• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Labor Relations / Unions

Seek legal assistance when negotiating contract terms with union

06/11/2008
It may be tempting for HR professionals to try to negotiate and draft key aspects of union collective-bargaining agreements. But there are good reasons to leave collective bargaining to labor relations and legal experts …

UAW, Caterpillar workers sue for the right to smoke

06/11/2008
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Caterpillar Inc., claiming the company has no right to ban smoking without negotiating the terms in collective bargaining. Peoria-based Caterpillar banned smoking in all its U.S. facilities effective June 1…

E-Mail policies and the NLRA

06/10/2008
Q. I work in the HR department of a unionized company, and our CEO wants me to draw up an employee e-mail use policy. Can I restrict personal e-mail use without violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? …

Big bad SEIU wolf turns out to be grandma

06/06/2008
It turns out the California Nurses Association (CNA) may have been exaggerating slightly when it accused members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of stalking and harassment. The two unions are engaged in competing efforts to represent Ohio nurses … 

Colorado voters may have chance to weigh in on ‘Right to work’

06/03/2008
Over objections from the governor’s office, the lobbying group “A Better Colorado” has apparently submitted enough valid signatures to put a referendum on the November ballot to ban all-union workplaces in Colorado …

Don’t think federal laws always trump state claims

05/30/2008
A recent 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision makes one thing clear: Employees and their lawyers are always looking for novel ways to sue employers—and sometimes state law gives them additional ways to do just that …

NLRB issues guidelines for investigating union ‘Salting’ claims

05/30/2008
In February 2008, the National Labor Relations Board’s Office of General Counsel issued two guideline memoranda outlining the board’s rationale in two recent decisions concerning “union salting.” Salting is a strategy in which union supporters apply for employment in a nonunion workplace. The goal is to unionize that company’s work force …

OK to ban the use of your e-Mail system for union organizing

05/27/2008
Employers with unionized work forces, take note: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has made it more difficult for union organizers and members to use your e-mail system for union business—if you adopt the right electronic communications policies …

Unions achieve first membership gains in 25 years

05/22/2008
The U.S. labor movement has been taking backward strides for several decades. But a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report says 12.1% of U.S. workers were union members last year, up from 12.0% in 2006 …

Tell supervisors: No threats following unfair labor charges

05/19/2008
It’s understandable that managers and supervisors might get angry if an employee filed unfair labor practice charges against them. But how they respond may mean the difference between a reasonable resolution of the underlying complaint and additional charges—for retaliation and intimidation …