We know why employees seek union representation. We also know that getting that "great" union contract is very unlikely in 2019 compared to 30 or 40 years ago. The concern we have is when companies do not educate the employees effectively. On the union side, their education is slighted heavily and filled with "what could be" and not what actually has happened over the last 5 to 10 years. The slides are some of the new messaging unions are providing to employees when they are unionizing. Resolving conflicts prior to this and education of employees by third parties equip employees better than the expected management or leadership response.

1. LABOR UNION ORGANIZING TRAINING
PREPARING YOUR EMPLOYEES TO RESPOND TO YOUR
LEADERSHIP TEAM. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO
GIVE THE EMPLOYEES ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW.
CONFLICT INCREASES.

2. THE PERSUASION TACTICS
“IDEALLY WE WANT ALL SUPPORTERS TO PREACH AND
CARRY THE MESSAGE. HOWEVER THERE ARE
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THE SUPPORTERS MAY FEAR
THEIR JOB BUT WANT THE MOVEMENT. SO INOCULATE
YOUR COMMITTEE AND TRAIN THE SUPPORTERS.”

3. TACTICS
• DO NOT SURFACE EARLY OR MAYBE NOT AT ALL. KEEP IN MIND THAT AN
EFFECTIVE COMMITTEE CAN BE HIDDEN AND STILL REMAIN EFFECTIVE. THE
SOLIDARITY IS IN THE FACT THAT EMPLOYEES CAN KEEP THE SECRETS AND THE
MATERIAL SACRED.
• TELL MANAGEMENT WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR. KEEP THEM AWAY FROM YOU.
MAKE THEM BELIEVE YOU ARE NOT FOR THE UNION BUT MAKE SURE THE
COMMITTEE KNOWS YOU ARE STILL ON BOARD WITH THEM. REMEMBER A
MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT CANNOT TELL EACH OTHER WHAT LITERATURE IS
BEING HANDED OUT OR WHERE THE UNION MEETINGS ARE, MEANS THEY ARE
INEFFECTIVE IN STOPPING THE UNION CAMPAIGN. “MANAGEMENT SIMPLY DOES
NOT KNOW THEIR OWN PEOPLE.”

4. PREPARE / INCREASE CONFLICT
• “WITH A UNION, YOU WILL LOSE FLEXIBILITY AND THE
CHANCE TO ASK YOUR MANAGER FOR A FAVOR.” IN
CONTRAST, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK YOUR MANAGER
DIRECTLY FIRST THEN IF IT DOES NOT WORK OUT, PLEASE
CALL A UNION REP FOR HELP
• “THE UNION PROTECTS BAD WORKERS.” THIS IS UNTRUE.
THE UNION ENSURES THAT THERE IS A JUSTIFIED PROCESS
THAT MANAGEMENT WILL FOLLOW SO EVERYONE IS GIVEN
EQUAL CHANCES.
• “MANAGEMENT WILL ASK FOR THAT SECOND CHANCE.” MOST
TIMES THE WILL EVEN BRING IN A NEW SUPERVISOR ON THE
FRONT LINE. THE FRONT LINE SUPERVISOR IS THE KEY TO
THEM WINNING THEIR CAMPAIGN SO THE FRONT LINE
BECOMES THE MOST INVOLVED. YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM
YEARS OF CHANCES, BUT NOW THEY WANT A SECOND
CHANCE?

5. PREPARE/ INCREASE CONFLICT
• “THE UNION IS AN OUTSIDER.” YOU SELECT YOUR SHOP STEWARDS AND
REPRESENTATIVES SO THESE ARE NOT OUTSIDERS. RATHER THESE ARE YOUR
OWN COLLEAGUES.
• “THE RISING OF THE SELF PROCLAIMED VOTE NO COMMITTEE OR A GOOD
NAME THAT A GROUP OF EMPLOYEES GIVE THEMSELVES TO CREATE A DIVIDE
IN THE FACILITY.” WE KNOW WE HAVE TO REACH AT LEAST 70% OF THE PEOPLE
ON ALL SHIFTS AND JOB TITLES TO AVOID PEOPLE WHO MAY BE WILLING TO
WORK FOR THE EMPLOYER AT THIS MOMENT.
• “THE UNION WILL BE VISITING YOU HOMES BECAUSE THEY HAVE YOUR NAMES
AND ADDRESSES NOW.” THIS LIST IS REQUIRED TO BE GIVEN TO US SO THAT
WE KNOW WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE ELECTION. AT THE POINT OF GETTING
THE LIST, WE SHOULD HAVE VISITED ALMOST 80% OF THE WORKERS ANYWAY.
BESIDES ITS BETTER THAN THE COMPANY CALLING YOU IN FOR MEETINGS
24/7.

6. PREPARE/ INCREASE CONFLICT
• “UNION DUES ARE NOT PAID TO A BUSINESS. CONSIDER THEM A DONATION
SINCE WE ARE A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION.”
• “THE UNION WILL MAKE US GO ON STRIKE.” A STRIKE VOTE WILL TAKE A 2/3
MAJORITY IN ORDER TO PASS. STRIKES ARE INFREQUENT AND 98% OF THE
TIME, THERE ARE NO STRIKES.
• “ALWAYS NOTICE HOW AFTER A PETITION IS FILED, MANAGEMENT BECOMES
VERY NICE AND IN MOST CASES, A CORPORATE TEAM COMES IN EVERY DAY.
WHY ARE THEY SO INTERESTED NOW? IF GETTING A PETITION FILED FOR AN
ELECTION GETS THIS GREAT RESPONSE, BARGAINING SESSIONS WILL GET
EVEN BETTER RESPONSES.”

7. THE NEW MENTALITY
A UNION’S STRENGTH IS IN THE BARGAINING UNIT MEMBERS
• IF A LOCAL BARGAINING UNIT IS TO SUCCEED LONG TERM, ITS
MEMBERS MUST GAIN A UNION VOICE. THE BURDEN IS ON THE
MEMBERS
• WHERE UNIONS WOULD GO FOR 65 TO 70% OF THE SIGNATURES, NOW
THEY ARE AIMING FOR 80 %
• NOT JUST CARDS OR PETITIONS, IT IS SIGNATURES THRU TEXT
MESSAGES AND COMPUTERS

8. THE NEW MENTALITY
• THE BELIEF THAT IF THE UNION MEMBERS CAN GET HIGHER WAGES AND
BENEFITS, THAT IS A HAPPIER WORKFORCE WHICH LEADS TO BETTER
RETENTION AND BETTER WORKLOADS. IF HEALTHCARE, IT IS THE ILLUSION OF
BETTER STAFFING RATIOS
• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND TRAININGS OFFERED BY THE UNION
• TO MAKE ANYTHING CREDIBLE, THE MEMBERS MUST TAKE TOTAL CONTROL OF
THE ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN.
• EMPLOYER ATTENTION IS INCREASED BY THE STRENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP