Preparing for 2015

Now that the NLRB has a fully-staffed and unchallenged Board, the era of the Quickie Election has commenced. Read on to discover our InsideEdge insights into how to prevent unionization in the upcoming environment. Read More “The Year of the Quickie Election”

The 20 Year Plan

When I was working with the AFL/CIO and IBT, we had strategic thinktanks that were charged with planning organizing tactics for the future(up to 20 years in advance). The unions had solid long and short term plans, many of which we are seeing take shape today. It was a struggle for the AFL/CIO to get all the affiliates on the same page as far as working together as a cohesive force. As a union official, it was my jobto beat the target organization by any means necessary, but it was veryfrustrating for many of us on the long term strategic planning committees because every union was fighting for the same workers. The 80’s and 90’s ushered in a different kind of union. There was a time when a union was defined by its core industries and they could depend onthis union density to support their outlandish spending habits. BY the mid 90’s we finely got most of the unions on the AFL/CIO executive boardto support and fund the Organizers Institute where Richard Bensinger and myself set the curriculum for organizing tactics into the new millennium. Read More “The Union’s Hidden Power Plan”

Partnered with Positive Rhetoric

As a former Union Official and National Organizing Director, I spent many years looking for the correct approach to diversity; not just to affect the outcome of organizing campaigns, but also within the structure of the union itself. I combined implementing true diversity with various persuasion techniques to influence potential members and tointroduce power and discipline within the structure of the organized units. This formula resulted in my success in 97% of the elections I organized.
Read More “The Strength of True Diversity”

Unions and politics have always gone hand in hand. Unions view PAC monies as a back door way of funding events, union candidates and publicpolitical candidates that would support the union movement. Read More “The Political Union”

Just a Public Show
The NLRB is “listening” to both sides of table on the issue of making elections a more “efficient” process. Both management and unions are waiting for the results of the NLRB hearings to find out what changes are going to take place. These hearings are suppose to be a forum for interested parties to express their concerns about how a 10 to15 day election cycle will affect them. Read More “The NLRB Hearings”

The battle has begun. Healthcare has become the goose that lays the golden egg and the SEIU, CNA and other unions are determined to get it.
Read More “The Healthcare Union War”

The Chipolte Mexican Grill Immigrant Labor Force Case

On February 23, 2011, it was reported that a Federal crackdown on the immigrant labor force drove Chipotle Mexican Grill to terminate hundreds of its 1,200 allegedly illegal employees at the company’s 50 Minnesota restaurants. But is there more to the story?
Read More “Tactics or Coincidence”

An Examination of Strikes in the US throughout History to Today

It seems that almost every day, we hear about more labor strikes and threats of strikes across the US, and around the world. I always preach to anyone who will listen that it is important to be educated on union and social movements and tactics that could affect your company and employees; very few union actions are spontaneous. Join me as I explore the history of strikes and labor disputes in the US, examine Labor’s origins in Anarchism, offer a structural analysis of the current state of unions, explain why strikes are making a come-back, and conclude with suggestions on how to avoid them in your organization.
Read More “Strikes”

The Newest Attack from the NLRB’s Campaign against Management

Labor and management have consistently struggled to overturn the balance of power between them. Throughout every industry, since guilds first formed to benefit artisansthrough to today’s bloated and top-heavy labor unions, both sides have circled each other, probing the other’s weaknesses in order to prepare to either implement or fight work stoppages (strikes). Read More “Strikes – Another Slash in Death by a Thousand Cuts”

Lessons from Wall Street

Union strategists have presented management with many surprises over the past few years within the union movement. The results of these strategies are going to change some of the fundamental ways in which they operate. Read More “Stormy Weather Ahead”