Ethics Dilemma Engineering as a Profession Situations Concerning Collective Bargaining, Unions, Strike, Picket Lines, etc..

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Ethics DilemmaEngineering as a
ProfessionSituations Concerning Collective
Bargaining, Unions, Strike, Picket Lines, etc..
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• Historically, NSPE has consistently oppose
  collective bargaining for engineers.
• Policy 109 expresses NSPEs disapproval of
  collective bargaining as a desirable, effective,
  or appropriate mechanism to achieve the
  objectives of professional employment.
• Not sure exactly why, but most likely a
  reflection of the collective thinking of
  engineering profession
• NSPE III.1.e Engineers shall not actively
  participate in strikes, picket lines, or other
  collective coercive action. (??)

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NSPE Professional Policy 109

• Legal right of employees to organize must be
  balanced against the protection of the public
  health, safety, and welfare
• Collective bargaining may interfere with the
  independent judgment and discretion required of
  the engineers and their subordinates to insure
  the protection of the public health, safety, and
  welfare.
• The disparity between the obligations of these
  individuals to both the union and the public can
  create severe conflicts that may interfere with
  the engineer's primary obligation to protect the
  public health, safety, and welfare.

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Why, in general, engineers dont join unions or
participate in strikes

• Desire to become management (many do achieve that
  later in their careers)
• Professional individualism (accomplishment vs.
  seniority merits vs. collective bargaining)
• Engineers strike does not demonstrate short-term
  effectiveness in disrupting the production

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Codes of Ethics Changes

• June-July 1965 - The Board approved the addition
  of Section 3(e) to the Code of Ethics, dealing
  with participation in strikes, etc.
• February 2001 - The NSPE Board approved the
  following change to the Code of Ethics Deletion
  of Section III.1.e. "Engineers shall not actively
  participate in strikes, picket lines, or other
  collective coercive action.
• Codes of Ethics is a living document

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The Verdict

• The NSPE Board of Ethical Review does not
  believe it is appropriate for the NSPE Code of
  Ethics for Engineers to express a position about
  the general ethical correctness of an individual
  engineers active participation in strikes,
  picket lines, or other collective action.
• Appropriate strikes, picket lines, and
  collective action are recognized as legally
  acceptable activities in employee-management
  relations under federal and state labor laws.
• Moreover, it has been noted that individual
  engineers are sometimes compelled to participate
  in such collective action or face workplace
  reprisals.
• NSPE Code Section III.1.e. is vague and
  ambiguous because it could also be interpreted to
  apply to situations outside of the collective
  bargaining area and limit an engineers
  legitimate right to engage in free expression.