From the desk of Steve Cabot:

As we have expressed on other occasions, one of the most profoundly disturbing aspects of the Obama administration is its blatant contempt for the separation of powers mandated by the Constitution. In large ways and small, the executive branch has acted with utter disregard for long-established custom and the rule of law, showing no restraint in imposing its will in the relentless pursuit of its power-consolidating agenda.

A favorite tactic has become the use of arbitrary rule-making in areas clearly reserved for Congress. A major malefactor in this regard is the NLRB, acting more as an arm of the Obama administration than an independent agency created to arbitrate labor disputes and ensure workplace fairness.

A glaring example was the recent issuance of a rule with several odious provisions:

• The invasion of worker privacy through the forced turnover of personal contact information, including telephone, email and physical addresses.
• The denial of an employee’s right to “opt out” of being besieged by union organizers prior to an election, even at home.
• The authorization of “ambush elections,” forcing workers to decide on union representation within as few as 7 to 10 days, well short of the time necessary for management to present its case to workers.
• In a separate action, the NLRB authorized union bosses to cherry-pick small pockets of support in an organization and create “micro” bargaining units, thereby gaining a foothold in places where a large majority of workers might oppose unionization.

Congress is now the process of pushing back against these arbitrary rules using a provision of the Congressional Review Act called a Resolution of Disapproval. If enacted, this joint resolution will reverse these onerous regulations and reestablish the rights of employers and their workers.

With passage assured in the Republican-controlled House, it remains for the Senate to follow suit. The measure – S.J. Res. 36 – already has 45 co-sponsors and needs only a simple majority to pass. You must act now by calling your senators and urging them to vote YES on S.J. Res. 36.

Update, April 24, 2012:
Senate Democrats, joined by Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) defeated S.J.Res. 36 today by a vote of 54 – 45, in essence approving the NLRB’s usurpation of power. Sen. Sanders (I-VT) abstained.

afl-cio · cabot institute · card check · congress · Democrats · Labor Relations · National Labor Relations Board · organized labor · President Obama · s.j.res.36 · stephen cabot · unionization · Unions · workers

From the desk of Steve Cabot:

It has always suited union bosses to paint employers as privileged ogres getting rich off the backs of their workers. Envy and resentment are emotions easily stoked and manipulated, and Big Labor has been shameless in using “us/them” rhetoric to distract the rank-and-file from the real workplace abuses, namely their loss of individual rights.

Times are changing, however. Workers have begun to shake off their shackles and support measures restoring their liberty. One of the key pieces of legislation codifying these reforms is the Employee Rights Act (ERA), introduced in August 2011. The measure has been bottled up in committee by the Democrat majority in the Senate, but there appears to be a renewed groundswell of support for its passage, with at least 70% of union households now endorsing its key provisions. (See my September 2011 blog entry below for more specifics.)

While passage of an intact ERA is unlikely before this fall’s elections, supporters in Congress will attempt to attach individual elements to other legislation destined for a presidential signature. I’ll keep you posted on the latest developments as they unfold.

In other encouraging news, freedom of choice for employers and their workers got a big boost when Indiana became the 23rd right-to-work state, the first in the “rust belt” to do so. Unfortunately, the pushback against forced unionism has hit resistance elsewhere in union strongholds like Wisconsin, where the threat (and actuality) of recall elections has weakened the resolve of some reformers.

Whatever the political developments this year, however, we know the Obama administration will continue to push its anti-employer agenda – with or without constitutional authority. And should you find your organization needing assistance with any labor relations matters, I encourage you to call me directly on my cell phone (215-990-3423) or contact Georgetta McCabe, my administrative assistant, on her direct line: 800-655-2042.

afl-cio · cabot institute · card check · Democrats · employee rights act · era · Labor Relations · national labor relations act · National Labor Relations Board · organized labor · President Obama · stephen cabot · Unions · Wisconsin · worker rights

From the desk of Steve Cabot:

In the 1993 romantic comedy, “Groundhog Day,” weatherman Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, was forced to live through the same dreadful 24 hours, again and again, where nothing changed – until he did. Central to the plot was that only he was aware of this repetitive phenomenon; everyone else was totally oblivious. It was an amusing film and did well at the box office.

Unfortunately, employers – and the rest of America – are being forced to live through a darker, more sinister version of this movie, one in which the lead character continues to push his Big Labor “change” agenda without regard to constitutional restrictions or political precedent. Unlike the original, however, we are all very much aware of what’s going on – only nobody’s laughing, except union leaders and their allies.

The most recent and egregious examples of the president’s imperial excess can be seen in his brazen misuse of “interim appointments” to fill vacancies on the NLRB. With the Senate still officially in session, Mr. Obama ignored the vetting role of that body and simply declared that pro-union partisans Richard Griffin and Sharon Block would join Terence Flynn as new, unapproved members. When challenged by Senate leaders, the president had his Attorney General issue a lockstep ruling supporting his decision. So much for the separation of powers.

But it doesn’t stop there. For example, when Congress refused to pass legislation restricting the rights of workers, the administration promptly switched to rule-making to implement its agenda, including  authorizing “quickie” or “ambush” elections which stack the deck against employers.

The bottom line is that sensing their time in power may be limited, the forces of Big Labor in and out of government are hell-bent on reshaping workplace dynamics as aggressively as possible. I have been helping my clients prepare for the worst for three years, and every day that goes by validates the wisdom of that strategy.

I encourage you to reach out with any labor relations concerns you might have. You can call me directly on my cell phone (215-990-3423) or contact Georgetta McCabe, my administrative assistant, on her direct line: 800-655-2042.

ambush elections · bypass Congress · Cabot Institute for Labor Relations · card check · eric holder · nlrb · Obama · recess appointment · richard griffin · sharon block · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot

From the desk of Steve Cabot:

With his Congressional rubber stamp privileges revoked by the decisive loss of the House of Representatives last November, President Obama continues to use the rule-making and regulatory powers of the Executive Branch to work his will on employers.  He seems emboldened by the push-back from the American people, and is doubling down on his efforts to “transform” the country in his remaining time in office.

Previously, we described how the Democrat-dominated NLRB recently proposed rules which would significantly impact management’s ability to makes its case leading up to a union ratification election. Now it’s the Department of Labor which has stepped in to influence and intimidate employers who seek advice from outside attorneys and consultants (officially known as “persuaders”) as they prepare for these elections.

Specifically, the DOL has proposed a rule related to the reporting requirements under Section 203 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, which would broaden “advice” to mean any “oral or written recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct.” The rule stipulates that both the company and its consultants must open their books to report any of the newly-covered activities – and, even more intrusively, the details of any compensation involved.

As usual, the devil is in the details, as found in the language of the rule:

“For example, persuader activities may additionally include: Training or directing supervisors and other management representatives to engage in persuader activity; establishing anti-union committees composed of employees; planning employee meetings; deciding which employees to target for persuader activity or discipline; creating employer policies and practices designed to prevent organizing; and determining the timing and sequencing of persuader tactics and strategies.”

The rule goes on to state that even “union avoidance” seminars and conferences offered by lawyers or labor consultants to employers will constitute “reportable persuader activity.”  The proposed rule was  published on June 21, 2011, in the Federal Register. Public comments can submitted until August 22, 2011.

Cabot Institute for Labor Relations · consultant disclosure · corporate america · Department of Labor · employer disclosure · Labor Relations · new rule · organized labor · persuader advice · President Obama · section 203 lmrda 1959 · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · union elections · union organizers · unionization · Washington

From the Desk of Steve Cabot:

Having failed to get congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), organized labor is now benefitting from proposed new rules issued by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The new rules will ease the way for organized labor to win union elections by dramatically truncating the period of time from petition to election. It currently takes an average of 57 days from petition to election; under the new rules that period would be reduced to from 10 to 21 days. Of course, union organizers often spend months convincing employees to vote for unionization, prior to the filing of a petition. Now, the newly imposed brief interregnum will significantly curtail a company’s ability to educate employees about the disadvantages of unionization.

As if that were not sufficiently injurious to Corporate America, the NLRB rules would also permit the electronic filing of election petitions, defer litigation about voter eligibility until after an election, require employers to provide a union with the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of all employees prior to an election, consolidate all litigious matters into a single post-election appeals action in order to eliminate individual actions that could delay an election.

One can only speculate what additional pro-union rules and regulations the NLRB may issue in the coming months. Certainly issues of wages and benefits will be an enticing subject for the NLRB ideologues to consider.

Corporate America has, thus far, been too complacent, believing that because the number of union members has decreased over the years that unions have been rendered ineffectual. In fact, unions are vigorously preparing for an aggressive assault on Corporate America, and its chief advocate and front-line ally is the NLRB, which is proposing a number of radical threats to Corporate America that should not be ignored.

cabot institute · corporate america · elections · electronic filing · Labor Relations · litigation · National Labor Relations Board · new regulations · new rules · nlrb · organized labor · petitions · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · union elections · union organizers · unionization · Washington · workers

From the desk of Steve Cabot:

Businesses across America are suffering at the hands of an aggressively pro-union National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). As a result, 86 national business associations and 131 state and city associations have formed the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. The Coalition’s mission is to amend the National Labor Relations Act, so that businesses can operate at maximum rates of productivity and profitability.

The Coalition supports the Job Protection Act, H. R. 1976, which would, according to an article in the P J Tattler, clarify the NLRA “with respect to state right to work laws, reining the agency in after a series of unprecedented actions that heavily tilt toward Big Labor.”

From allowing micro unions to organize to preventing Boeing from operating in a right-to-work state, from permitting union organizers to trespass on private corporate property to promoting card checks, the NLRB has been proving to be one of the most injurious institutions to the health and growth of American businesses.

We urge all readers of the Cabot Institute of Labor Relations blog to contact their congressional representatives and voice their support for the Job Protection Act, H R 1976.

big labor · Boeing · cabot institute · Coalition for Democratic Workplace · H R 1976 · Job Protection Act · Labor Relations · national labor relations act · National Labor Relations Board · nlra · nlrb · organized labor · Right to Work · South Carolina · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · union · unionization · Washington · workers

From the desk of Stephen Cabot:

Just before Americans were to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer over the Memorial Day weekend, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided to make Catholic educators unhappy. It declared that St. Xavier University was not sufficiently religious to be exempt from federal jurisdiction. That ruling followed an earlier one against the Christian Brothers’ Manhattan College.

Though a Court of Appeals has twice ordered the NLRB to cease harassing religious institutions, the NLRB – in its aggressive pro-union actions – has ignored the court. It hasn’t mattered to the Board that in 2002 and 2008, the court reversed the NLRB, thus exempting religious institutions from the 1935 National Labor Relations Act. The Board insists that it has the right to determine if a religious institution has a “substantial religious character.” And if it doesn’t meet the Board’s criteria, then the Board can impose its policies. This dispute is likely to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

It becomes increasingly apparent that the NLRB will do whatever is necessary to advance the agenda of organized labor, even if that means obviating federal law when it comes to religious institutions. College faculty members, after all, represent a huge pool of potential dues-paying union members.

1935 Act · cabot institute · Catholic · Catholic colleges · Catholic educators · Catholic universities · Court of Appeals · federal court · Labor Relations · national labor relations act · National Labor Relations Board · nlrb · religious · religious freedom · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · Washington · workers

From the desk of Stephen Cabot:

The National Labor Relations Board’s decision to prevent Boeing from opening a new out-of-state manufacturing facility has apparently inspired other workers to file complaints with the Board.

The American Guild of Musical Artists has now filed a federal complaint against the New York City Opera, which wants to move out of its famed Lincoln Center home after 45 years. The opera company is in serious financial difficulty and deeply in debt. Not only will the company move to a more affordable space, but it plans to reduce the number of operas it will stage next year, from five to three.

The opera company’s 200 members, including fifty choristers and ten production workers, are claiming that the move to a less expensive venue and the company’s intention to produce fewer operas than last season will result in reduced pay.

Of course, it will: that’s the point of restructuring. If the company is to survive and continue providing first-class opera performances to opera goers, it must cut costs. And one of its major costs is its labor expenses.

One can now expect that unionized workers of any company that wants to relocate to file a complaint with the NLRB. The Boeing decision has opened a Pandora’s Box of complaints that will continue to place obstacles against new opportunities not only for increasing profitability and productivity, but also (in this case) against a corporation’s very survival.

Corporate America can only hope that the NLRB does not approve this latest operatic complaint. It is an aria sung out of tune with logic.

American Guild of Musical Artists · Boeing · cabot institute · Choristers · City Opera · Labor Relations · Lincoln Center · National Labor Relations Board · New York City Opera · nlrb · Opera goers · Right to Work · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · union · unionized · workers

From the desk of Stephen Cabot:

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com), the NLRB has broadened its recent decision about not permitting Boeing to open a manufacturing facility in a right-to-work state. It wants to apply that decision to all companies.

Unions have traditionally focused their attentions on collective bargaining, wages, and benefits. Management has heretofore been free to decide where a company should operate.

Now the NLRB wants to change that formula: The Board would like to force all unionized companies to consult their workers’ unions before deciding to relocate to another state. In other words, if employees don’t want to move, then the company will have to stay put or attempt to get an exemption from the union and/or the NLRB. Unions would have unfair leverage as well as a veto.

This is a further example that the NLRB will do what organized labor demands to counteract the waning levels of union membership and even help unions capture new members. Rather than preserving jobs in America, such tactics will cause companies to relocate out of the United States. And that will be bad for everyone: workers, consumers, companies; in fact, it will prove injurious to the entire economy of country.

Boeing · cabot institute · International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers · Labor Relations · National Labor Relations Board · nlrb · Right to Work · South Carolina · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · Washington · workers

From the desk of Stephen Cabot:

In Columbus, Mississippi, permanent replacement workers have taken up the anti-union banner: they want to decertify the union at Omnova Solutions, Inc., a maker of upholstery products.

A petition for decertification has been filed; and after a four-to-six week period awaiting approval of the petition by the NLRB, more than 100 workers could vote in a secret ballot election to make the company non-union, following a year-long strike that has had a negative effect on the company’s bottom line.

This is another example of American workers being fed up with unrealistic union demands, especially during a period of high unemployment when workers are desperate to earn a living, to pay their expenses, and put food on dinner tables. Only high-handed union officials seem unconcerned with the day-to-day problems of the unemployed. It’s time for all American workers to say no to unionization and yes to full employment.

cabot institute · Columbus · decertification · employees · labor · Labor Relations · management · Mississippi · National Labor Relations Board · nlrb · Omnova · organized labor · petition · stephen cabot · Steve Cabot · strike · union · unionizaion · Unions · upholstery · workers