If you’ve been reading Al’s newsletter for the past seven months, you know that his theme for this year centers around “Positive Reality."
What I am writing about today focuses on the reality part of that theme – you might even say it takes precedence over the positive part. Sometimes a departure slightly away from the original theme is necessary when in mid-year, conditions have changed and warrant such a small deviation. Especially when there is legislation brewing with such an onerous tone and all-encompassing changes to our work lives. Such a case exists with the Employee Free Choice Act.
It’s a very tough time for businesses right now: the poor economy, concerns over how proposed health-care legislation will impact your operations – not to mention the movement of the EFCA; the rapid ups and downs of which make Six Flags envious for such a thrill ride.
Recently, an article – from a reliable source – quoted Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) as saying that he wanted to continue efforts to basically ram the original proposal, complete with card-check, down Congress’s throat without a floor debate. Four hours later – from another reliable source – came an article proclaiming that the EFCA was dead for this calendar year.
What’s an owner or manager to do?
Who do you trust?
No matter which article or current reading of tea leaves you choose to put your stock in, one thing is regarded as true: there will be change to our labor laws in the not-too-distant future.
Yes, Bob Dylan’s 1963 classic, The Times They Are A-Changin’ applies even today in the field of labor relations.
I’m not going to bother to reiterate all the threatening clauses of the proposed sweeping legislation; I’m certain that you’re well aware of them. (If not, let me know how that last 12-15 months on Neptune have been for you.)
And there are those companies who are pretty well prepared as things stand now. But ... are you up-to-speed on the latest wrinkle of the compromised version of legislation? (These are the times of real ‘hurry-up’ elections, which once proposed, take five to 10 days pass or fail.) Is the top management of your company also aware of this? Are they giving you the time, tools and dollars necessary to insure that you’re prepared for such an immediate invasion?
Or, has your strategy been pretty much one of, “oh, we’ll just wait until..." Until what? Until the legislation passes and you can see just exactly how deep the ‘do-do’ is? Until the union’s card-signing – or worse yet, petition – has surfaced at your workplace?
Procrastination is not a viable strategy. Not when your opponent has been holding all the cards and doing the dealing too.
Now, back to the tie-in with the “Positive Reality” theme. Pro-active and prepared actions will, in reality, pay very positive dividends in other areas of your company. This can mean increasing your employee and supervisor engagement; consequent reduction in turnover (relating to what might be a smaller workforce than you had six months – or maybe one month – ago); improving the comfort and confidence levels of your supervisors and managers.
If you’re not certain just how prepared you are for such legislation and would like to know more, or if you’d just like to share your management team’s solid ‘secrets,’ please ‘click’ on my name below. |
