Major League Soccer Players Union

Research Writing Assignment

•  To develop a greater insight into the motivation of employees, employers and society who may or may not desire unionization.
•  To gain a factual and practical knowledge for the organizational structure of unions and the expectations of their membership.
•  To gain a greater understanding for the procedures and processes that is a part of organized labor (campaigning, certification, collective bargaining, negotiation, dispute resolution, etc.). Assignment Outline: Students will research and submit an analytical paper detailing a national collective bargaining

group or organization.

1. 1) Students will select a representative organization from either the private or public sectors of the U.S. economy. A list of pre-approved labor organizations will be provided by the instructor for student review and selection.
2. 2) Organizational selection is on a first come basis. Research approval for a specific organization, removes that labor group from consideration by other students.
3. 3) Students will then pursue research of their organization to develop and submit a detailed, analytical profile report (with data) for grading by the instructor.
4. 4) Research papers are to follow a standard layout (title page, table of contents and bibliography required).
5. 5) Research papers should be 5 or more pages in length (excluding title page and bibliography). There will be no grade penalty for reports exceeding the minimum length requirement.
6. 6) Students should follow standard APA formatting, using 12 Pt. Times New Roman font, standard margin settings and no more than 1.5 line spacing. Deviation from this standard will result in a ten (10) point reduction toward the final report grade.

7) Research papers should include (but are not limited to) the following content sections:

•  Informative Abstract (250 words or more)
•  Historical Background (Identify and Include Present Leadership)
•  Principles / Philosophy of the Organization (Why does this group exist?)
•  Organizational Structure (Current national, regional and state structure)
•  Current Organizational Membership (In decline or increasing – why?)
•  Labor / Political Involvement (Does membership engage in or support political candidates and platforms at national, state level or both?)
•  Organizing Methodology
•  Reflection (Explain what you learned from this writing assignment, what insights you have gained regarding Labor Relations and how you may use this knowledge in the future. 250 words or more) Each section should include a separate heading along with any charts or graphics required. Quotes or references to sources outside of the course textbook must include a reference(s) in APA format. Use of professional language, style and correct spelling will be evaluated as well as content. The completed writing assignment will consist of a first draft (worth 25 pts.) and a final paper (worth 100 pts.). Reference Sources:

•  Students should cite at least five (5) or more reference sources
•  Only assessable reference articles, materials and texts to the instructor will be allowed (location maybe requested).
•  Internet sources are acceptable, with Internet address provided in reference listing.
•  Wikipedia is not an acceptable academic research source and will not be recognized as such.
•  The course textbook is acceptable as a material source, but will not be counted toward the reference requirement.
•  All reference sources must include a citation in APA format.