One worker at this facility was quoted saying “Between being told we should get back to work while a coworker is getting CPR and being told not to help, I just can’t support a corporation like that. We are just numbers,”

There are unavoidable tragic events that happen in every workplace environment, and I am sure that many of the management team were devastated also, but someone has to have some common sense, maybe by removing the coworkers from the immediate area and having a counselor in the aftermath available to assist employees including management who were affected by the death of their coworker instead of making the next union organizing flyer for them.

I remember a few years ago working on an organizing campaign at a large cold storage warehouse, one of my consultants told me that a high low driver twisted her leg and she was waiting in the cafeteria for someone to drive her to the clinic, we went to talk with her to make sure that she was ok, I also told her supervisor and HR director to go and make sure she knew that she had their support and they were concerned for her. They honestly were concerned and immediately went to talk with her, this small but sincere act of kindness spread around to the rest of the work force and was instrumental in improving employee relations at a critical time.

Many workplace situations can either be a I told you that they don’t give a sh%* about us or I really appreciate how they handled this, they do care moment.

I have seen many private company owners, CEO’s, and all levels of management staff who truly care and want the best for their employees but the employees don’t believe that they are respected and their perception is their reality.

A consistent, honest and respectful communication program is essential in maintaining a productive facility.

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There are many important reasons companies oppose union organizing campaigns, including increases in operating cost, they also have an impact on productivity and productivity growth.

Studies have shown negative impacts of unionization on both output per hour and on productivity growth. The Clark Institute found productivity losses between 3.0 and 4.0 percent based on an analysis of company level data for 902 manufacturing businesses over a twenty-year period.

The Hirsch group (2004) found negative total productivity effects of 2.0 to 4.4 percent depending on the union density in the company, the lower end of 2.0 percent productivity loss estimated by the Hirsch group for a company with only 10% union density would reduce profits by 19.8 percent. Even small production losses can have a major impact on a company’s financial performance. In ten years, the unionized company’s profit per labor hour will be 23.6 percent less than the non-union company before accounting for the effects of compensation cost premiums or initial productivity differences.

The cumulative effects of slower productivity growth on top of the initial differences in compensation result after 10 years in the unionized company, significantly lagging the non-union competitor in profit by 37.4 percent.

The Council on Union-Free Environment study of reviewing the actual case analysis of confidential companies determined a higher liability of 30%-40%. Unionization of an employee making $10/hr., the cost would increase $8290/yr.

It also creates an erosion of management flexibility and control, collective bargaining agreements transfer significant decision-making authority away from management, reducing the speed at which a company can adapt to market changes. Disciplinary action, becomes a multi-step process subject to grievance procedures and arbitration, replacing managerial judgment with a formalized, legalistic process.

A company’s ability to implement new technologies or restructure job duties is diminished, requiring mandatory negotiation before changes take effect. This process causes delays that can span months or years, disadvantaging the unionized company.

Given these reasons and more, it doesn’t make sense that many companies don’t put more emphasis on staying union free before union activity ever takes place, the initial goal of a union organizer is to find weaknesses in the management structure and leverage it against the company.

First, management needs to treat workers fairly, and I cannot emphasize enough for management teams to build trust, mutual respect and open communication, to utilize emotional intelligence to win over employee’s trust and engrain them in the solution to the labor crisis/union campaign or high turnover problems, getting to this level of understanding and motivating through emotional intelligence requires the opening of your senses, by talking less and listening more.

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Interesting events are happening in the banking industry, Wells Fargo has had a lot of union activity, several units have filed for a decertification vote with mixed results. According to the Wells Fargo Workers United-CWA web site there is no ratified contracts signed yet, the first union contract negotiations started in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 5, 2024, with Wells Fargo management, there are 22 union branches across 14 states that organized, the union is seeking a national contract.

While some credit unions have unionized workforces, unionization at banks has been rare until recently.

The US banking industry was once a very hard target that unions avoided, Beneficial State Bank, serving California, Oregon, and Washington, was the first US bank organized in 2020 was the first bank unionized in 40 years, Beneficial State Bank voluntarily recognized the Communication Workers of America after over 100 of its employees across 13 locations demonstrated majority support for the CWA in three states

Continuing the trend, in January 2022, employees at Genesee Co-Op Federal Credit Union in Rochester, NY unionized. Employees unionized and In January 2023, Lake Michigan Credit Union workers also successfully unionized the Wyoming, Michigan location.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 1.1% of workers in the banking and finance industry are unionized. A 2013 study, it was commissioned by the Committee for Better Banks, a New York based group advocating for the rights of banking and finance employees stated on their site that “mass layoffs, high turnover, lagging pay and benefits, and a lack of transparency as the driving factors spurring banking and finance employees’ interest in unionization, and those concerns have only increased in recent years”. The Committee for Better Banks is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (“CWA”) union and is part of their strategy to increase their organizing attempts.

Companies no longer have the luxury to ignore union activity, well trained supervision who understands union tactics and how to spot union activity along with a comprehensive communication policy are vital to maintaining a productive union free environment.
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I was saddened and very surprised to read the allegations that Cesar Chaves sexually assaulted multiple women when they were teenagers participating in the labor rights movement.

Labor movement Icon Dolores Huerta who was one of the co-founders of the National Farm Workers Association, now known as the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Chaves, she also alleged that Chavez raped her in 1966, according to reports. She claimed Chavez fathered two of her children, who were raised by others after Huerta hid both pregnancies.

When I was a union official, I had the opportunity several times to sit down and discuss her role in forming the UFW and the obstacles they faced during that time.

Cesars brother, Richard Chavez is credited with building the UFW into a major California agricultural and political organization, when I was a national organizing director I had an alliance with the farm workers and I got to know Richard Chaves very well and even had him headline big regional organizing events when a large Latino population were involved, he talked at length about his older brother and gave me an historic view of the organization and the people involved.

Now some are calling for Huerta’s name to replace Chavez’s on the plethora of government buildings, schools, monuments and streets that bear his name across the country.

With so many unions covering up their corrupt behavior it was refreshing to read that the UFW canceled participation in celebrations of Cesar Chavez amid these “troubling allegations”

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In this post Bob Carroll explains how to conduct proper & legal conversations concerning union activity to employees. (FOE – Facts, Opinion, Experiences) This information is vital to avoid violating the National Labor Relations Act and getting served with unfair labor practice charges.

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Getting hit with an RC petition is a stressful time for the management, especially if they are caught by surprise. Many times, the first impulse is to hit the floor and talk with the workers to find out what the hell is going on or respond out of anger.

When I was a national organizing director I once had an owner of a company send out a memo to all of his employees stating that he knew the names of the internal organizers who were responsible and that he would punish them, many ULP charges later the owner was successful in intimidating his employees into voting the union out. I filed an objection to the results of the election, and the company was eventually hit by a bargaining order.

It’s vital to remain calm in these times, get skilled legal counsel and adhere to the important TIPS Bob Carroll is providing. In the case that I am describing above the company owner didn’t hire legal counsel until he was hit by our first Unfair Labor Practice charge was filed.

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I came across this article yesterday; it described a typical union organizing campaign but the one statement that caught my attention was the fact that in a 300-employee organizing unit the company was unaware of the union activity until they went public on social media, in the press and filed for a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

(“It was important that we had been able to keep our effort secret from the company while collecting cards, because we knew that when we went public, an intense union-busting campaign would descend upon us. And boy, did it ever.”)

As I have stated many times, a breakdown of communication is the biggest cause of future union organizing activity and on occasions can take years to get to the point where an RC petition is filed.

Many unaddressed issues can arise causing workers to feel unappreciated and further erode trust in their management team to the point where employees don’t bring matters of importance to their direct supervisors, preferring to complain to their co-workers, many times out of frustration caused by this inaction of the management team to address their issues or out of fear of retaliation.

Months of organizing activities and the fact that not one worker opened up to a supervisor or anyone on the management team about the organizing campaign tells me everything about the level of communication and trust within the unit. An after the petition communication blitz is helpful but many times it’s just not enough as reflected in the union win rate which was 81.9 percent rate in 2025.

 It’s important to always have an open dialogue with your employees, today’s workplace is more diverse then ever and the days of a one management style that fits all is long gone, managing a Multigenerational workforce is much more complicated with Boomers, Gen X, Millennial and Gen z employees working together.

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Communication breakdown is the biggest cause of union activity, but many issues happen in-between the breakdown and an RC petition, an erosion of confidence in management’s leadership to support their workforce.

Effective communication is not just going through the motions of having conversations with your employees, effective communication is to truly listen to them, strategic empathy, follow up, it doesn’t mean that you have to agree with everything they say or solve every problem, but they need to feel that they were listened too, treated fairly and respected.

The good news is that there is usually time for course correction if you commit to truly engaging with your workforce!

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Want to stay union free? How are those “Good Vibes” coming along?

#UnionFree
#UnionAvoidance
#UnionAwareness

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of U.S. workers who belong to a union has steadily declined over the last several decades, from about 20% in 1983 to just 10% in 2025, In the private sector, but it’s important to look deeper at the numbers and what industries are targeted to understand how the unions are evolving.

The labor movement has transformed dramatically since its origins in the 19th century, adapting to industrialization, technological change, and shifting political landscapes and as the labor movement continues to evolve, unions face new challenges. The changing dynamics of the workforce, including the rise of gig and freelance work.

Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of modern life, and labor relations are no exception. The infusion of technology into the workplace has had profound implications for labor unions, some have a negative impact for unions, for example automation has led to a decline of the workforce in their core membership base but technology has also provided unions with new tools for organizing and mobilizing members. Social media platforms, for instance, have enabled unions to reach a broader audience and engage with workers in real-time. Campaigns can be designed to go viral, rallying support for labor causes and increasing visibility for union activities. Additionally, online platforms allow unions to conduct virtual meetings, making it easier for members to participate regardless of their location, which makes organizing more cost efficient without the need for renting out as many meeting spaces or bringing in organizers to house call voters.

The labor movement has always been divided on organizing strategies, many in the labor movement are calling for Taking on Big Targets saying that union density can’t grow without it, the proportion of union elections has increased in customer-facing industries such as social services, digital media, retail and wholesale, and business, professional, and personal services.

The biggest private sector union wins in recent years have been in graduate student units in private universities such as Columbia, MIT, and Cornell.

Unions such as IFPTE and OPEIU have set up new nonprofit divisions, focused on organizing advocacy organizations and grant-funded institutions such as museums. Small independent unions, such as the Campaign Workers Guild and United Campaign Workers, have targeted political campaign staff.

Unions are trying to engage a multigenerational workforce that differ in how they approach work/life balance, career growth, loyalty, authority, and other issues that affect successful union organizing activity.

Understanding union tactics and what drives workers to reach out to unions along with having a consistent, positive and inclusive employee outreach policy is vital to maintaining a productive union free environment at your facility.

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