Labor Relations / Unions

Illinois’ new school-reform law enacted with union backing

07/13/2011

Capping what State House officials called a “collaborative model for other states to follow,” Gov. Pat Quinn signed an education overhaul bill that makes it easier for school districts to fire teachers and strips many seniority protections teachers had. Setting the new legislation apart is the support it garnered from the powerful Chicago Teachers Union.

New NLRB rules aim to speed up union elections

07/06/2011

In a move that delighted labor unions, the National Labor Relations Board in June proposed new rules that would expedite the process by which employees vote on whether or not to form a union.

The HR I.Q. Test: July ’11

07/05/2011

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

Beware union pact allowing arbitration and lawsuits

06/23/2011

Watch out if a union represents some of your employees, and the union contract does not bar federal discrimination lawsuits. A federal court has ruled that unless there’s a provision making arbitration the exclusive remedy, employees can simultaneously pursue arbitration and litigation.

Know the other side’s Achilles’ heel! Plaintiffs must act fast to win court injunctions

06/16/2011

Once a lawsuit has been filed, courts sometimes issue immediate orders—called injunctions—to prevent irreparable harm. But to get an injunction, the party seeking the order has to show what harm could occur—and convince the court it will probably win the case on its merits. That’s unlikely if the litigant waits too long to ask for relief.

Which of the following issues causes the biggest problems in your organization?

06/07/2011

When it comes to HR headaches, our readers say employment law issues take a back seat to run-of-the-mill gripes and clashes between co-workers.

Your 10-point checklist to ensure an NLRA-compliant handbook

06/06/2011

A poorly written or overly broad handbook could result in unfair labor practices charges from the National Labor Relations Board. That’s true even if your workforce isn’t unionized. Review your handbook for policies relating to the following 10 “red flags” that attract the NLRB’s attention.

Children’s Hospital nurses return to work after strike

05/20/2011

After a five-day strike, registered nurses have started returning to their jobs at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. The nurses, represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, walked out on May 5 over a dispute about health care benefits.

Lawmakers urged to reject new labor contracts

05/20/2011

The nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has urged state lawmakers to consider rejecting some or all of six new collective bargaining agreements negotiated with state employee unions in March.

If we buy another company, are we also buying the union that represents its employees?

05/11/2011

Q. We’re considering buying another company in the same industry. That company has a unionized workforce, and our executives are concerned because they don’t want to deal with a union. Otherwise, though, they are positive about this possibility … If we buy this company, will we have to deal with the union?