Union Activity

awilliams

I'm interested in some personal accounts of how you first learned that a union was attmpting to organize your workplace. What were the first signs? Did you do any training of your supervisors, and if so, what did that entail?

Thanks for your input.

Anne Williams
Attorney Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers, LLC

hrwoman

We had an Union vote in May of 2003 and thank goodness we won. Some of our employees who were very anti-union let their managers know what was going on and we also found some union materials hanging from our Christmas tree. We had a labor lawyer and a consultant come in and train our managers on what to do, what not to say, what to say, etc. How to handle questions that were posed to them by pro union employees. Once the petition was signed, we had the consultant hold weekly meeting w/ employees and managers for approximately a month. The consultant answered questions and gave the employees the cons of the Union. Very much worth every penny we spent. Needless, to say I learned an awful lot myself. Hope this helps.

pork1

Anne:
In my one opportunity for this arena the signs came from old time loyal ees who let us know of on going union activity and meetings. The hammer came down and the cat got to moving real fast when I discovered that one of the TEMP HIRES was a plant and that he had lied on his application about his work history. I informed the supervising manager of the individuals false background and a new reference that told us he was a bad apple with a terrible attitude, who had caused a violent scene at a last employer and quit. We decided to call it quits with this individual, who had not reached his 90 day orientation period. I called the TEMP HIRE COMPANY and ask that he be replaced the next day, we called it quits. He pulled the NLRB chain and we were off and running to catch up. This guy was the union's plant and inside representative communicating and getting signatures from TEMP HIRE employees and fulltime employees. We also got an experienced UNION labor lawyer, who came onboard with training and interviewing everyone. The plant won the vote and every penny spent with the UNION labor attorney was well worth the money spent. NLRB allowed the TEMP HIRE ees to be voting members, which was a great concern for they were the group with the most to gain.

The company won, the TEMP HIRE company was fired, and I was transfered to the corporate headquarters, and 181 days later underwent a corporate RIF action and hit the resume route one more time. Within the 181 days, the company promoted the GM's ladyfriend: who was much younger than I and female to the HR position, and paid her $10,000 more base than what I was making, her experiences and value to the GM was better able to meet his needs. Good suite for me, but the owner was a personal friend and I went on to a better and less stressful place.

PORK

dlail

I have zero experience with this, but I'm curious about the plant who falsified information. We have a statement on the application and in our policy handbook that false information subjects that app/employee to termination. Our "plants" protected from the same policies other ees are subject to?

pork1

Dlail: The falsification of the application was upheld. The termination was legit, but at the time we did not realize this was the inside plant for the union. It was only after the "union plant" was fired that the union had to come out from behind the cloak of the employee!

We were right in our firing action; however, we did have to answer to the NLRB for they, "the union" claimed he was fired because he was a "union Plant". We were able to defend our action with good documentation and proof of falsification of his application. Our use of TEMP HIRE firm as our biggest and unknowning down fall. We discovered that the Temp Hire agency could not be considered as the employer, because the temp hire firm did not control the hiring and firing action and they did not do daily supervision on the line. If we had a temp hire supervisor in the plant and they did the hiring and firing, as well as unemployment and worker's comp, then the union's drive would have been to organize the temp hire firm. That is not what they wanted they wanted the operating plant. The NLRB allowed the temp hire employees to vote and that was a minority of the total so the regular employees voted for the company.

After the drive was over, the company then quit using the temp firm and the positive things that the system provided to the production company.

I hope this answers your concers.

PORK

mwild31

This isn't directly related to your question, but it is something that could add to warning signs. I once went on a date with a guy and when we got around to the "what do you do" question he surprised me by saying that his job was to go and get hired by a non-union company and then report back to the union (this is in the sheet metal field) if he thought the company was ripe for union representation. If he thought it was, he would then start talking about the benefits of union representation and get the ball started. He talked about the companies he had been successful in and got defensive when I started talking about integrity, ethics, etc. Needless to say, we never went on a second date. x:-)

Don D

Our Fortune 250 Corporation has a strong program called "Issue Free Workplace Environment". It is aimed specifically at countering organizing efforts. Among it's features are: training of supervisors, mailouts from top management regularly, prohibition of postings, policy against girl scout cookie sales and church bar-b-ques, constant interraction on the floor between all members of management and the hourly workforce. I could go on and on. We don't wait for anything to blindside us. Once you are blindsided, you are too late and need to find a large paddle.

ray a

Earlier this year we dealt with a weak attempt to organize our workforce. Last year we went through a significant growth spurt hiring primarily entry-level trainees who had come from a wide range of previous employers, including union shops. One day we found a union flyer posted on the bulletin board and some union stickers spread throughout the manufacturing floor. Because many of our policies and benefits are aimed at union avoidance, we do have many loyal ee's who realize unions are not necessarily a good thing for workers. The union activist was quickly pointed out by some of these loyal ee's. He was "preaching" to others about the benefits of a union, but was careful to do so only during lunch or breaks. This began during a time when there was a fear among the troops we may be having a layoff. Ironically, the union organizer had been laid off by his previous employer, a union shop. Some of us have been through union avoidance classes and we instructed other supervisors and managers on what they could and could not do and say. In the end, the organizer had a poor attendance record, we suspended him per policy, he did not return on his scheduled return date and we terminated his employment. He claimed confusion about when he was suppposed to return to work and was granted UI. No union activity since.

sonny

We actually first learned from another agency. They had recently been organized and the word slipped we were next. We also had a labor attorney in to work with managers.

mdm

We went through this recently and the union got voted in. The employees were unhappy about a few things and we thought it might happen. We realized somwthing was happening when groups of employees would go behind closed doors and talk or would stop talking as soon as a supervisor/manager would walk into the room. We had an employment attorney and a consultant, but the meetings did not go well with the ees. The supervisors/managers did their best, but were also ignored by the staff. I have to say that that since the organizing began and the votes were tabulated the work ethic here has gone down hill fast. We have let a few people go, due to unsatisfactory performance. We also have an unfair labor practice suit pending. I know some employees have already filed grievances and there isn't even a union contract yet.

Hunter1

If there isn't a union contract yet, there are no grievances. Grievances only exist as a product of the labor agreement, or, possibly, through company policy.

I've been through the mill on union organizing. Successful and unsuccessful attempts, hiring replacement workers, etc. Don't go there unless you absolutely have to.

Generally, previous posters have been correct: Usually, you hear of the attempt from long term employees who are opposed, or through evidence of organizing (flyers, posters, etc). Train your managers and use Don's policies to avoid the situation in the first place.

Don't do as I do; deal with six different unions, do as I say: avoid them like the plague!

SMace

We had a weak attempt in OH. We found out through our ee's. They contacted some ee's at home and handed out fliers for only two shifts. Then they dissappeared. The first shift they handed out info to, was our strongest shift. After they dissappeared, OSHA showed up. HHMMMMM, what a coincidence.

ritaanz

One of my problem children called the union and invited them to come to our plant and get us organized. Because he was soooo helpful to them, they made him the "Exceutive in Charge". He was able to get around the facility and talk to almost everyone. We had no idea anything was going on until the day the union reps stood outside and were handing out postcards and union literature.

It was a long and very heated campaign. Friends became enemies, relatives refused to talk to each other. Children were threatened coming home from school. We had flat ties, broken windows, graffiti painted on cars and building. It was a mess.

We has a labor attorney on retainer and they came in and instructed our supervisors the do's and don'ts. In the end, the union lost the election. You know why? Not because anything we did. The antics of the union organizers turned off the majority of the employees.

If I knew then what I know now....I would have taken a basrball bat to the first one that stood outside our building handing out pro-union stuff.