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Discussion Board: Unionization
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Professor
Course
Date
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Employers are prohibited from interfering with activities that help employees make
choices about unions. However, employers can engage in such activities to know why the
workforce wants to unionize. Threats such as reprisal and benefits promises coerce the workforce
are called "Unfair Labor Practices" (ULP) (Purdie & Rhollans, 2016). The National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB) imposes penalties on employers who engage in unfair practices. As a
human resource manager, I will develop guidelines that will help supervisors respond to
employees' questions about unionization successfully.
One of the guidelines that I will develop is educating employees about the union.
Additionally, I will indicate the company's position since it is their fundamental right to join
unions without coercion. Therefore, the supervisor should answer workforce questions but not
engage in unfair labor activities that threaten employees due to unionization.
The second guideline that plays an integral role in this process is to develop a framework
that will respond to employee questions about unionization. The framework will use the acronym
TIPS (Threats, Interrogation, Promises and Surveillance) (Purdie & Rhollans, 2016). The first
thing that the supervisors should consider when addressing the union issue is threats. Supervisors
should refrain from threatening employees on reprisal and closure of the work location when
they vote in favor of union representation. Termination and reducing pay for employees who
persuade others to join a union is prohibited by NLRB. Secondly, supervisors should not
interrogate who is supporting the union or not. Supervisors should not ask employees who have
union cards or support the company position. The other issue that supervisors should not indulge
in is promising employees pay increases and other benefits. When leaders offer promises to
employees instead of joining a union is not allowed. Lastly, the NLRB does not allow
surveillance (Garden, 2018). The top-level management should not attend union meetings. One
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of the things that supervisors can do that is legally permissible is to share facts on unions and set
specific expectations relative to the company process. The other thing that supervisors can do is
share opinions or personal beliefs about why the union is not an excellent move to the employees
but should align with the TIPS.
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References
Garden, C. (2018). Labor Organizing in the Age of Surveillance. . Louis ULJ, 63, 55.
Purdie, C. & Rhollans, J. (2016). Union communication guidance: TIPs and FOE. Better
Workplace Better World. SHRM.
