compare the plans above.
· What are the major differences between the plans?
· What are the major similarities between the plans?
· If you were presented with these plans, what would be the
major selling points and pitfalls of the plans for you?
2. Read and answer the questions below regarding the two
consumers and refer to the Gold, Bronze, or Silver plans listed
above.
Consumer A
Betsy has type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. She visits
the doctor often to keep her diabetes and blood pressure
controlled. The doctor regularly checks her blood levels and
prescribes level 1 prescriptions to help Betsy control her
diabetes and blood pressure.
· Betsy is considered a controlled diabetic but still uses her
insurance plan frequently.
· Compare the plans provided and determine the best plan for
Betsy. Remember to consider deductibles and general costs for
the services she would be using.
· For a couple of years, Betsy was really taking care of herself.
However, after suffering a broken leg and being more inactive,

9. Betsy has gained weight and has not been diligent about
controlling her diabetes. Betsy has found that she is requiring
emergency room services and urgent care more often.
· If Betsy was considering changing her insurance plan, which
plan should she consider? Why?
· How does the plan she should consider in this scenario
compare to the plan choice from the first question?
Consumer B
Zach is a healthy 30 year old who rarely goes to the doctor and
is not on any medication. He has been offered the following
insurance plans and he is considering the plans for use of
common alignments (i.e., colds) and for preventive tests.
· Compare the plans and determine what would be the best plan
for Zach.
Zach has recently been hired as a construction worker and was
considering changing his health plan. He realizes that this new
job may have more hazards than his last job.
· Which plan should Zach consider? Why?
· How does the plan he should consider in this scenario compare
to the plan choice from the first question? Remember to
consider deductibles and general costs for the services he would
be using.
The U.S. Supreme Court Is Taking Up A Case That Could Gut
Public Sector Unions in the US.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016

10. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a
case over the question of whether public
sector employees should be required to pay union fees, even if
they are non-members. The court's
decision could undercut the power and long-term survival of
public sector unions in more than two
dozen states, including California.
The case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, was
initiated by 10 non-union California public
school teachers and the Christian Educators Association
International against the California Teachers
Association, a powerful union with 325,000 members. The
plaintiff/teachers argue that they should not
be required to pay fees to a union if they choose to not be a part
of it, even though they are still
represented by the union.
A ruling in favor of the California teachers would apply in the
25 US states (including California) that do
not already have what is known as "right-to-work" laws.
"Right-to-work" laws prohibit workers in a
unionized industry from being forced to pay fees to that union,
unless they choose to join the union.
Such a ruling would be a blow to organized labor in California,

11. because payments from non-union
members that go toward collective bargaining - known as
"agency fees" - are a substantial source of
funding for unions.
The plaintiff/teachers argue that California's current law
violates non-union workers' First Amendment
free-speech rights by requiring them to pay fees that support a
political cause. The teachers are asking
the Supreme Court justices to overturn the 1977 Supreme Court
ruling in Abood v. Detroit Board of
Education. Abood allows public-sector unions to collect fees
from all employees, regardless of whether
those employees choose to be members of the union, as long as
the money is not spent on political
activities.
The unions argue that non-union members should be required to
pay "agency fees" in order to avoid the
"free-ride" problem of giving workers the benefits of the union
without having to pay for them. The
unions further argue (1) collective bargaining is not political
activity; and (2) state law requires the union
to represent all workers, regardless of whether they choose to be
members or not.

12. A ruling in the case is due by the end of June.