Labor Relations INK - Labor Relations News, Analysis and Insight
Labor Relations INK November 2019
In this issue: AI, Technology, and Labor Union Corruption Manufacturing/Industrial/Transport Right-to-Work Insight, Scoreboard, Sticky Fingers and more… The bottom of each story contains a link to the individual post on our site. ********** Labor Relations Insight by...
Labor Relations Insight
by Phil Wilson Who Watches the Watchmen? “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (Translated: “Who will guard the guards themselves?”) Juvenal’s Satire IV One of my favorite graphic novels (what we grownups call comic books to make them sound more serious) is The Watchmen by...
Union Bailout Update
As of January 21, 2020, all affidavits, correspondence, position statements, and documentary or other evidence in connection with unfair labor practice and representation cases pending before the NLRB must be e-filed via the NLRB website. Mailed or emailed submissions...
Laboring Toward 2020
Bernie Sanders beat out Elizabeth Warren for the endorsement of National Nurses United, the country’s largest nurses union. The NNU backed Sanders in 2016, and despite Warren’s own Medicare for All plan, the NNU went with Sanders for 2020. This also brings to Sanders...
AI, Technology and Labor
AI hiring software is becoming more prevalent and those in the industry say we should get used to it. HireVue is one of the companies getting the most spotlight for its offerings with more than 100 employers, including Hilton and Unilever, now using this system....
Tech/Media
A former Kickstarter employee has launched a new project on Kickstarter that is designed to help workers unionize the tech industry. It’s called “Solidarity Onboarding” and it’s essentially an onboarding kit (booklet, pin, pencil, sticker) for tech workers who are...
It’s All Academic
Wisconsin Representative, Mark Pocan, introduced a bill this month that would officially change the classification of graduate student workers to be that of employees with the ability to unionize. This bill, if passed, would potentially block the NLRB’s recent...
Union Corruption
The UAW continues to steal the headlines when it comes to union corruption these days. In the last month... Gary Jones, UAW president, resigned amid suspicion of his involvement in the ongoing scandals. Jeffery Pietrzyk pleaded guilty to taking bribes and kickbacks in...
Alt Labor
Alt Labor organizations, like the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, have long been known to be an outreach arm of organized labor. Operating in the background, they have continued to escape scrutiny of the rules and disclosure requirements that traditional...
Gig Economy
The increase in e-commerce and grocery delivery apps means that the gig workforce is making its way into the grocery industry. In fact, many grocers are bringing in on-demand labor not only to fill online orders, but also to stock shelves, build displays, and run...
Union Pension Turmoil
Yet another union pension plan is in jeopardy. The largest private coal mining company in the country, Murray Energy, is the eighth coal mining operation to seek bankruptcy protection. Their workforce is represented by the United Mine Workers, and Murray Energy was...
Manufacturing/Industrial/Transport
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) got punched hard when a jury held the national union and Portland-based Local 8 responsible for $93.6 million in damages for instigating the dockworker slowdown at Port of Portland Terminal 6. The District Judge...
Healthcare
Unionized nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and Providence Health and Services, voted to strike after over a year of negotiations. At issue was Providence’s desire to end the current paid time off and sick leave policy, and allow the nurse to rely on...
Minimum Rising
One of the most common arguments against an increased minimum wage is that it’s not actually going to accomplish what it is purportedly setting out to do. That is, achieve more overall income for low wage workers. That’s because while the minimum wage may increase,...
Right To Work
A “settlement bar” is an unofficial NLRB doctrine that can block workers, for a period of time, from exercising their right to hold a decertification vote from their union. This usually comes after the union has filed some kind of action themselves with the Board that...
Labor Around The World
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is, seemingly, inches away from securing the changes everyone has been waiting on in order to put this new legislation into action. What's the last little hold up? Labor Unions. Before Pelosi will announce a deal, she wants...
Breaking News: Report on NLRB Ethics Review
Today, Nov. 19th, the NLRB released its report of an 18-month review of board ethics policies and procedures, concluding that the agency's ethics program for Board member recusals is strong and fully compliant with all applicable government ethics requirements....
Do You Really Need A Response Team?
Phil's recent article for SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) poses some critical questions for determining IF you need a response team for potential union organizing threats, and if you do, WHAT should be your focus during training. Hint: both answers are...
Countering the Chant of Mandated Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
by Lori King, DNP, RN, APRN-BC The threat of labor strikes in health care surged in 2019. National Nurses United (NNU) is calling unit after unit of nurses out on the picket line, chanting for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios in contracts. A New York Times press...
Labor Relations INK October 2019
In this issue: Laboring Towards 2020 UAW Strike Union Corruption Unions in Healthcare Scoreboard, Sticky Fingers, Insight and more… The bottom of each story contains a link to the individual post on our site. ********** Labor Relations Insight by Phil Wilson The...
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