Maintaining a Union-Free Workforce

Maintaining a Union-Free Workforce suits organizations that are union-free and those that have both unionized and non-unionized operations. It is available in both industrial and healthcare versions. The program reinforces the company’s employee relations philosophy and teaches supervisors the practical skills necessary to have a productive and cooperative relationship with employees and minimize vulnerability to unionization.

Included are guidelines for building relationships with employees; practical guidance on performance management, discipline and discharge; techniques for dispute resolution; and a model for effective supervisor-employee communications. The program includes modules educating supervisors on the benefits of staying union-free and the disadvantages of unionization, information about how supervisory action/inaction can lead to union organizing attempts, and techniques for early detection and intervention in the event of union organizing activity. 

For organizations actually facing union activity, training modules also are available that provide a  step-by-step guide to handling a union petition and election.  In these modules, supervisors learn about how union organizing works, how to effectively and lawfully respond to organizing activity, and most importantly how to communicate with employees during a union organizing attempt.  Supervisors not only learn practical do’s and don’ts for use in an organizing attempt, but get actual skill-building experience communicating with employees on the important issues.