Human Resources and Labor Relations in the Usaf

Human Resources and Labor Relations in the USAF

MG 420 (Term Paper)

September 12, 2012

How Human Resources and Labor Relations is done in the USAF.

The world of business has evolved into a dynamic, complex and demanding marketplace, with markets stretching across international boundaries and rapid environmental and technological advancements. This is no different for the civilian human resource department for the United States Air Force. The USAF from weathering significant draw downs, base closures, and as well as shifting challenges of the two-war paradigm the United States Military has submerged itself in over the last decade. In order to survive in a world with planes without pilots and 500,000 people spread across the globe, the USAF has always used and will continue to use its human resource management for support in rejuvenating its aging workforce, continuous diversity guidance, and formulating a successful strategy that will react quickly to evolving mission and to deploy to any location of armed conflict…while taking care of its people.

Human resource management originated as personnel management as a result of the industrial revolution that swept the western world at the beginning of the 18th century. Gone were the days of the two person workshops, to be replaced by large factories laden with thousands of needy HR employees. As production moved from farmlands to city factories, concerns grew about wages, child labor, and long work days. Workers began to unionize and revolt against the work conditions, protect their interests, and improve overall living standards. With this impasse Employers started realizing that productivity was connected to worker satisfaction and disgruntled employees were a huge setback. They realized that they would need a group of people that could help both the bosses with the hiring and firing and being a voice to help with safety and health issues for the working masses operating in the new era of factory employment.

It's believed that the first personnel management department began in Dayton Ohio, at the National Cash Register Co. (NCR). Company President John H. Patterson was faced with fixing employee relationships in the aftermath of a major strike at the turn of the century. His desired vision was to organize a personnel department to handle grievances, discharges, safety and other issues to meet employee needs. The company had skilled laborers that it wanted to retain, and not lose to other competing companies. The new personnel department also kept track of pending legislation and court decisions to help the organization as a whole. The NCR personnel department was the first personnel managers provided training for supervisors on new laws and practices. It was the beginning to what