Dofasco could keep unions out and start
Dofasco has been the pride of Hamilton for ninety-one years since its opening in 1910. The company is famous for its policies and programs that are focused around the well being of their employees. The fact that this establishment has been able to successfully combat unionization and it still provides a variety of benefits to their employees demonstrates that the organization of workers is vital to the operation of the company. With the goal of company unity in mind, Dofasco has been able to achieve a well-balanced relationship with its employees. This ensures that Dofasco will maintain its profitability by creating an efficient workforce that is loyal to the company because of the benefits and incentives they receive though their dedicated work.
This goal along with other meticulous plans has helped make Dofasco one of the most profitable companies in North America.Through my research I have found that Dofasco pays very close attention to their employees and their feelings about the company for which they work. Dofasco had contested unions from the inside by showing workers that their bosses are willing to give them everything unionized companies are fighting for as long as they dont organize themselves. Their goal is for employees to identify with the company and see themselves as a valuable part of it, which in turn will make them work harder to make the company succeed. This is an important part of their organizational strategy that will be evident throughout my paper. Initially, I will discuss how the initial threat of unions started the strategic planning by the owners. They began to fire those employees who were union activists (cite).
Along with this, employee benefits were introduced to coax employees away from the option of unionization. This would prove to be beneficial because by doing this they could keep unions out and start to create a more productive workforce. Secondly, management has set up a new relationship strategy which was developed to further strengthen the relationship with employees (cite). This included innovative benefits such as profit sharing, company picnics and Christmas parties for the families of the workers, along with the introduction of the company newsletter. Also, the establishment of the Dofasco way and what it means to be a Dofasco man helped employee loyalty to flourish.
These proved to be major accomplishments on both sides of the relationship. On one side, employees were happy and worked harder and on the other side, the company did not have to worry about possible organization of it workers into a union. This helped Dofasco stay afloat during the depression while their competition lost a significant amount of money. Furthermore, the companys actions, both during and after World War II, contributed to the reorganization of workers. During the war unionization became a threat once again, and Dofasco had to show its power in defeating them by envoking fear into the workers that their beloved benefits could be taken away. They became a bargaining tool for the company.
As well, the uncertainty of the economy after the war worried workers, but the reward of job security for hard work was offered to them by Dofasco. Moreover, the extraordinary amount of spending on training programs for workers shows additional reorganization in the workplace in order to achieve the companys goal. By having a well educated workforce they can achieve optimum profitability. Dofasco offers on-site and off-site programs as well as a special program set up by the Peco River Company (cite). Since Dofasco has achieved employee loyalty, they can now start training programs because the turnover rate will be low due the realization of their goal.
Finally, Dofasco went through major restructuring due to
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