A recent decision from the National Labor Relations Board reminds us that employers must tread carefully when union activity is afoot in their workplaces. An employer violated the National Labor Relations Act when, among other things, it pulled archived video footage at its cite upon becoming aware of the union activity. During its review of the tapes, company management observed…

An employer may prohibit union representatives from coming on to its property unless: The employer lets in other outside groups, such as cell phone companies or political candidates; or The employer and the union agree through negotiations, such as collective bargaining, to allow access. Unions have the right to be in areas on the employer’s premises that are…

I always chuckle when a union’s behavior mirrors behavior unions condemn about companies. For example, when unions try to stop their own employees from organizing or joining a union. Or when union officials live a luxurious lifestyle. The same goes for openly pro-union National Labor Relations Board Regional Directors. I had a good conversation with…

Faced with insolvency or major benefit cuts, retirees and employee-members of the Alaska Ironworkers Pension Plan chose benefit cuts. Well, at least 175 of the 824 eligible voters did and that’s enough to effectuate the cuts. Majority of votes submitted wins, and since 507 people did not vote, the 175 who voted in favor of…

The Trump administration will allow prevailing wage protections for construction and other workers as part of its $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending plan. Prevailing wage is oftentimes referred to as “union scale” because it is the wages union members receive on construction projects. Prevailing wage can be as much as 22% above market rate. For those…

Cafeteria workers (who are not Facebook employees) at Facebook’s Menlo Park, California headquarters just ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. In a strange U-turn from current trends, the workers replaced their 401(k) plan with the union’s defined benefit pension plan. Defined benefit pension plans, once the crux of generous union benefit packages, have been decreasing…