Labor Relations / Unions

Comp-time reform bill dealt
major setback in Congress

07/01/2003

Legislators shelved a bill last month that would allow private-sector companies to offer compensatory time to employees in lieu of overtime pay, due in large part to intense protests from organized …

Require medical exams only for clear job reasons

06/01/2003

Demand that managers give higher-ups clearly articulated business reasons for any impromptu medical tests they want employees to take. Often, courts will see these …

Union ‘salts’ can shake your hiring policies.

06/01/2003

So-called ‘salts’ are pro-union applicants who try to win jobs in hopes of organizing a nonunion company. You can’t simply reject such applicants because of their …

Supreme Court upholds pro-union fund-raising tactic

02/01/2003

In a victory for unions, the Supreme Court recently let stand a lower court ruling that said employees can be forced to pay mandatory dues for union organizing that occurs …

Employees can refuse to work due to safety fears, even at nonunion site

01/01/2003

Three apartment maintenance workers refused to scrape and paint a water-damaged ceiling after they saw a TV report on airborne-asbestos health risks. When they voiced a concern, their supervisor said there …

Firing employees on FMLA leave: Occasionally legal, usually unwise

12/01/2002

While he was taking leave for depression under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Jerry Ogborn got the ax. Reason: During the absence, his employer discovered that Ogborn, a union …

Prevent pro-union postings at work by limiting personal solicitations

12/01/2002

After a union launched an organizing campaign at an Arkansas hospital, a nurse put up a screen saver on a hospital computer that said “Look for the U.” Her supervisor gave …

Off-work months during grievance don’t count toward FMLA eligibility

11/01/2002

Plant worker John Plumley was off the job for six months while he dealt with a grievance filed under the collective bargaining agreement. Ultimately, an arbitrator reinstated Plumley and awarded him …

Reach out to staff: Workers more receptive to union appeals

11/01/2002

Now’s the time to improve your employee relations. Reason: Labor unions see opportunity in the current anti-corporate mood, and they’re hoping to ride this wave of public distrust to victories in …

Don’t deny ADA accommodation due to ‘potential’ seniority break

10/01/2002

After 18 years as a truck driver, Donald Dilley developed back trouble and was limited by his doctor to lifting less than 60 pounds at a time. Dilley asked for routes …