Management Report for Nonunion Organizations最新文献

Although a morning visit from an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector is never a great way to start the day, it is a necessary aspect of ensuring compliance with OSHA rules. Now, however, with the introduction of an amendment to the OSHA walkaround rule that went into effect on May 31, 2024, that OSHA inspector may be accompanied by a union organizer wearing a pro-union shirt with a QR code on the back for employees to scan. Moreover, by the time they both come knocking at your door, there is likely little that you as an employer can do.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues to take a hard line against employers who pose certain seemingly innocent questions or make apparently harmless statements to a voter during the preelection period. As a consequence, one unwitting query or remark from supervisory or managerial personnel may quash an employer's hard work in a winning campaign effort.

When it comes to union avoidance, the strategies and tactics an employer needs to pursue can seem endless. Many times, the approaches are focused on money—competitive wages and benefits, for example. At other times, employers focus on less financially costly methods, such as union-free handbook provisions, employee morale initiatives, and progressive discipline rules. All these approaches hold value and, indeed, can be particularly successful when seeking to maintain union-free status.

In the world of mergers and acquisitions, outside of the realm of start-ups acquired by mature companies, there are usually winners and losers. The winners tend to be the stronger organizations, while the losers are the weaker side of the equation, often looking for assistance to extract themselves from their current circumstances. The reality is that the weak do not gobble up the strong. Darwin has taught us otherwise.

The adage “The taller they are, the harder they fall” has newfound relevance in the world of union organizing. No union personality has stood taller over the past 12 months than the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Shawn Fain. He led the much heralded, coordinated strike against the “big three” automakers. He spearheads union organizing efforts among automakers in the Deep South.

As part of the organizing process, an employer is very likely to run across written union campaign materials. Sometimes these materials are passed out on the sidewalk, and other times they are left behind in a breakroom. Union materials may also be posted on bulletin boards, as was recently the case in an NLRB decision involving Starbucks (Starbucks Corporation, 373 NLRB No. 44 [2024]). The decision serves as a timely reminder that employers are limited in their ability to regulate union propaganda in cases where they already tolerate other similar forms of written communication.

While there are many factors that contribute to an environment that is fertile for union organizing, one of the most potent is a disliked supervisor. Day in and day out, the supervisor is the face of the company. Some workers will spend more time with their supervisor on a workday basis than they will with their own spouse or children. Supervisors can have a tremendous impact on workers, both good and bad. Poor relationships with a supervisor, therefore, can lead workers to seek relief elsewhere—through the perceived protection of a union representative, for example. To avoid this undesirable outcome, supervisors should take the time to assess their own practices and identify areas needing improvement.