The duties and status quo of managers and supervisors* in the U. have altered dramatically since the founding of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the establishment of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA). While the LMRA explicitly states that supervisors are excluded from any type of bargaining agreement, there is indisputable evidence that the position of manager has become more multifaceted than ever before. The LMRA defines "supervisor" as "any individual having authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or responsibly to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action, if in connection with the foregoing the exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment" (NLRB.org). .
Is this definition immune to the ever-changing dynamic of the workplace? Due to the growing number of middle-management positions, the distinction between management and employees is becoming progressively unclear. Countries such as the Netherlands allow managers ad supervisors to form unions, which is a model that can easily be adapted to the current socioeconomic structure of the United States. After accumulating and examining numerous sources that attest to the growing complexity of managerial positions, I conclude that the exclusion of management from bargaining agreements should be reconsidered, and that certain low-to-mid level supervisors should be covered under the LMRA.
*The terms "manager" and "supervisor" will be used interchangeably throughout this report.
INTRODUCTION.
The responsibilities of supervisors in the United States have altered in a number of significant respects since the NLRB first characterized the term "supervisor.