Union Free Radio

UNION FREE RADIO
Union Free Radio Podcast

A podcast covering news and views about today’s labor unions in the United States, labor union politics, and best practices to help keep your workplace union free. Our mission is to provide facts, news and other information about today's unions in a thought-provoking way, without the union spin. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

  1. 24/01/2022

    Union Free Radio, S.2 Ep. 3: Is Card Check Here? An Interview With LRI's Phil Wilson

    Back-door card check is on its way this year, says Labor Relations Institute's Phil Wilson. Last August (2021), the National Labor Relations Board's General Counsel, Jennifer A. Abruzzo, sent a lengthy memo to all NLRB regions seeking cases from its regions to submit specific types of cases to her for advice. Among the many types of cases that General Counsel Abruzzo is seeking are cases which would lead to the imposition of what is known as "card check," which would eliminate most secret-ballot elections over the topic of unionization. "Cases in which an employer refuses to recognize and bargain with a union where the union presents evidence of a card majority, but where the employer is unable to establish a good faith doubt as to majority status; specifically, where the employer refusing to recognize has either engaged in unfair labor practices or where the employer is unable to explain its reason for doubting majority status in rejecting the union’s demand. See Joy Silk Mills, Inc., 85 NLRB 1263 (1949)." [See below under: Employer duty to recognize and/or bargain, on page 7.] In this episode of Union Free Radio, host Peter List speaks with Phil Wilson of the Labor Relations Institute (LRI) about card check and a number of other labor relations issues employers are facing under the Biden NLRB. Articles and Resources Mentioned On This Episode NLRB GC - Mandatory Submissions To Advice | PDF Joy Silk Mills v. National Labor Rel. Board, 185 F.2d 732 Why Labor Law Needs "Joy Silk" Bargaining Orders The Scandalous Story Of How "Joy Silk" Disappeared From Labor Law An Update on Labor Law Lite - by Brandon Magner --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

    56 min
  2. 06/01/2022

    Union Free Radio, S2, E1: With “Micro Units,” Coming, the NLRB Is About To Make HR’s Job Much Harder (Again)

    The NLRB is going to re-institute "Micro Units." Here's what you need to know... Labor law in the United States (under the National Labor Relations Board) swings like a pendulum whenever the political party controlling the White House changes. With the PRO Act stalled in Congress and President Biden vowing to be "the most pro-union President in American history," his appointees at the National Labor Relations Board are working full time to fulfill his vow, signaling a host of changes that will make it more difficult for employers and their employees to remain union-free. One such change is the likely return to "micro units". In this episode of Union Free Radio, host Peter List provides the definition to such labor relations concepts as "bargaining units," "community of interest," as well as the background to "micro units" and why they are bad for both employers and unions. Articles and resources cited in this episode: The Relevance of Coherence | Joseph Raz NLRB Invites Briefs Regarding Appropriate Bargaining Units | Dec. 7, 2021 Definition: Bargaining unit | Legal Information Institute Definition: Community of Interest Law and Legal Definition | USLegal.com 29 CFR § 103.30 - Appropriate bargaining units in the health care industry. | Legal Information Institute What's Appropriate: The NLRB Overturns Specialty Healthcare | Littler Mendelson P.C. National Labor Relations Board to decide whether labor organizers can use ‘micro union’ targets [2011] Divide, Conquer & Destroy: NLRB Region Unleashes Micro-Unit On Retailer [2012] Bergdorf Goodman Sales Associates From Separate Shoe Departments Lacked Community of Interest: NLRB | Practical Law Employer business establishments in the U.S. 2019, by employment size | Statista More Starbucks stores file for unionization over the past two weeks --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

    32 min
  3. 27/12/2021

    Union Free Radio, Ep. 17: What The Kellogg Strikers Actually Lost

    Unions and their allies are calling the Kellogg strike a "win." But, is it? The 11-week Kellogg strike is over. However, while the union movement is calling it a "win," some strikers and some reporters are questioning whether the strike was, in fact, a "win" or a failure. In this last episode of Union Free Radio for 2021, host Peter List walks listeners through the main-reported issues of the strike, as well as how much strikers potentially lost. Articles and resources cited in this episode: Kellogg strike ends as members ratify new contract | | wnem.com Kellogg’s Strike Ends: BCTGM Members Ratify New Contract Kellogg's Threatened To Replace Strikers. That Doesn't Mean It Will Work. | HuffPost Impact Details of Kellogg Final Offer [in PDF] Statement by President Joe Biden On Kellogg Collective Bargaining Negotiations | The White House Some Battle Creek Kellogg workers feel betrayed by new union deal Voting closes on concessions contract at Kellogg’s, while union uses divide-and-conquer tactics to break strike - World Socialist Web Site Labor Board v. Mackay Radio & Telegraph Co. :: 304 U.S. 333 (1938) | Justia US Supreme Court Center ‘Death of 1,000 cuts’: Kellogg’s workers on why they’re striking | Business | The Guardian Kellogg to permanently replace striking workers as union rejects new contract | Financial Post BCTGM Kellogg’s Members Reject Tentative Agreement; Strike Continues Employees reject tentative agreement; Kellogg focuses on continuing operations - Dec 7, 2021 Big raises in store for U.S. workers in 2022, report says - The Washington Post Kellogg's workers reject deal; strike continues for now Twinkies Maker Will Close After Strike - ABC News Have Twinkies Killed the Union Movement? 'Financially, this is a really scary moment': Kellogg employees enter --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

    27 min
  4. 03/12/2021

    Union Free Radio, Ep. 16: A Step-By-Step On How Workers Can Decertify An Unwanted Union

    Despite the fact that over 90% of employees in unions today never voted to unionize, unions spend millions of dollars bankrolling union organizers and politicians to put more people into unions. However, there are very few resources for employees to learn how to kick an unwanted union out of their workplace---and employers are legally forbidden to help them. In this episode of Union Free Radio, in addition to providing listeners a step-by-step "how-to" guide to decertify unions, host Peter List walks listeners through the decertification process and some of the legal terminology---from Election Bars and Contract Bars to Blocking Charges---that is important for employees to understand if they are interested in decertification. "If you say you believe in the Freedom of Association or the right to join a particular organization (like a group, a social club, a political party, or a union), you’ve also got to believe in its concomitant, which is the Freedom to Disassociate from that organization." List states. "If you don’t, you’re nothing more than a hypocrite." Articles and resources cited in this episode: For other episodes of Union Free Radio, click here. WARNING: This is for employees only. This is NOT for management Unelected Representatives: 94 percent of Union Members Never Voted for a Union Mountaire employees ask for vote to disband union at Delaware plant ExxonMobil shares details about coming union vote How can I resign my union membership? - National Right to Work Foundation NLRB's Basic Guide To The National Labor Relations Act KickMyUnionOut.com | Is the Timing Right? KickMyUnionOut.com | Steps To Decertifying A Union Sample Decertification Form --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

    31 min
  5. 10/10/2021

    Union Free Radio, Ep. 15: The Hidden Origins Of The Fight For $15 Movement & Its Impact

    Although many people are aware of the "Fight for $15" campaign, most probably do not know that it was never intended to be about merely raising the minimum wage. The genesis of the entire campaign was designed in 2009 by the SEIU---or Service Employees International Union---as a way to unionize millions of the nation's fast-food workers. In fact, the actual $15 per hour figure was arbitrarily picked---almost as an afterthought---only two months before the first astroturf protest in 2012. In this episode of Union Free Radio, host Peter List explains the history of the SEIU's Fight for $15 campaign, as well as its aftermath and how it is affecting the economy following the 2020 crash. Articles and resources cited in this episode: LaborPains.org | Report Gives Union Members Insight Into 20 Years of Labor Finances Fast Food Restaurants in the US - Employment Statistics | IBISWorld SEIU's New Burger Queen? Internal Documents Expose Plan to Unionize Fast-Food Industry SEIU Fast Food Organizing Plan - 2009 | PDF Opinion: Fast-food worker strikes aren’t what they appear to be - MarketWatch Why $15 Minimum Wage is a Bad Idea | American Enterprise Institute Media Advisory: Who’s Behind the Curtain of the Fast Food “Strikes”? - Employment Policies Institute $15 an Hour Minimum Wage Is Norm Due to Market Forces, Not Mandates - Bloomberg Why the US has a record 10.9 million job openings | Quartz Why America has 8.4 million unemployed when there are 10 million job openings | The Washington Post $15 an Hour Minimum Wage Is Norm Due to Market Forces, Not Mandates - Bloomberg Wage Push Inflation | Investopedia ‘Build Back Better’ agenda will ensure strong, stable recovery in coming years | Economic Policy Institute Savings surge during the pandemic - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Fast-food wages climbed 10% in la --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

    35 min

About

A podcast covering news and views about today’s labor unions in the United States, labor union politics, and best practices to help keep your workplace union free. Our mission is to provide facts, news and other information about today's unions in a thought-provoking way, without the union spin. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unionfreeradio/support

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