Abstract

The article focuses on the arbitrator's views on industrial engineers. According to the author, the industrial engineers must convince arbitrators in four principle types of grievances. Alleging that employee John Doe should be classified in job Classification or Labor Grade X instead of Job Classification or Labor Grade Y. Alleging that the company has violated the contract in administering Section 99 dealing with its wage incentive system. Challenging the adequacy of a new or revised incentive standard on Job X. Alleging that there has not been a sufficient change in method, materials, equipment or product design to warrant scrapping the old standard and re-timing the job. The labor economist looks at structural wage problems from another angle entirely. He is likely to be concerned with whether the occupational differentials within a firm, industry or area are consistent with or at variance with supply-demand ratios for such occupations in the labor market in question. This can be the only way through which industrial engineering can come to the top.