Even though this is a short article, it has 6 excellent tips. The thought of a union in your workplace can be scary, especially if you don’t know much about the process. For example, how do workers get to vote on whether they want a union? What happens if they do vote for one? Well, fear not! We’ve got some suggestions that will make your next meeting with HR feel like an episode of The Office.
Six steps to surviving a union organizing drive.
- Prepare your employees
- Build relationships with your employees
- Be transparent on how you treat your workers, especially during a union organizing drive by providing regular updates and being honest about what is happening during the organizing process
- Communicate with your employees often, especially if there is an ongoing unionization effort or potential strike/lockout in the works as this will allow you to be more prepared if either scenario occurs
- Make sure you are accountable to your employees and that they know what their rights are when it comes to working under a union contract
Conclusion
Remember, it’s not always easy to avoid union organizing. And while you may be tempted to take shortcuts and hope that your employees don’t discover them, remember: if they do, your company could face serious legal consequences. Instead of trying to fix a problem after it occurs, we recommend taking steps now to ensure that union avoidance runs smoothly for years—or decades—to come.
