Consultant: Union Drives Seldom About Wages, Benefits
If unions win a vote at a workplace, odds are management didn’t see itself as part of the problem, says Erick Becker, chief executive of American Consulting Group Inc. in Costa Mesa.
Becker specializes in workers relations, with a special emphasis: keeping workplaces union-free. Most union bids aren’t about wages, he says. When workers are threatening to organize, it’s a sign of a disconnect between management and workers. That’s when Becker, a former labor relations lawyer, steps in. He helps management figure out the causes of the discontent and works to get both sides back on track.
In an interview with the Business Journal’s Sherri Cruz, Becker talked about union and management issues and touched on what went wrong in the recently settled grocery dispute.
At what point do employers come to you for help?
Half come to us when the (union) petition is filed. The other half gets wind of an organizing petition before it’s filed. That’s preferable, because it gives the employer more time to deal with the issue.
What are signs workers are looking to organize?
Back in the old days, unions used to organize by being very overt. If they do that today, the employer will respond immediately. So they try to keep it underground.
But there are usually signs. An employee will volunteer information to a manager: “Hey did you hear ?” People will react differently to management when they’re out on the floor. People who usually don’t interact might start congregating in the lunchroom. They might use a social event: “Fred is having a barbecue over at his house,” and Fred doesn’t usually have barbecues.
Sometimes, when management gets the petition, it’s the first they hear of it. Frankly, what that means is you’re not attuned to your workforce.
What can be done to counter a union’s election bid?
The first step is to sit down with management and get them up to speed on the law,what they can say and can’t say. They can’t threaten, interrogate, promise or spy. They can’t promise workers $1 more an hour. You can’t give everybody more money or better benefits during the campaign. The NLRB views that as giving the employer an unfair advantage. Management can say: “We’ve heard your concerns.”
The second step is to figure out the issues that are causing the disaffection. You can’t persuade the employees not to form a union if you don’t know the causes. Typically the causes are incongruous with what a union can actually do. The employees may believe that if they unionize, then the supervisor they don’t like goes out the door or is forced to treat them nicely.
The root causes behind organizing usually aren’t related to what is ultimately negotiated,wages and benefits. The cause most often is a disconnect between management and its workforce. Most of the time, wages are a secondary issue, unless you have an employer paying way under market or there is severe wage compression.
A petition is really a wake-up call for an employer. Employers become so focused on the business that they neglect employee communications and become detached from their workforce.
What are the targeted sectors for unions?
Janitorial, retail, healthcare, especially nurses. A lot of (registered nurses) really feel that they don’t have the input and the say-so over what happens in the hospital. The nursing shortage has exacerbated the RNs’ difficulties. I expect there to be more organizing in OC in the future, because there are more service jobs being targeted. In particular, unions are targeting women, immigrant workers and minorities.
Why women?
It seems to be an easier sell for the unions,lack of dignity, respect and job security,those themes seem to resonate more with women. Women have been more open to their message. A union can’t say, “We guarantee you can make more.” But they can say we guarantee you more respect, more dignity. Those things are hard to measure.
Nationally, what is the success rate of union wins?
Unions win a little over 50% of the elections. We win over 90%. If the employer is the issue, and they don’t recognize that, they’re not going to win. Sometimes the employees feel, “I don’t care if the union does anything. I just want to see the employer’s face when we win.”
Will unions ever go away?
There will always be a need for unions because there will always be employers who mistreat their employees. If you’re doing a good job as an employer, paying competitive wages, etc., there’s no reason for a union.
What are your thoughts on the recently settled grocery strike?
It’s always easy to Monday morning quarterback.
The union took a very strong stand,they weren’t going to agree to the “two-tiered” system and cuts in healthcare. They didn’t understand the resolve of the companies involved.
The companies were looking at it from a long-term survival strategy: “If we don’t do something to change our labor costs, Target, Wal-Mart and Costco are all going to kill us.” The supermarkets got hammered in the short term. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of those companies pulled out of Southern California. There’s going to be a major price war to lure customers back.
On the other hand, the employees will never make up for what they lost in the strike. If the unions had been more open to concessions, they could have gotten the same deal and maybe a bit better without striking. If I were a union employee, I would be pretty disappointed with my union.
