Labor Relations / Unions

State looks to boost pension fund with hedge fund investments

09/22/2008

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury has received court approval to invest $9 billion of the state’s public employee pension fund in alternative investments, including hedge funds, in an attempt to improve performance in a sluggish market.

Prepare now for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act

09/22/2008

Employers must prepare themselves for the very real possibility that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will become a reality next year. If passed and signed into law, the EFCA would dramatically change the way unions organize workers and how unions and employers negotiate initial collective bargaining agreements.

Can the union demand we pay for employees’ personal protective equipment?

09/12/2008

Q. Our company is in the midst of planning for contract negotiations. The bargaining committee has made it known it will demand that the company pay for all steel-toed safety shoes. The company does require that its employees wear steel-toed safety shoes in the plant, but the company has never paid for the shoes. The union states that because of new OSHA regulations, which have been adopted in Michigan, the employer is required to pay for employee personal protective equipment (PPE) and therefore must pay for the safety shoes. …

Skies may be friendly, but it’s harsh on the ground

09/10/2008

As United Airlines cuts routes, flights on the friendly-skies carrier have been getting scarcer. Workplace hostility, however, has never been more abundant. United filed a lawsuit in July against its pilots and the Air Line Pilots Association, claiming they organized a sick-out to protest the company’s plan to cut 1,450 jobs this fall …

Political activity in the workplace: Can you discipline employees?

09/05/2008

The upcoming elections will highlight partisan politics and controversial issues affecting employees. No doubt, your workplace will be the site of some political discussions—and maybe overtly political activity. You need to understand when you can and cannot discipline employees for political activity …

It’s official: State employees must pay union dues—indefinitely

09/03/2008

In an era when so few things are certain, it must have been heartening to state labor unions when the New York Legislature and Gov. David Paterson granted them permanent access to state workers’ paychecks. In July, Paterson signed into law a bill that requires all public employees in the state to pay dues …

How to comply with Colorado’s 3 newest workplace laws

09/02/2008

The Colorado Legislature passed several laws during the most recent legislative session that will directly affect Colorado employers, and more changes may be on the way. HR professionals need to update workplace policies and procedures to comply with these new worker rights and employer obligations …

Handling a boorish union rep

08/27/2008

Q. One of our employees serves as a committee member for a labor union that represents some of our employees. He uses his union position to protect himself from our company’s policy on insubordination. Does management have a right to ban this employee from the property when he conducts labor business because of his combative, disrespectful and intimidating manner? What rights does management have under this circumstance? …

Pending legislation would change labor relations landscape

08/19/2008

Presently pending before Congress are two bills that could dramatically change labor relations across the United States. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish a new system that would enable employees to form and join labor unions. The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 would bolster unionizing efforts among police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers nationwide …

Nursing home workers’contract signals start of statewide union push

08/15/2008

An overwhelming majority of nursing home workers at 10 Sava Senior Care facilities in Northern California ratified a new contract in July. It will cover more than 1,000 workers who are members of the Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) …