Human Resources, Union/Labor Relations and Personnel Expertise

"Union Corporate Campaign 1997" Phase Two

Sweeney, AP / 1996
	Corporate Campaign '97 Main Menu Issues and Answers:

Sweeney Launches Phase Two of Union Corporate Campaign in Seattle on March 26th

"A More Militant Unionism.." AFL-CIO plans aggressive organizing tactics

AFL-CIO organizing effort described by some as "economic terrorism."

"Just The Facts.." about being prepared for organizing efforts

Being Prepared To Operate During A Union Corporate Campaign: Braun offers a solid plan

A View On Union Corporate Campaign '96 by Michael Manning

Special Training Workshops now available in Seattle, or at your own location.

Bottom Of Page / E-mail Box Contact Braun for effective answers and solutions

Sweeney Launches Phase Two of Union Corporate Campaign
in Seattle on March 26th!

AFL-CIO president John Sweeney kicked off the first of 13 union organizing conferences across the nation with his address in Seattle on Wednesday, March 26th. Sweeney promises to bring the type of successful expansion effort to the union federation that he did in his previous job, where he doubled the size of the Service Employees International Union during his tenure.

The AFL-CIO has already set aside $10 million, a third of the union's budget, to push for new members, according to spokeswoman Deborah Dion. "There was no money for organizing" before Sweeney took charge of the union, said Dion. Now there is plenty of money available, and a new attitude. Sweeney became president in Oct. '95.

The message he is expected to take to union locals around the country is that they should follow his lead and earmark money, hire organizers and get to work.

Braun Consulting is providing Employers a Policy of Preparedness.

"A More Militant Unionism.."
AFL-CIO plans aggressive organizing tactics

The following is quoted from the Seattle P-I newspaper, March 26th, 1997.

"Sweeney envisions a more militant unionism, of corporate campaigns and boycotts, of unions with political influence in the New Deal, social-democratic tradition. He dreams especially of labor powerful enough once again to 'take wages, benefits and working conditions out of market competition,' says Glenn Goldstein, executive vice president of District 1199-NW of the Service Employees."

and there's more:

"Last year, 50 students signed up for Margaret Levi's labor course at the Univeristy of Washington: this year it drew more than 100. 'A whole bunch of them are awaiting eagerly to sign up' to work with unions over the summer, says Levi, who holds the Harry Bridges chair in political science. 'It's reaching the students, a group that the union movement had not been reaching for a very long time.'"

(end of P-I quote.)

This summer the money allocated for union corporate campaign organizing will start to show its effect. Students and others will be hired on, and go to work organizing. Please stay tuned for more developments!

Braun will stay up to the minute on developments and provide them to you, either here or via e-mail. Just contact us and find out how we can help.

Braun Consulting is providing Employers a Policy of Preparedness.

AFL-CIO organizing effort
described by some as "economic terrorism."

1.) Did you know that the AFL-CIO will increase their organizing budget from $2.5 million annual budget for organizing to at least $20 million to bolster its six year-old Organizing Institute and supplement organizing efforts by individual unions in an effort to organize Employers of all size. Editors of the Nation's Business, The Small Business Adviser said in their Editor's Note page of the February 1996 issue,"Owners and managers of even the smallest companies should be on the alert as labor implements its activist strategy."

2.) Did you know that a Union can salt your workforce with Union plants and it is legal so said the Supreme Court in an unanimous decision.

3.) The Union's new organizing tool is the Corporate Campaign, described by some as "economic terrorism."

"Just The Facts": about being prepared for organizing efforts

4.) John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO and former President of the SEIU, in his interview with Nation's Business said, "We will organize small businesses as well as big businesses. We plan to organize in every region of the country, (with) additional resources in the Sun Belt. We will be training 1,000 new organizers over the course of the next year and half, and we will be enlisting 1,000 students and volunteer workers next summer (1996) to supplement the organizing work and to build up a high degree of visibility for the organizing campaign".

5.) There are certain things that you should do to be prepared in advance for a
union organizing campaign. You must be legally prepared to:

• have non employees leave your business premises,
  
• be able to deal with outside solicitors and inside employee solicitors,
  
• leafleting,
  
• picketing,
  
• and other disruptive activities. .

6.) You need to be able to recognize the signs of Union Organizing.

7.) If a Union is organizing your employees you need to know what to say, and what you can say to your employees without committing an Unfair Labor Practice.
By the National Labor Relations Act you are restricted from:

• Spying on employees regarding their union activity,
  
• Making promises to employees to get ride of the union,
  
• Threatening employees about organizing,
  
• And the toughest one of all for employers and managers not interrogating about their union activity.

The National Labor Relations Act allows you to:

• Give your employees facts about unions,
  
• Give your employees opinions without them becoming threats,
  
• Give your employees examples of what unions do.
  
• You can do the above if you are properly prepared.

8.) Although you do not have total control of a Union Corporate Campaign you can be prepared - as you are prepared for a fire.

Braun Consulting is providing Employers a Policy of Preparedness.

A View On Union Corporate Campaign '96
by Michael Manning

Michael Manning, of Braun Consulting, and formerly Labor Relations Director with Hillhaven negotiated agreements with the SEIU in California for 10 years without strikes and without Corporate Campaigns; then in 1995 the SEIU declared 1995 "The Year of the Nursing Home" and started a Corporate Campaign against Hillhaven and many of the larger companies in the long term care convalescent care industry.

At the same time Vencor acquired Hillhaven. SEIU's main negotiating demand at the table since July of 1995 has been card check recognition. By this method of recognition an employer agrees with a Union that the employer will recognize a union by reviewing cards the union presents management signed by a majority of employees. If a majority of employees have signed a card making the union their representative for purposes of bargaining for wages, hours and working conditions then the union is recognized without an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

During Manning's 10 year tenure with Hillhaven Hillhaven's Union facilities shrunk from 40 to 25 in the state of California. The Union said this doesn't make sense why don't we get card check recognition and go after Hillhaven's over 300 non-union facilities nationwide. Manning has seen all aspects of a corporate campaign.

Manning says,

• "The insidious aspect of a Union Corporate Campaign is that it does not lend itself to an easy resolution and involves all aspects of the business: employees, customers, stock holders, suppliers, referral agents, the general public. There is no way to legally insulate yourself from being the target of a Corporate Campaign and any legal counsel that says so is out to milk a cow. If an employer decides to respond in kind to everything the union does, you better have a lot of money. This is the union and outside legal counsel's game. If you do not handle the campaign in a very well thought out program designed in advance you could easily join the ranks of General Pyrrhus in a Pyrrhic victory. You may think that you are winning all the battles but you will end up losing the war because you have run out of money. Hillhaven, now Vencor, has spent over a million dollars in California and is still in negotiation without a settlement." It got to the point for Hillhaven, after Manning left, that Hillhaven (Vencor) gave employees a raise without getting anything for it. In a Corporate Campaign you better get the Chief Executive Officer involved in the process from the get go because only the Chief Executive Officer has the insight to all the issues that will be brought out. The Chief Executive Officer should not be the one responsible for management's response to the union but must be aware of all that is going on since much of a Corporate Campaign is aimed at the Chief Executive Officer. The frustration for a Chief Executive Officer is that in just about everything in his experience he is in control. A Chief Executive Officer is not in control in a Corporate Campaign, he is on the defense. Any lawyer who puts the spin on a Corporate Campaign that the Company is on the offense doesn't have a clue in the interest of the Company."

Braun Consulting is providing Employers a Policy of Preparedness.

Being Prepared To Operate During A Union Corporate Campaign:

Braun offers a "Policy of Preparedness"

Braun Consulting will do the following for you:

1. Prepare you to manage your business during a Union Corporate Campaign.
2. Review with you the various ways of dealing with a Union Corporate Campaign.
   Know what the beginning, middle and end is with a Union Corporate Campaign.
   What are your realistic costs going to be?
   What will your style of Campaign consist of?
   Who will you involve in the management of the Campaign?
   Who will be the project manager?
   Conduct an all day workshop
   BEING PREPARED TO OPERATE DURING A UNION CORPORATE CAMPAIGN
   allowing the following: You may have as many members of management attend from each single site for the following cost. Your first designated management representative cost is included in the cost designated below. Each additional management member attending will be charged $50.
   

The Workshop on:
BEING PREPARED TO OPERATE DURING A UNION CORPORATE CAMPAIGN will cover the following topics -


• What is a Union Corporate Campaign?
  
• Being prepared to defeat Union Organizing,
  
• What to do when the Union Shows Up,
  
• Identifying the signs of organizing,
  
• How to avoid Unfair Labor Practices,
  
• What you cannot say,
  
• What you can say,
  
• Avoiding the tit for tat syndrome-because you will lose. Who promotes the tit for tat syndrome?
  
• Being Prepared to speak out when the time is ripe and right,
  
• Remember on a Union Corporate Campaign the Union is out to have you agree or to destroy you,
  
• When and What to say to your various publics,
  
• Communicating with your employees,
  
• Communicating with all the rest,
  
• What to expect during the campaign,
  
• Comparing the costs of various legal maneuvers and the ultimate good to the company. The mission of the company is not necessarily to keep your lawyer happy. Would you bankrupt the company to avoid the Union? Your Legal Counsel may.
  
• Remember Management, your lawyer works for you not the other way around.
• How to effectively use Outside Counsel and Consultants.
  
• The general counsel job in many a large company is to make sure that outside counsel or consultants are doing an effective job.
  
• Require Outside Counsel and Consultants to present a Plan,
  
• Require Outside Counsel and Consultants to forecast measurable results,
  
• Require Outside Counsel and Consultants to Establish a Budget for each, major task within their Plan and hold them to results, not just activity.
  
• Your Outside Counsel and Consultants need to know your business and have an understanding of business, if not, get a new Counsel or Consultant.
  
• Prepare your Labor Relations Mission Statement and
  Company Labor Relations Policy.

4.) Consult with you and Answer your first PR attack by the Union We will prepare the message designed for the one public relations target you choose to respond to.
(You would pay for the medium.)

5.) Consult with you and Answer your first Unfair Labor Charge filed by the Union.

6.) This Preparedness contract will be in effect during the Summer of 1996 through December 1996. One designated member of your management will have telephone access with your Braun Consultants during the contract term.

Special Training Workshops now available in Seattle,
or at your own location.

BEING PREPARED TO OPERATE DURING A UNION CORPORATE CAMPAIGN
will be held in the exclusive Washington Athletic Club, or at a location of your choice.

Please contact us at Braun Consulting Group for the next available workshop or to schedule your own..

Upon receipt of your inquiry you will be sent a questionnaire regarding your company and the type of employees you employ so we may make the workshop specific to your organization.

We will also send you information on travel arrangements and hotels near the location and other information on Seattle so that you will have a pleasant stay in Seattle, the jewel of the Northwest.

Braun Consulting is providing Employers a Policy of Preparedness.

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