1. Employment Law Unions

2. What is a labor union? 0 "a group of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in the key areas of wages, hours, and working conditions" (Boone and Kurtz, 1999, p. 414) who become affiliated with a recognized union organization 0 Online listing of some examples Online listing of some examples

3. WHY do employees wish to organize? WHY would management not wish to have the employees organize?

4. HOW do employees become unionized? Voluntary Recognition by Company Secret Ballot Election NLRB Directive

5. Overview of the Organizing Process Change: Obama /Democratic priority… Change: Obama /Democratic priority… Change: Obama /Democratic priority… Change: Obama /Democratic priority… Change: Obama /Democratic priority… Initial Contact by Employees Or Union Organizer Union Creates Strategy to Organize Employees Management Creates Strategy To Keep Union out Authorization Cards Petition Election Union Certification Union Rejection Collective Bargaining

6. Management… Does not have to sit by and be idle!

7. Management Must: 0 Respond to the letter requesting voluntary recognition 0 Provide the NLRB a list of employees once the petition has been deemed valid 0 Refrain from unfair labor practices 0 Cost of illegal practice vs. Cost of unionized employees…

8. Management Strategies/Options 0 Review policies: 0 Confidentiality of information 0 Email usage 0 Solicitation policy 0 Hold meetings 0 Cannot promise future benefits 0 Publish, post, release information 0 Regulate employees to ensure they do not disrupt production, work activities 0 Control non-employees from coming on premises 0 Hire lawyers specializing in labor law

9. 0 Totality of conduct doctrine 0 Actions, words evaluated in the context of the organizational effort/period = “bad faith” 0 Discussions of layoffs due to a leverage buyout would be OK outside the organizational period 0 Discussions could be evaluated as intimidation, threats during an organizational period. 0 Discussions with employees about their sentiments, thoughts about the union dangerous ground

10. NLRA – Section 7 0 “Employees shall have the right to self-organize, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining and other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all such activities except to the extent that such right may be affected by an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment as authorized in section 8(a)(3)” 0 **Page 717 and Page 728 of the Textbook**

11. NLRA – Section 8 0 Section 8 (a) – outlines unfair labor practices of employers 0 Section 8 (b) – outlines unfair labor practices of labor unions 0 Section 8(e) – outlines unfair labor practices that can be committed only by an employer and a labor organization acting together 0 Page 715 of textbook

12. If the union is in: 0 Negotiate a contract in good faith 0 Administer the contract 0 Decisions, decisions, decisions!