Steps to Protect Your Non-Union Business Model
Union activity is on the rise and many labor experts believe the organizing efforts at companies such as Amazon and Starbucks are just a step in a growing nationwide movement. Combine the events of the past couple of years with a shortage in the labor force, and workers everywhere are reevaluating and expecting more from their employers. Unions are using new tools to communicate with employees, and employers need to give more attention to employee concerns if they want to remain nonunion. This recommendation applies to all employers of employees who are not currently represented by a union. Employees leading recent union campaigns have said that they want a seat at the table, and feel their voices were not heard as their employers made changes in scheduling, work responsibilities, and safety protocols in light of the pandemic. Employers of a workforce of any size, even if some employees are already represented by a union, need to consider whether their nonunion employees are vulnerable to a union campaign. There are steps an employer can take to avoid employee interest in a labor union.
1. Respond to employee concerns such as safety, personal work-life balance, and fair wages.
Employers have had to adjust schedules due to the pandemic and employees have become more vocal that their personal needs seem to be secondary to the profit margins of their employers. In this world of the Great Resignation and labor shortages, no employer can consider itself immune from employee interest in a union. The term “living wage” has become a mantra. Employers should look at their pay structure and consider whether they should be increasing their pay, not only for retention, but also to show employees that they don’t need a union to get an increase in pay.
2. In the face of union organizing, consider regular, direct communication with employees.
In the cases of Amazon and Starbucks, they brought in outside consultants to design anti-union campaigns and to speak to employees about the reasons why they should vote against a union. However, a concerted employee-to-employee grassroots effort proved more persuasive than were the hired outside consultants. The consultants messaging was ineffective and came to represent the significant disparity between corporate profit and management pay.
Employers should consider ways to increase employee engagement. Taking care not to create an internal labor union, an employer can involve employees in decisions regarding benefits, scheduling, continuing education and company events. Companies should consider programs that allow employee involvement in decisions affecting them.
