Comments on: Employee Free Choice Act: When Should I Start Talking to my Employees? http://lrionline.com/media/2009/05/14/employee-free-choice-act-when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-employees/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:20:37 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: admin http://lrionline.com/media/2009/05/14/employee-free-choice-act-when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-employees/comment-page-1/#comment-21 admin Tue, 19 May 2009 15:07:09 +0000 http://lrionline.com/?p=1591#comment-21 I don't think we disagree in the essentials. My only point is that if you are starting from ground zero (i.e. have never communicated about unions or EFCA at all) and are not in immediate jeopardy of organizing activity (many companies aren't) that it makes sense to start at the beginning rather than the end. Assuming you have a couple of months before anything is finalized I think it is very appropriate to discuss direct relationship first and independent of the EFCA/union stuff. Again, it's not an either/or situation - you must communicate about both points. But many are using the uncertainty over EFCA as an excuse to say nothing at all - my point is that you can and should be talking to employees about direct relationship whether or not you feel the time is right to talk about EFCA now or choose to wait a month or two. Finally, I don't agree that talking about direct relationship is "warm and fuzzy" talk. It should be concrete and tied directly into how it helps you solve your problems at work (the WIIFM component) as well as how it directly impacts the survival of the business (the business case and strategy component). We've helped clients make this their internal brand and it works. I don’t think we disagree in the essentials. My only point is that if you are starting from ground zero (i.e. have never communicated about unions or EFCA at all) and are not in immediate jeopardy of organizing activity (many companies aren’t) that it makes sense to start at the beginning rather than the end. Assuming you have a couple of months before anything is finalized I think it is very appropriate to discuss direct relationship first and independent of the EFCA/union stuff. Again, it’s not an either/or situation – you must communicate about both points. But many are using the uncertainty over EFCA as an excuse to say nothing at all – my point is that you can and should be talking to employees about direct relationship whether or not you feel the time is right to talk about EFCA now or choose to wait a month or two.

Finally, I don’t agree that talking about direct relationship is “warm and fuzzy” talk. It should be concrete and tied directly into how it helps you solve your problems at work (the WIIFM component) as well as how it directly impacts the survival of the business (the business case and strategy component). We’ve helped clients make this their internal brand and it works.

]]> By: Mark S. Fryer http://lrionline.com/media/2009/05/14/employee-free-choice-act-when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-employees/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Mark S. Fryer Tue, 19 May 2009 11:25:36 +0000 http://lrionline.com/?p=1591#comment-20 Toughest job in any company is the front line supervisor. Bottom line is having front line supervisors that are trusted by their team members and are engaged with them on a regular basis. In addition, upper management must support their supervisors and walk the talk. I don't think EFCA will pass in its present form but there will be radical changes relative union organizing that will make it easier for Unions to organize companies. I feel companies need to be proactive in ensuring their leaders are well educated and are held accountable. Toughest job in any company is the front line supervisor. Bottom line is having front line supervisors that are trusted by their team members and are engaged with them on a regular basis. In addition, upper management must support their supervisors and walk the talk. I don’t think EFCA will pass in its present form but there will be radical changes relative union organizing that will make it easier for Unions to organize companies. I feel companies need to be proactive in ensuring their leaders are well educated and are held accountable.

]]> By: John Jay Matchulat http://lrionline.com/media/2009/05/14/employee-free-choice-act-when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-employees/comment-page-1/#comment-19 John Jay Matchulat Fri, 15 May 2009 23:13:08 +0000 http://lrionline.com/?p=1591#comment-19 Phillip While I agree that employers should, if they haven't already, start talking to their employees, in my view, the toothpaste is already out of the tube as to EFCA. I advocate , under the present circumstances, that employers, not unions, should be the party initiating contact with employees, and being the "firstest with the mostest." I like to see employees looking to their employer as the credible source of messages concerning unionism. I would take the approach of being the employees' educator on this issue, and I would hit it head on. I suspect that if, out of the blue, the employer suddenly begins to get "warm and fuzzy" in its communications with their employer, they will become quite skeptical and sense that their employer has an undisclosed sinister motive-particularly if EFCA is never mentioned. EFCA is what it is and will become morphed into something akin to its present form, which, as you point out is inevitable. This is a huge issue and employees deserve to hear the straight story about its development from their employer. Phillip
While I agree that employers should, if they haven’t already, start talking to their employees, in my view, the toothpaste is already out of the tube as to EFCA. I advocate , under the present circumstances, that employers, not unions, should be the party initiating contact with employees, and being the “firstest with the mostest.” I like to see employees looking to their employer as the credible source of messages concerning unionism. I would take the approach of being the employees’ educator on this issue, and I would hit it head on. I suspect that if, out of the blue, the employer suddenly begins to get “warm and fuzzy” in its communications with their employer, they will become quite skeptical and sense that their employer has an undisclosed sinister motive-particularly if EFCA is never mentioned. EFCA is what it is and will become morphed into something akin to its present form, which, as you point out is inevitable. This is a huge issue and employees deserve to hear the straight story about its development from their employer.

]]> By: Charlie Wilson http://lrionline.com/media/2009/05/14/employee-free-choice-act-when-should-i-start-talking-to-my-employees/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Charlie Wilson Fri, 15 May 2009 22:01:12 +0000 http://lrionline.com/?p=1591#comment-18 Great article ..... giving employess reason not to want a Union is the way to go EFCA or not! Great article ….. giving employess reason not to want a Union is the way to go EFCA or not!

]]>