Tag Archives for " labor relations "
It’s Not Too Late
It’s not too late to join us for the CUE conference in Dallas on October 16th.
Register now and join nearly 300 labor and employee relations professionals for 2.5 days of awesome learning and networking.
We’ve got all the rock star topics:
- NLRB
- Robotics and Automation
- Uber
- Protecting Your Property Rights
- Who will win the election….well, maybe not that one, but we do have some expert predictions of how the outcome of the election will impact employers.
Every year, CUE Inc. conducts two national conferences, one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. These events attract labor and employee relations professionals, labor lawyers and consultants from across North America and across the globe. Our members and attendees represent virtually every industry, and companies ranging from small businesses to large Fortune 100 employers.
While attending our conferences, attendees take part in sessions offering a cutting edge focus on pro-active human resources practices, and the latest developments in labor and employee relations. CUE conferences offer unparalleled networking opportunities with hundreds of other labor relations, human resources and operations management professionals.
Earn credits for both the HR Certification Institute certification and SHRM Competencies certification.
(13.25 credits available for Dallas.)
We’ll see you there!
Employers Face Limited Window on Persuader Rule: July 1, 2016
Employers Have A Limited Window of Opportunity To Make Agreements Under Existing Rules
Executive Summary: Earlier this month, the Department of Labor created a very brief “grandfather” period for persuader agreements entered into BEFORE July 1, 2016.
If you are interested in joining CUE while this very limited this window period is open, it’s simple. Just go to the CUE website and fill out our contact form. 
For more information on this rule, you can go to the LRI website here or the DOL website here.
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently changed what it considers reportable “persuader” activity under the Labor-Management Relations Act. Any agreements entered on or after July 1, 2016 with attorneys or consultants to provide a number of common services (supervisor training, drafting of employee communications and certain policy materials, providing union avoidance-related planning help, to name just a few) must be reported to DOL, will trigger other, broader labor relations reporting for the attorneys or consultants, and will be publicly disclosed. Although CUE is exempt from many of these reporting requirements as a trade association, we believe it is prudent for CUE and for you to have this document on file.
In June 2016, the DOL clarified how it will handle agreements entered into before July 1, 2016. Andrew Auerbach, the Deputy Director in charge of reporting, stated the DOL’s position that:
“Services and payments made pursuant to a multi-year agreement, even if they occur after July 1, are not required to be reported on the new Form LM-20, so long as the agreement was signed prior to July 1.”
I know this reporting requirement may be confusing, especially if you haven’t been following it closely. Please don’t hesitate to contact Michael VanDervort at 1-210-545-3499 if you have any questions or concerns. Whether you join CUE right now or not, I strongly encourage you to contact your own labor counsel for guidance on this matter if you have not already discussed it with them.
CUE Director Co-authors Labor Relations Article For SHRM
NLRB Rule, Decisions Transform Workplace
I recently co-authored an article that appeared last week on the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) website discussing how recent decisions by the National Labor Relations Board are beginning to impact the workplace in 2016. If you are a SHRM member, you can read the complete article here.
The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB’s) ambush election rule and micro-bargaining decisions may tilt the balance in favor of unions. It pays, therefore, to take some time to brush up on what both require of employers.
Topics covered in the article include:
- Representation Election Rules – The NLRB issued a new rule effective April 14, 2015, shortening the time of a representation election from about 40 days to about 20 days. In addition, the rule requires employers to provide the NLRB and the petitioning union with the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of employees.
- Micro-Units – Also of relevance to the ambush election rule, the NLRB recognized micro-bargaining units in its landmark ruling of Specialty Healthcare, 357 NLRB No. 83 (2011), and again in Macy’s, 361 NLRB No. 4 (2014).
- Strategize and Plan – Employers must plan now for the possibility of an organizing attempt so if they receive a petition, they can implement their strategy immediately.
- Managerial Training – Finally, training of managers and supervisors should be a regular and ongoing event. Under the old rules, training on union issues often happened after the petition was filed, but now there isn’t the time.
Bruce Olin is an independent consultant in St. Augustine, Fla., and Michael VanDervort is executive director of HR consultancy Cue Inc. in Clayton, Ga. Both are members of the SHRM Labor Relations Special Expertise Panel.