Labor Relations / Unions

Case appears headed for court? See if union contract requires arbitration instead

07/15/2010

There’s at least one upside to having a unionized workforce: Employees who have disagreements over pay or benefits generally have to use the arbitration process authorized in the union contract to pursue their claims. Your collective-bargaining agreement can save employers from expensive trips to the federal courts.

Must we rehire strikers when labor dispute ends? We may want to keep replacement workers

07/02/2010

Q. A group of our employees recently voted to strike. To ensure that our operations aren’t disrupted, we would like to hire replacement workers. When the strike ends, will we be required to reinstate the strikers?

Rutgers staffers mull suit over pay freezes

06/28/2010

Last year, Rutgers University asked for a wage freeze for its 13,000 employees in exchange for not cutting any positions. This year, the state Legislature cut aid to the university by 15%. Faculty and staff bargaining units are threatening to sue because they voluntarily agreed to the wage freezes last year with the understanding they would receive them this year.

N.J. school teachers accept lower raises

06/28/2010

New Jersey public school teachers are accepting smaller raises in the wake of the ailing economy and state aid cuts. Thirty-three new collective-bargaining agreements resulted in an average 3.35% pay increase for teachers, down from 4.35% in 2009.

Hershey extracts union concessions for new plant

06/24/2010

When the Hershey Co. decided to stop making chocolate at its 106-year-old factory in the heart of Hershey, the company faced the choice: Move all 1,500 jobs to other states, or cut about one-third of those positions and move the remaining workforce three miles to a more modern plant. Hershey asked the Chocolate Workers Union Local 464 to accept a seven-year contract that sacrificed some jobs while boosting pay for remaining workers.

Federal contractors must post new union notice as of June 21

06/21/2010

If your organization is a contractor or subcontractor with the federal government, it’s now required to post a new and decidedly pro-union poster: Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act. The new requirement took effect June 21.

Amid shrinking union rolls, CWA and Verizon ink new pact

06/18/2010

The Communications Workers of America union and Verizon West have agreed to a new three-year contract that promises higher pay, continuing health benefits and more union jobs. Under the new collective-bargaining agreement, workers will receive an 8.25% wage increase over the contract term and will continue to receive free health benefits.

Transfer isn’t reasonable accommodation if it violates another employee’s labor rights

06/09/2010

Disabled employees may be entitled to transfer to an open position as a reasonable accommodation. But if that open position is subject to a collective-bargaining agreement, and another employee should receive the job under that agreement, the transfer would be unreasonable.

Fed contractors must post labor rights notice starting June 21

06/08/2010

In two weeks, you must begin posting a new notice of employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act if you’re a government contractor doing $100,000 or more in business with the federal government or a subcontractor with contracts worth more than $10,000.

Employment law by the numbers: Know which laws you can ignore

06/01/2010

Employers must stay abreast of an alphabet soup of federal laws—ADA, ADEA, FMLA and so forth—each with its own requirements. To comply, you first must know which laws apply to your business, based on the number of people you employ. Here’s how to tell which laws affect your workplace … and which ones you can safely ignore.