Fear of Unionization A Faded Issue for HR Managers, HR.BLR.com Poll Finds
As unions split and reorganize to attempt to gather renewed strength, two-thirds of human resource managers rate their concern about unionization as “low” or “non-existent,” according to the latest online poll at HR.BLR.com.
Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) July 28, 2005 –- Not so long ago, human resource
managers trembled at the thought of union organizers in their midst. Now,
two-thirds rate their concern as “low” or “non-existent,” according to the
latest online poll at HR.BLR.com, a website for HR managers.
The poll
asked, “What's the level of concern about union organizing at your
company?”
The responses broke down this way:
Non-existent -
43%
Low - 25%
Moderate - 14%
We're already organized - 10%
High -
7%
The poll, conducted July 20-26, drew 557 participants. It occurred
amid heavy news coverage of the AFL-CIO’s 50th-anniversary convention and the
high-profile departure of seven dissident unions from the coalition, including
the Teamsters Union and the Service Employees International Union.
“It’s
hard to say whether these numbers reflect the waning power of organized labor or
simply preparedness on the part of today’s HR professionals,” said Kevin Flood,
BLR editor. “One legacy of the labor movement is the array of laws we have now
to protect workers, like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the state workers’
compensation laws, and the various equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. An
HR manager must understand them and comply with them, even if their employees
aren’t organized. From a compliance perspective, then, they may view the threat
of unionization as a been-there-done-that situation.”
Still, any attempt
to unionize a workplace brings into play a law that HR managers must be
especially careful to follow: the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). That’s
why HR.BLR.com offers a free download of the Unions page in its compliance
library. This PDF explains how an employer must comply with the NLRA and other
laws in dealing with everything from union solicitation and “salting” to union
elections and grievances. Download it here: http://www.blr.com/82008400/PRS36
About BLR
Old
Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training
resources for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For more
information and a free catalog, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.
Contact:
HR.BLR.com
Managing Web Editor Kevin Flood
860 510-0100 x 2283
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb266598.htm