LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio (LaborUnionNews.com)

In this first episode of ‘Between the Lines,’ Labor Relations Radio host Peter List covers some of the important labor union news stories of the week and provides perspective.

Articles covered in this episode:

* 1.6 million workers will see their contracts expire this year. Will 2023 be the 'Year of the Strike?'

* UAW Strikers Told They Could Be Permanently Replaced If Latest CNH Deal Was Rejected

* On The Eve Of UAW Strike Vote, Caterpillar Reminds Workers What A Strike May Cost Them

* UC Intends To Dock Pay Of Workers Who Went On Strike

* LRI: 2022—A Good Year Or Bad Year For Unions?

* A Union That Tried To Impose Contract On Workers Behind Their Backs Is Decertified

* PBGC Bailed Out Five More Union Pensions Last Week

* HuffPost: TikTok Bans Medieval Times Union Account Following Trademark Complaint

For prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Stephen Enright (bio here) is a successful human resources consultant, executive, and HR leader, with a solid record of leading HR in healthcare, transportation, and high tech industries.

He has managed the Human Resources function in both union and non-unionized environments, from the manager, director, as well as CHRO levels, and has watched the HR function evolve over the years.

Stephen believes in the ‘old school’ approach that the three roles of HR are;

* Advisor to management

* Advocate for employees

* Agent for the organization

"‘Corporate enabler’ should not be something on our resume,” he states on his website.

“I believe that the simple solution is often the best solution,” Stephen writes “There is still elegance in simplicity.”

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Stephen shares his perspectives on how Human Resources has changed over the years, and how C-Suite executives can help steer HR and how younger HR professionals can shape their careers.

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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Who will replace U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh?

As President Biden gave his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, one individual was conspicuously absent—U.S. Labor Secretary (and “designated survivor”) Marty Walsh.

Walsh is reportedly going to be leaving the Biden administration to join the ‘One Percent’ by taking a $3 million per year job as the Executive Director of the National Hockey League’s Players Association.

As Walsh will be (presumably) stepping down soon, the question of who will be is replacement becomes apparent.

One likely candidate to replace Walsh is Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su, a controversial enforcer of California’s devastating AB5, and opponent of the gig economy.

In her role as Deputy Secretary, Su is (in part) responsible for the Department of Labor’s attempt to redefine independent contractors to, as much as possible, emulate California’s ‘ABC-Test’—which is encapsulated in AB5.

With 39% of the U.S. workforce, or 60 million Americans, engaging in some type of freelance or gig work, California freelance writer and leader of Freelancers Against AB5 Karen Anderson joins host Peter List to give some background about Julie Su’s abysmal record in California.

RELATED:

* Freelancers Against AB5

* Upwork - Freelance Forward 2022

* AB5 Personal Stories

* Gig-Worker Bills and Laws: a Comprehensive Overview

* The Devastating Impact of AB5 on People with Disabilities and Their Families

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 39—Guest Kim Kavin on the US DOL's Proposed Anti-Independent Contractor Rules

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 15—Guest Kim Kavin Gives An Update On The Fight For Freelancers

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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If you go onto the United States Postal Service’s website to buy some stamps (or order a ‘free’ COVID test), when you go to check out, and enter all your personal information (name, address, telephone number, etc.), you may find some curious fine print in the USPS’ Privacy Act Statement. [See screenshots below.]

We do not disclose your information to third parties without your consent, except to act on your behalf or request, or as legally required. This includes the following limited circumstances: to a congressional office on your behalf; to agencies and entities to facilitate or resolve financial transactions; to a U.S. Postal Service auditor; for law enforcement purposes, to labor organizations as required by applicable law; incident to legal proceedings involving the Postal Service; to government agencies in connection with decisions as necessary; to agents or contractors when necessary to fulfill a business function or provide products and services to customers; and for customer service purposes. For more information regarding our privacy policies visit www.usps.com/privacypolicy. [Emphasis added.]

Last year, Americans for Fair Treatment’s Elisabeth Messenger came onto Labor Relations Radio and discussed a number of issues (episode here).

Near the end of the episode, Ms. Messenger mentioned AFFT’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the U.S. Post Office seeking information. However, she did not go into great detail.

Earlier this week, both the Daily Mail and Gateway Pundit ran stories about the AFFT lawsuit.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, David R. Dorey, Senior Litigation Counsel at the Fairness Center, the law firm representing AFFT.

* Related: About the Fairness Center

David explains the background of the AFFT’s lawsuit against the USPO, where it stands, as well as a number of interesting cases he and the Fairness Center are handling.

Related:

* Daily Mail: US Postal Service is accused of sharing private information from 68 million households that applied for free Covid-19 tests with labor unions that could potentially be used for their political campaigns

* Gateway Pundit: Lawsuit: Did the US Postal Service Share Private Customer Information With Unions?

* ICE employees say agency canceled their union but still collected dues

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep 49—AFFT's Elisabeth Messenger on Union Pension Bailouts, Public Sector Unions and More

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 19: Guest—The Fairness Center's Nathan McGrath On Janus, the Allentown Symphony & More

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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“One fact stands out in bold relief in the history of man's attempts for betterment. That is that when compulsion is used, only resentment is aroused, and the end is not gained. Only through moral suasion and appeal to man's reason can a movement succeed.” — Samuel Gompers, American Federation of Labor

Terry Bowman is a full-time auto worker and worker-freedom advocate, as well as a leading voice for Right-to-Work laws.

As a vocal supporter for Right-to-Work laws, Terry has testified in the U.S. House of Representatives, numerous state legislatures, as well as appeared on Fox News.

In addition to his full-time job, Terry has written numerous op-eds, and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Institute for the American Worker (I4AW).

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Terry discusses the history of his fight for Right-to-Work legislation, why he left UAW membership, as well as a host of other issues.

Articles written by Terry Bowman

* Repealing Right-to-Work is a bad deal for Michigan autoworkers

* The Democrats’ Latest Target In Their War On The Return Of Manufacturing

* Michigan Democrats want to steal my rights so they can reward their union buddies

* UAW should be held accountable for corruption in its ranks

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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With more than 150 large labor contracts set to expire this year—affecting more than 1.6 million workers—along with hundreds of newly-unionized employers heading to the bargaining table amidst a labor shortage—it is likely that the nation will see more strikes in 2023 than it has in years.

“A union’s bargaining power depends upon three main elements: the right to strike, the ability to strike effectively, and the company’s ability to withstand a strike. A strike should not be under-taken lightly, for the strike is the ultimate economic weapon—and it can backfire.” —Teamsters Strike Manual, page 1

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michele Vincent, Senior Director of Marketing & Sales, for MADI Corp. discusses the strike contingency planning that companies that choose to operate their businesses during labor disputes need to look at.

As host of the popular podcast the U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Podcast, Michele recently did an episode on Gearing up for Potential Strikes.

Although MADI Corp. no longer provides strike contingency staffing services, the company has 30 years of expertise in doing so, and Michele shares some of that expertise in this episode.

* Related: Strike While the Iron is Hot: What's Happening In Labor Relations

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT:

How employers communicate with employees during union organizing campaigns is under greater scrutiny than in years past.

In addition to her desire to ban so-called “captive audience meetings” and consistent with her August 2021 Mandatory Submissions To Advice memo, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, believes that it is “illegal for employers to tell workers who are considering unionizing that they would be giving up their right to interact directly with management.”

“It is Abruzzo’s latest challenge to long-standing employer practices she believes break the law and unfairly tilt the high-stakes votes on unionization petitions toward employers,” according to Law.com.

In the advice memo issued Jan. 31, Abruzzo cited these as examples of statements she might find unlawful; “If you sign a union card, you’ll be giving up your right to speak for and represent yourself,” and “You can’t just come to me [manager] anymore. You have to go to your union rep.” [Emphasis added.]

Despite the fact that the NLRB’s Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act states:

Once a collective-bargaining representative has been designated or selected by its employees, it is illegal for an employer to bargain with individual employees, with a group of employees, or with another employee representative. [Emphasis added.]

The NLRB’s guidebook (and the National Labor Relations Act) states:

Section 9(a) provides that any individual employee or a group of employees shall have the right at any time to present grievances to their employer and to have such grievances adjusted without the intervention of the bargaining representative provided:

1. The adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of any collective-bargaining agreement then in effect.

2. The bargaining representative has been given the opportunity to be present at such adjustment. [Emphasis added.]

It employers’ omission of this latter part that GC Abruzzo believes is misleading and, therefore, violative of the law.

Given the new direction of the the current NLRB, in this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List provides a short refresher on “Do’s and Don’ts” for employers and their agents.

Two important points for listeners:

* Nothing in this episode should be construed as legal advice. As an employer, if you believe you are under the threat of unionization, you are strongly encouraged to seek out competent legal advice from a competent labor attorney.

* For this episode, as well as general learning, listeners should download the NLRB’s Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act (in PDF on NLRB.gov), as well as familiarize themselves with it.

You can access the PowerPoint covered in this episode of Labor Relations Radio at the link below.

Employer "Do's & Don'ts " During Union Organizing Campaigns

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Patricia Garland’s ‘33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR’ is one of the best books available for human resources professionals at every level.

"HR seems to be devolving into specialties where very few people have the big picture anymore.” — Patricia Garland

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Patricia Garland—a seasoned human resources executive—shares her wisdom on a wide variety of topics, ranging the role of HR, employee advocacy, compensation structures, benefits, employee coaching, and communications.

No matter what stage you are in your career, ‘33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR’ is a ‘Must Read’ for any HR professional.

Order ‘33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR’ on Amazon.

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

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In this second episode of Labor Relations Radio’s ‘Between the Lines,’ the following top stories are discussed:

* The UAW has a tentative agreement with Caterpillar—but, there’s more to the story

* At the Supreme Court, AFT’s Randy Weingarten invokes faulty reasoning to claim student debt is ‘unfair’

* After Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins the ‘one percent,’ President Biden nominates Julie Su—but she is not without controvery.

* The poisonous PRO Act is reintroduced (for the third time) and Bernie Sanders all that is wrong with the bill

Articles mentioned in this episode:

* Caterpillar/UAW TA

* Caterpillar workers reach deal with union, averting possible strike

* Build the Caterpillar Workers Rank-and-File Committee!

* Caterpillar workers have a right to know what’s being said in the contract talks!

* Vote NO on the UAW-Caterpillar concessions contract!

* Randi Weingarten

* Randi Weingarten screams student debt is 'not fair' outside Supreme Court

* Randi Weingarten screams about student debt outside SCOTUS: ‘That is not fair!’

* Julie Su Nomination

* The Wait Is Over. Biden picks Gig-Economy Opponent Julie Su as next Secretary of Labor

* Biden Labor Nominee Julie Su is a Threat to Independent Contractors and Freelancers Nationwide

* Rep. Kevin Kiley on Julie Su (on Twitter)

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 56: The State of the Union, Marty Walsh's Exit & Who Is Julie Su?

* The PRO Act

* Labor-Friendly PRO Act Reintroduced in Congress

* Bernie Sanders on the PRO Act (on Twitter)

* BLS Executive Pay Data

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NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo wants employers, during union organizing campaigns, to fully explain employees’ Section 9(a) rights under the National Labor Relations Act to include explaining unionized employees’ right to present their own grievances or, if they don’t, employers could face unfair labor practice charges or election objections.

Specifically, Abruzzo wants employers discussing ‘exclusive representation’ to include the following:

Section 9(a) provides that any individual employee or a group of employees shall have the right at any time to present grievances to their employer and to have such grievances adjusted without the intervention of the bargaining representative provided:

1. The adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of any collective-bargaining agreement then in effect.

2. The bargaining representative has been given the opportunity to be present at such adjustment. [Emphasis added.]

However, in her zeal to prosecute employers, GC Abruzzo may be overlooking the chilling effect that many collective bargaining agreements, as well as union constitutions, have on employees’ rights under Section 9(a).

For example, Article 14, Section 3, which is found on page 119 of the Teamsters’ constitution, states (in part):

“Every member covered by a collective bargaining agreement at their place of employment authorizes the Local Union to act as his or her exclusive bargaining representative with full and exclusive power to execute agreements with the employer governing terms and conditions of employment and to act for him or her and have final authority in presenting, processing, and adjusting any grievance, difficulty, or dispute arising under any collective bargaining agreement or out of their employment with such employer in such manner as the Local Union or its officers deem to be in the best interests of the Local Union, all subject to Article XII and other applicable provisions of the International Constitution relating to such matters.”

If workers are required—under the threat of termination—to become “union members in good standing” under a “union security clause” (which are lawful in the 23 states without “Right-to-Work” laws), and they become obligated to adhere to a union’s rules, if the union is not explaining or ensuring members’ ability to represent themselves, is that not violative of their rights?

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List explores the General Counsel’s seemingly-contradictory theory that is only being applied to employers, and how it could be applied to unionized employers and unions as well.

RELATED:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 60: Employers Beware—During Union Campaigns, Parse Your Statements…or Else.

* NLRB’s Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act

* 7 Things Employers Couldn’t Say About Unions if NLRB’s General Counsel Has Her Way

For prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Phil Wilson, President and General Counsel of Labor Relations Institute, joins host Peter List to have a wide-ranging discussion on current actions being taken by the NLRB’s General Counsel, as well current organizing trends.

Phil Wilson is an author, as well as national expert on labor relations and creating positive workplaces. He is regularly featured in the business media including Fox Business News, Bloomberg News, HR Magazine, and the New York Times.

Wilson is a highly regarded keynote speaker, an adjunct professor at Northeastern State University, and the author of numerous books and articles on labor relations, union corruption and creating a positive workplace, including: The Approachability Playbook; Left of Boom (which reached number 2 on Amazon.com’s Hot Human Resource Books); Managing the Union Shop; and Model Contract Clauses.

Phil has been called on multiple occasions to testify before Congress on the subject of union financial reporting requirements. Wilson graduated magna cum laude from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Prior to joining Labor Relations Institute, Wilson practiced law at a Chicago firm where he represented companies nationwide in all areas of labor and employment law. He has also served as director of human resources for a multi- million dollar gaming corporation.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 40—LRI's Phil Wilson on the State of the Post-Pandemic Workplace

For prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Last week, on March 16th, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan against the National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo (aka ‘The Memo Writer’).

At issue, according to a report by The Center Square, was a public memorandum announcing that she would “urge the Board to correct its longstanding precedent that allowed business owners to speak to their employees about unionization” and the ‘chilling effect’ her memo has had on employers’ First Amendment rights.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit is the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Michigan, a statewide trade association.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Buck Dougherty, a Senior Attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, and one of the attorneys representing ABC of Michigan, discusses the lawsuit and its possible ramifications.

“Courts have made it clear that when a government official’s speech is not an attempt to convince but an attempt to coerce, then that official has crossed the line into threatening behavior,” LJC senior attorney Buck Dougherty said in a statement. “And the Supreme Court held many years ago in its Bantam Books decision that a threat of prosecution designed as a censorship scheme violates the First Amendment.”

Related:

* Trade association sues labor board prosecutor over alleged First Amendment violations

* The Lawsuit: Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, plaintiff v. Honorable Jennifer A. Abruzzo, in her official capacity as General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board, defendant

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 31—Guest: Attorney Matt Miller On The Texas Lawsuit Against The NLRB's Attempt To Restrict Employer Speech

For prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Since 2001, the Center for Independent Employees (CEI) has been “protecting employee freedom from union interference in the workplace.”

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, CEI’s clients are employees—not employers—who are either unionized or not.

Specifically, according to its website, “CIE provides legal guidance and support to employees who wish to eliminate unions from their workplace, eradicate “must pay dues” clauses from union contracts, oppose initial union certification efforts, counteract workplace organizing, and remove Big Labor from our educational institutions.”

We work for the people – loyal, hardworking people who are disenfranchised by coercive union power and union abuses. When these employees begin the arduous task of going against Big Labor, they are often frustrated and overwhelmed by the process and feel intimidated by union tactics. CIE provides free legal aid and educational resources to employees ready to decertify a union that no longer serves their needs.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, CIE’s Senior Vice President Keith Williams shares how he went from a high school teacher and coach to lead the only successful school district in Pennsylvania to overturn union fair share fees before the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision.

Williams then, before joining CIE, was recruited from the classroom to lead and grow a now nationally recognized nonprofit, where he headed the successful decertification of an AFL-CIO affiliated union in a Pittsburgh-area school district.

To contact CIE, or Keith Williams, visit the CIE website here.

Related:

* CIE Helps Teachers Remove NEA from Central Kansas School Districts

* Two More School Districts Drop the NEA

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Last week, the governor of Michigan officially signed a repeal of the state’s 10-year old Right-to-Work law.

“With the stroke of her pen, Whitmer made Michigan the first state in nearly 60 years to abandon the policy opposed by labor advocates,” reported the Detroit Free Press.

Despite a majority of Michiganders supporting Right-to-Work, with its repeal, unionized workers in Michigan will, once again, be required to financially support unions or lose their jobs.

On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, in the wake of Michigan’s repeal, Glenn Taubman, a long-serving staff attorney with the National Right to Work Foundation, discusses a wide array of rights and options that employees who live in states without Right-to-Work laws have, as well as the largely unknown fact that employees do not have a legally-mandated right to ratify collective bargaining agreements.

Related:

* National Right to Work Foundation: Know Your Rights

* National Right to Work Foundation: Your Right to Work Rights – In 3 Minutes

* Special Legal Notice to Private-Sector Workers in Michigan

* Petition Against Union “Representation”

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) is a massive rewrite of American labor law that, if signed into law, would fundamentally transform and potentially derail the overall American economy and effectively destroy the franchise model, as well as gig economy.

In light of this—or, perhaps, because of this—its proponents have not (or will not or cannot) put a cost to its impact.

In fact, according to a 2019 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, the CBO could not even provide an estimate of the PRO Act’s overall costs to the economy, stating:

For the private sector, CBO cannot anticipate the number of businesses likely to be affected by the bill or the extent of changes in their labor practices resulting from it; therefore, CBO cannot estimate the cost to comply with many of those requirements. [Emphasis added.]

On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, American Action Forum’s labor policy analyst, Isabella Hindley, discusses her research into the economic costs of the PRO Act, including its negative economic impact on the franchise model and independent contracting models.

Isabella Hindley’s Work on the PRO Act:

* Recent Labor Regulations Will Disincentivize the Franchise Model

* Economic Costs of the PRO Act: Update

* DOL’s Independent Contractor Classification Proposed Rule Will Disrupt the Labor Market

View Ms. Hindley’s other research here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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As a returning guest to Labor Relations Radio, Karen Anderson is a California-based freelance writers and founder of Freelancers Against AB5, a facebook group with more than 18,000 freelancers.

As a leader in the fight against AB5 and its ‘ABC Test,’ Ms. Anderson has catalogued the devastation California’s law has had on hundreds of professions harmed by AB5.

Recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ‘scathing rebuke’ of AB5’s author, Lorena Gonzales who is now a powerful union leader in California and is also facing a separate scandal, along with her husband.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Ms. Anderson provides some context around the ‘ABC Test‘ in AB5, Ms. Gonzales’ rebuke by the 9th Circuit, as well as how it relates to Julie Su (President Biden’s current nominee to succeed Labor Secretary Marty Walsh) and the gig economy nationwide.

Related:

* Alphabetical Archive of Professionals Harmed by AB5

* 9th Circuit issues scathing rebuke of Lorena Gonzalez

* It Turns Out Anti-Gig Economy Law AB 5 Was Tarnished by ‘Backroom Dealing’

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 56: The State of the Union, Marty Walsh's Exit & Who Is Julie Su?

* Labor Relations Radio Ep. 3: How to Crush 59 Million Americans' incomes with three simple letters: ABC

* How California Musicians Got F’d (and Now Relief) Under AB5

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber.

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Kim Kavin, is a freelance writer and editor from New Jersey and co-founder of Fight For Freelancers USA returns to Labor Relations Radio to share her insights after testifying in Congress about President Biden’s “War on Independent Contractors”

During the hearing, Ms. Kavin testified about the need to protect independent contractors across the United States from proposed restrictions on the choice of self-employment. She warned about potential negative effects of federal legislation and regulations, modeled after California’s disastrous Assembly Bill 5, that redefine who is an independent contractor and who is an employee.

[Watch the whole hearing here.]

* Watch: Ms. Kavin’s opening statement to the Congressional subcommittee here.

* Watch: Rep. Bobby Scott doesn’t know what’s in his own bill.

Follow Kim Kavin on Twitter

For all prior Labor Relations Radio episodes with Kim Kavin, go here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Economist Liya Palagashvili, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University whose primary research interests include entrepreneurship, regulation, and the gig economy.

For freelancers, flexibility is a right. For employees, flexibility is a privilege. — Liya Palagashvili, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center

Dr. Palagashvili has published academic articles, book chapters, policy papers, and articles in media outlets such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

In 2016, she was named one of the Forbes' "30 under 30" in Law & Policy.

Dr. Palagashvili was also an Assistant Professor of Economics at State University of New York-Purchase and earned her Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Dr. Palagashvili talks about her recent testimony on Capitol Hill, as well as how the Department of Labor’s proposed rule on Independent Contractors may be much worse than AB5 was in California, but on a national scale.

Related:

* Independent Work Provides Income Opportunities for Millions of Older Americans

* The Future of Work: Independence and Flexibility for Women and Millions of Americans

* Other writings by Liya Palagashvili

* Labor Relations Radio, E70—Guest Kim Kavin on her Congressional Testimony on the "War On Independent Contractors"

* Labor Labor Relations, Ep. 69—Karen Anderson on AB5, the havoc wreaked on California's gig economy & AB5's scandal-plagued union author

Go here for all prior episode of Labor Relations radio

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When our nation’s military veterans are leaving military life, some find post-military life in a cubicle or on a factory or warehouse floor lacking the mission-driven, team-oriented life they were accustomed to.

With a shortage of Americans entering the ranching industry, Bear Hug Cattle Company (BHCC) is a 501(c)(3) that provides vocational training to veterans pursuing a career in the industry.

[Continued below.]

BHCC’s 10-week training program involves working on several ranches in Colorado Montana, and Wyoming. Participants learn horsemanship and, as well, nearly every facet of basic ranching skills—from brandings to cattle drives.

On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Bear Hug Cattle Company Founder and President Ben Minden shares the history of BHHC which began in 2019 after Ben served in the 101st Airborne Division and 3rd Ranger Battalion.

Ben is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

* To go to Bear Hug Cattle Company’s website, click here

* To donate or support Bear Hug Cattle Company, click here (or use PayPal)

* To buy Bear Hug Cattle Company merchandise, shop here

* Follow Bear Hug Cattle Company on Instagram

* Follow Bear Hug Cattle Company on Tik Tok

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has become one of the nation’s leading defenders of independent contractors’ right to earn a living.

Recently, Representative Kiley chaired a subcommittee hearing to defend the rights of 60-70 million Americans who earn incomes as independent contractors.

During that hearing, prior Labor Relations Radio guests Karen Andersen and Kim Kavin testified, as did the Mercatus Center’s Dr. Liya Palagashvili on the ‘War on Independent Contractors.’

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Congressman Kiley was able to discuss some of the issues surrounding California’s AB5, the ‘ABC Test,’ as well as Department of Labor’s proposed six-part test on independent contractors.

Related:

* Kiley, Foxx Call Out Su’s DOL For Unlawfully Ignoring Trump Rule

* Labor Relations Radio, E71—Economist Dr. Liya Palagashvili on AB5, the PRO Act and the DOL's Rule on Independent Contractors

* Labor Relations Radio, E70—Guest Kim Kavin on her Congressional Testimony on the "War On Independent Contractors"

* Labor Labor Relations, Ep. 69—Karen Anderson on AB5, the havoc wreaked on California's gig economy & AB5's scandal-plagued union author

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 39—Guest Kim Kavin on the US DOL's Proposed Anti-Independent Contractor Rules

To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode summary: In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jon Morrow, a free-market economist who has consulted with a variety of organizations—including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Economic Innovation Group and others—discusses a wide variety of economic topics such as the falling birthrates, AI, the debt-financed economy, fiat currencies, as well as cultural and political obstacles to lower energy costs and general prosperity.

Background: For decades, a shift in demographics has been occurring across much of the Western World as the “baby boom” generation retires and successor generations have fewer and fewer children.

These inverse population pyramids threaten to bring national economies to a halt and, according to one geopolitical analyst, will cause the global economy to collapse.

“Such declines will soon shock our economic infrastructure and lead to deteriorations in living standards,” noted Fast Company in 2021.

Is the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) a possible solution, or will AI be the trigger to a calamitous future, including an economic recession or even a depression?

Listen to this episode and draw your own conclusions.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: California Policy Center’s Lance Christensen returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss the current state of the once-Golden State of California. During this wide-ranging episode, Lance shares with host Peter List facts and views about California’s legislature and its politics, the state’s economic malaise, the fleeing population, as well as how Artificial Intelligence (AI) may impact the state.

About the California Policy Center

Prior episodes with Lance Christensen:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 34—CPC's Lance Christensen on California's FAST Act and other Golden State developments

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 5—Guest: Lance Christensen of the California Policy Center

For all prior episodes of Labor Relation Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: With approximately 11,000 Hollywood writers entering their second month on strike (and actors, perhaps, soon to follow) over the key issue of artificial intelligence (AI), AI’s influence is likely to become a labor market disruptor as it continues to grow.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Suzanne Lucas (aka ‘Evil HR Lady’) and Michael VanDerVort of the Labor Relations Institute join host Peter List to discuss what AI is, how it may impact the future workforce, and whether it should be feared or embraced.

Related:

* Suzanne Lucas: AI Will Impact Jobs (But not Mine)

* TV and film writers are fighting to save their jobs from AI. They won’t be the last

* A.I. worries Hollywood actors as they enter high-stakes union talks

* Labor Relation Radio, E74—Economist Jon Morrow on Declining Birth Rates, the Advent of AI, the State of the Economy and Culture

For all episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: For labor relations, employee relations and HR practitioners, as well as union agents, David Pryzbylski, a partner with the law firm Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, is one of the best writers on labor law developments.

As a regular contributor to Barnes & Thornburg’s labor law blog, David has built his practice helping companies secure favorable outcomes with labor issues around the country.

He has extensive experience with numerous labor unions, including the Steelworkers, Teamsters,  Sheet Metal Workers, Longshoremen, Boilermakers, CWA, UFCW, UAW, IBEW, BTCGM, SEIU and trade unions such as the Carpenters, Pipefitters, and Laborers.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, David discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s Glacier Northwest decision, as well as the NLRB General Counsel’s attack on non-compete agreements.

* Follow David J. Pryzbylski on LinkedIn

* Follow Barnes & Thornburg’s Labor and Employment blog

For all episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode summary: Should unions be driven by ideology or, as Samuel Gompers believed in, “pure and simple unionism?” Today, there is a ideological and political debate going on within America over the issue of ‘gender ideology’ in classrooms, and teachers’ unions—the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association—seem to be at the forefront of leading it.

In this episode, Freedom Foundation’s Policy and Research Analyst Maddie Vernon joins host Peter List to discuss her recent article entitled NEA’S “Schools in Transition” Guide Instructs Teachers to Encourage Transgenderism in the Classroom.

The Freedom Foundation is a a 501(c)(3) Non-profit and, according to its website, a “battle tank that’s battering the entrenched power of left-wing government union bosses who represent a permanent lobby for bigger government, higher taxes, and radical social agendas.”

Related:

* AFT Education Survey | Hart Research Associations [in PDF]

* Weingarten Vows Unions Will Collectively Endorse Biden

* AFT Conference Exposes Union’s True Priorities

* Freedom Foundation’s OptOutToday.com

* Powerful teachers union unveils LGBTQ toolkit with ze/zim pronouns in the classroom: 'Critical'

Other episodes with Freedom Foundation staff

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep 53—Freedom Foundation's Maxford Nelsen on Starbucks Workers United, the SEIU & Union Salts

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 41—Did a Federal Court Just Legitimize Union Forgery? It Sure Seems Like It.

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 25—Guest: Max Nelsen, The Freedom Foundation's Director of Labor Policy

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: Earlier this week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its long-awaited Atlanta Opera decision, which impacts independent contractors and the employers that utilize them.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jim Paretti, a labor attorney with the law firm Littler Mendelson joins host Peter List to discuss the decision’s background and what it means for employers as well as independent contractors.

Related:

* NLRB: Board Modifies Independent Contractor Standard under National Labor Relations Act

* NLRB Decision: Atlanta Opera, Inc. and Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Union, Local 798, IATSE. Case 10– RC–276292 [in PDF]

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: While not entirely new, and whether it’s boycotts and negative publicity from the Right or the Left, the companies weighing into social issues are paying a heavier price than in years past.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Reputation Partners’ Founder and CEO Nick Kalm returns to discuss what happens when companies intentionally or unintentionally drive over the negative-publicity cliff when it comes to their brands and what they can do about it once they do.

Related:

* Unionized Union Kitchen Workers Call For a Boycott of Their DC Stores

* Boycott Nation: How Americans are boycotting companies now

* Full List of Companies Facing Boycotts for Pride Month

* What the Target and Bud Light Boycotts Tell Us

* The Uncanceling of Chick-fil-A

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: What is really happening inside America’s classrooms? Sarah, a public-school teacher from California who now teaches in the Southeast, shares her perspective on a variety of issues impacting today’s students in the post-pandemic classroom, from the impact of social media to the lack of parental involvement.

If you are a public-school teacher and want to share what you are experiencing in today’s classroom, email us at laborunionnews@protonmail.com.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: The Illinois Policy Institute’s Senior Director of Labor Policy & Staff Attorney, Mailee Smith, joins host Peter List to discuss several of the challenges facing Illinois—from Chicago’s newly-elected mayor, to businesses leaving Chicago, to the heavy control Chicago’s Teachers Union (CTU) has on the city and, consequently, the state.

Related:

* Chicago Cops Demand Parental Leave After Mayor Gives It To Teachers

* Illinois Unemployment 4th Worst In U.S., Job Growth Slows In May

* Welch, Harmon get millions from teachers unions before blocking school choice for poor kids

* CTU told lawmakers what to do over 1,360 times in just 6 legislative sessions

* Read more of Illinois Policy Institute’s articles here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: Nearly a year after the first Trader Joe’s store in the nation became unionized in Hadley, Massachusetts, two Trader Joe’s employees, Michael Alcorn and Les Stratford, share the details of the union’s deceptive tactics before the NLRB election, as well as what’s happened since, and the ongoing lack of union transparency.

Related:

* Trader Joe's union is not what we bargained for

* Bloomberg Law: Time It Takes To Negotiate First Contracts Has Gone From 409 To 465 Days

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: With the “Summer of Strikes” now upon us, Mark Keenan (bio here), a partner with the law firm Barnes & Thornburg joins host Peter List to have a broad conversation about the different types of labor disputes (e.g., strikes and lockouts), as well as contingency planning.

“A union’s bargaining power depends on three main elements: the right to strike, the ability to strike effectively, and the Company’s ability to withstand a strike.” — Source: Page 1, Teamsters Strike Manual

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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‘We need a revolution in education.’

Episode Summary: On the heels of National Education Association’s president Becky Pringle’s “Hitlerian performance” at NEA’s Orlando conference, Terra Firma’s Paul Rossi discusses some of the issues in today’s education system—both in public schools and private schools.

‘…Not a lot of parents care about the quality of the education that their children are getting…it’s an ugly truth.’—Paul Rossi

Paul Rossi’s Bio: Paul is a veteran mathematics and philosophy teacher who blew the whistle on woke indoctrination at Grace Church School in Manhattan in 2021. He has researched and written extensively about the politicization of education for The Wall Street Journal, The Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, Parents Unite, and Legal Insurrection Foundation. He has also presented his findings for The Manhattan Institute, Parents Defending Education, Moms for Liberty, and Education Veritas. Paul is a trusted resource for dozens of K-12 teachers nationally.

Related:

* I Refuse to Stand By While My Students Are Indoctrinated

* Inside the Woke Indoctrination Machine

* NEA President’s Fiery Political Speech Compared to ‘Hitlerian Performance’

* Labor Relations Radio, E81—Sarah, a Public School Teacher, Talks About Being on the Front Lines in Today's Classrooms

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported publications. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Episode Summary: Returning guest Jon Hyman, a director with the law firm Wickens Herzer Panza, joins host Peter List to discuss the potential existential impact of Artificial Intelligence on jobs and society.

“AI not only has the potential to impact any creative professional (actors, writers, artists, journalists, musicians, and the like), but also any professional (lawyers, for example) or even any worker. It’s not far fetched to imagine a near future in which AI programs robots to run a factory, for example.” — Jon Hyman via LinkedIn

Related Links:

* Jon Hyman’s Ohio Employer Law Blog

* Jon Hyman on LinkedIn.com

* The Norah and Dad Show

* Labor Relatedly Ep13 with Michael VanDervort and Jon Hyman

Episode Summary: Frank Ricci, a Fellow for Labor Policy and Special Initiatives at the Yankee Institute, and Keith Williams, Vice President at the Center for Independent Employees join host Peter List to discuss the Democratic Socialists of America’s involvement in union salting and their recent article ‘Big Labor Is Getting an Assist From Far-Left Activists.’

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 66—The Center for Independent Employees' Keith Williams

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 20—A Primer On How Union Salts and “Moles” Undermine Companies Like Amazon and Others

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep 53—Freedom Foundation's Maxford Nelsen on Starbucks Workers United, the SEIU & Union Salts

* Analysis: Workers United paid nearly $2.5 million to organizers, "salts" and activists at Starbucks

* The Undercover Organizers Behind America’s Union Wins

* The College Kids Who Unionized Amazon

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

“There’s another side to the story that people need to hear.” — ‘Kiki,’ a Trader Joe’s employee in Brooklyn, New York

Episode Summary: Following the Labor Relation Radio episode in June, featuring Trader Joe’s employees Michael Alcorn and Les Stratford, ‘Kiki’ (an employee of Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn, New York) explains how she may have “started the ball rolling” with the union, then saw the union’s tactics—including racially segregating employees, attacking good managers, and attempting hacking into the employer’s system to get employee information—all of which helped she and her co-workers eventually decide to vote against unionizing.

Related:

* Workers at Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn Reject Union

* Labor Relations Radio, E83—Trader Joe’s Employees Speak Out About Unionization

* Trader Joe's union is not what we bargained for

Episode Summary: With the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicting that 23% of today’s jobs will be replaced or become obsolete over the next five years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming faster than most people realize.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jon Morrow—a free-market economist who has consulted with a variety of organizations, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Economic Innovation Group and others—joins host Peter List to discuss how fast AI is going to disrupt our world, as well as some possible solutions.

Related:

* Labor Relation Radio, E74—Economist Jon Morrow on Declining Birth Rates, the Advent of AI, the State of the Economy and Culture

* The AI @ Work Library

* JP Morgan backs new Tifin AI-powered wealth management charge

* The Future is NOW—AI Is Rapidly Replacing Journalists, Redefining News Landscape

* GPT-4 Passes the Bar Exam

* Energy Future Unveiled! THORIUM Molten Salt Reactors

* I’m an AI influencer: Followers crave my sexy snaps — but I don’t exist

* Blush, the AI lover from the same team as Replika, is more than just a sexbot

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Episode Summary: Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced a return to so-called ‘ambush’ or ‘quickie’ elections on Thursday.

Then, on Friday, the NLRB released its long-awaited Cemex decision—a 121-page decision (in PDF) that changes the labor relations landscape.

In this episode, host Peter List explains how, while both of these constitute a seismic shift in labor relations, it could have been worse.

Related:

* NLRB General Counsel Files Brief To Ban "Captive Audience" Meetings, Install Back-Door Card Check

* BREAKING: NLRB Issues Cemex Decision Establishing De-Facto Card Check

* On Labor: Cemex Is a Big Change, but It’s Not Joy Silk

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Episode Summary: While the nation was relieved that the Teamsters and United Parcel Service (UPS) reached a contract without a debilitating strike, a group of rank and file Teamsters had been vocally opposed to the “sell out” deal.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List is joined by ‘Jay,’ a rank and file Teamster employed by UPS, to discuss how, from many UPS workers’ point of view, the new contract is not nearly as good as the media is portraying.

Related:

* Anatomy of a sellout: UPS tentative agreement includes two-tier wages for part-timers, freezes to pension contributions for some

* UPS contract declared ratified under cloud of suspicion among the rank and file

* “They were giving people the goods”: UPS workers speak out against national contract as Teamsters announce ratification of Chicago local deal

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: Philadelphia native Joe Brock, a former Teamster official and CEO of Reliant Labor Consultants, joins host Peter List to discuss a wide array of topics, including underfunded union pensions, the psychology of union authorization cards following the NLRB’s Cemex decision, as well as the NLRB General Counsel’s desire to ban so-called “captive audience meetings.”

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Three-quarters of the counties and about half the states now have deaths outpacing births. — Bradley Schurman

Episode Summary: Even before the pandemic, employers were grappling with a tight labor market. Since then, however, finding employees in an even tighter labor market has been a struggle for many employers across the country.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Bradley Schurman, a renowned demographer, management consultant, CEO of The Super Age and author of The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny, joins host Peter List to discuss how the changing demographics are changing the workplace and shortages are likely to get worse before they get better.

Mr. Schurman’s expertise on demographic change and how it disrupts social, cultural, political, and economic norms across the United States and worldwide, has made him into one of the nation’s sought after speakers on the changes occurring not just in the United States, but across the globe.

Mr. Schurman has written for Newsweek and been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USAToday, as well as appeared on NBC's TODAY Show, CBS News Primetime with John Dickerson. He also regularly appears as a guest on podcasts, radio, and television shows worldwide.

* Follow Bradley Schurman on LinkedIn.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: California Policy Center President Will Swaim joins host Peter List to provide an update on California’s AB5 (the law to destroy independent contractors and the gig ecoomy), AB257 (the bill to establish a state bureaucracy to dictate wages and working conditions on the fast-food industry), Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions, and much more.

* Will Swaim’s bio

* Visit California Policy Center’s website

* Follow Will Swaim on Twitter @WillSwaim.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: Cary Burke, a Partner with the law firm Seyfarth Shaw, joins host Peter List to discuss the ramifications of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) recent Cemex decision—including the potential retroactivity of so-called Cemex bargaining orders. In addition to Cemex, Burke and List discuss a host of current and possible future labor relations issues.

* To reach Cary Burke, go here.

* Visit Seyfarth Shaw’s website here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

With over 1.6 million workers’ contracts expiring in 2023, this year was likely to be considered ‘The Year of the Strike.’

However, as the UAW strike stretches into the second month, and with more strikes likely around the U.S., it is helpful for workers to know how to weather the economic storm that can batter their finances.

Using decades-old helpful tips, this short episode of Labor Relations Radio heklps answers a basic question: How should workers prepare themselves economically before they strike?

Related:

* How to Keep the Wolf From the Door While Walking a Picket Line

* 1.6 million workers will see their contracts expire this year. Will 2023 be the 'Year of the Strike?'

It’s Time To Start Saving! Contracts will be re-negotiated in the next year or two. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start now!

* Plan a budget, stick to it, save any amount over the limits. Plan to have at least enough saved to cover 2 or 3 months of mortgage payments or rent and living expenses.

* Work overtime, bank your overtime in a separate "strike" account.

* Arrange an automatic deposit from your paycheck directly into that account. If it’s not in your checkbook, you might not have the urge to spend it.

* Pay off or pay down your credit card bills or other bills.

* Delay any major purchases until after your contract is ratified. Don’t buy a boat right before you go out – you’ll spend your time walking the line.

* Save on vacations – explore the wonders of driving around your state.

* If your contract deadline is in the summer – buy your children’s school supplies early.

About 3 months before your present contract expires:

* Start stocking up on non-perishables, packaged foods and household cleaning items. Buy in bulk.

* Fill your freezer with meats and frozen foods.

* Get maintenance or repairs done on vehicles or your home.

* Make sure your Doctor’s appointments or checkups are done before you go out on strike.

* Be sure you have enough medicine and other supplies on hand that you will need.

* Notify any creditors that you may be on strike for awhile –discuss rearranging your payment schedule while you are out on strike. Alerting them beforehand could prevent your credit rating from taking a beating.

Remember to think ahead – start planning now!

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Episode Summary: The Labor Relations Institute is launching a new podcast called Left of Boom. In this episode, LRI’s Phil Wilson and Michael VanDervort—both prior guests on Labor Relations Radio—invited host Peter List onto the Left of Boom podcast to talk about the ingoing UAW strike.

* To visit Labor Relations Institute’s website, go here.

* Go here to order Phil Wilson’s book Left of Boom.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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“She’s just a bull, and she just charges in every day, nonstop, from sun up until way after the sun goes down.” — former House Speaker John Boehner

Episode Summary: On this episode of the Labor Relations Radio, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce joins host Peter List to discuss Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, the War on Independent Contractors, the PRO Act, Union Salting, as well as misconduct at the National Labor Relations Board.

Related:

* Rep. Virginia Foxx’s full bio here

* OIG Report Bolsters Foxx’s Claims of Misconduct By NLRB Officials

* Foxx Calls on Biden to Dump Julie Su

* ‘She’s just a bull’: Meet the woman leading the GOP’s charge on schools and work

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Reputation Partners’ Nick Kalm returns to the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on the ramifications of the pro-Palestinian protests within union ranks.

Since October 7th—following the brutal Hamas attack on Israel—pro-Palestinian rallies have taken place throughout the United States (and the world).

Despite the pro-Israel declarations of most top union officials, in many cases, the pro-Palestinian protestors have included Marxist groups and individiuals affiliated with a variety of unions—from the Amazon Labor Union’s president Chris Smalls, the SEIU’s Starbucks Workers United, as well as the United Auto Workers.

Related:

* SEIU 'Forced' Communist Union Leader to Resign Over Pro-Palestinian Rant

* Oakland teachers union passes pro-Palestine resolution

* WSWS: NYC postal workers speak out against Israeli genocide in Gaza

* Postal workers union president opposes Israeli genocide of Gaza at AFL-CIO meeting

* How unions are responding to the Israel-Hamas war

* AFT disavows KU teachers union’s stance on Israel-Hamas war

* Union Bosses Bicker Over Israel-Hamas Conflict

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Under the National Labor Relations Act, the concept of ‘Protected Concerted Activity’ has been relatively stable for decades.

In this, the 100th episode of Labor Relations Radio, Labor Attorney Joel Aziere with the firm Buelow Vetter Buikema Olson & Vliet joins host Peter List and shares how the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), under General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo has pushed the concept of protected concerted activity far beyond what most employers would have recognized in prior decades.

In addition to sharing information about current protected concerted activity cases, Mr. Aziere also discusses solicitation issues before the Board, as well as the recent 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ rebuke of the NLRB in the matter of Tesla banning UAW t-shirts.

* Go here to contact Joel Aziere.

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber..

Marc S. Robinson, PhD., is an economist, consultant and co-writer of the C-Suite Newsletter on Substack.

Having taught at UCLA and Stanford, as well as spent over three decades with General Motors, in his consulting practice, Marc deploys game theory to predict likely outcomes and to develop strategy for his clients.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Marc explains how game theory (or ‘war gaming’) explains how the 2023 United Auto Workers’ (UAW) strike against the Detroit Three automakers—Ford, General Motors and Stellantis—was a ‘highly predictable’ outcome based on the variables from the last decade.

* View Marc S. Robinson’s profile on LinkedIn.

* Read the C-Suite Newsletter on Substack.

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Since becoming unionized more than 16 months ago, employees of a Trader Joe’s store in Hadley, Massachusetts have not seen any benefits to unionization.

Now, they want to decertify Trader Joe’s United.

“Crew members at the grocery store are accusing the union of spreading misinformation and trying to drive a wedge between workers and management,” the Amherst Bulletin reported on Wednesday.

“The constant defamation against our captain, our mates and our employer has become tiresome and unjust,” the group stated in a release Friday announcing the push for decertification.

“It’s just getting progressively worse,” Les Stratford, a 10-year employee, said Monday. “We’re losing people who can’t handle the stress.”

He said the union has a habit of “shading stuff with media,” which he called disconcerting.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Trader Joe’s employees Michael Alcorn and Les Stratford return to the podcast to share why they are spearheading efforts to decertify Trader Joe’s United.

Related:

* Group of Trader Joe’s workers in Hadley pushes to decertify new union

* Some Hadley Trader Joe’s workers press to decertify union

* Labor Relations Radio, E83—Trader Joe’s Employees Speak Out About Unionization

* Trader Joe's union is not what we bargained for

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Thirty-five years after the United States Supreme Court ruled in CWA v. Beck, some unions are still violating individuals’ rights under the Beck decision.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Public Defender Brunilda Vargas joins host Peter List to discuss Beck Rights, as well as how, after her office was unionized, she and her colleagues were threatened for refusing to become full dues-paying members of the United Auto Workers.

With help from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Ms. Vargas and some of her colleagues are now so-called “Beck Objectors.”

Related:

* Philadelphia Public Defender Wins Case Against UAW for Illegal Union Dues Deduction Scheme

* Philadelphia Public Defender Hits UAW Union with Charge for Illegally Threatening Wage Cut

* Philadelphia’s public defenders vote to unionize

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

The Freedom Foundation’s Director of Research and Government Affairs, Maxford Nelsen, returns to Labor Relations Radio to explain how, through an innocuous term called “official time,” taxpayers are paying government union officials to conduct union business while receiving their government salaries and benefits.

Related:

* Biden Administration Covering Up Taxpayer-Funded Union Activities In The Federal Workforce

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 25—Guest: Max Nelsen, The Freedom Foundation's Director of Labor Policy

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 41—Did a Federal Court Just Legitimize Union Forgery? It Sure Seems Like It.

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

As 2023 comes to a close, Fisher Phillips’ Mike Carrouth joins host Peter List to discuss the Union of Southern Service Workers, some of the major events of 2023 and potential issues facing employers in 2024.

Mr. Carrouth is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Columbia, South Carolina office and has a nationwide practice representing employers on labor relations matters in more than 30 states.

This work includes successfully defending against multi-site and multi-state national organizing blitzes and card-check/neutrality campaigns.

Mike also has represented clients in numerous litigation matters, including jury trials, involving Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII, breach of employment contract, and non-compete enforcement. 

He practices before state and federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and state and federal administrative agencies in the areas of union-related matters, employment litigation, discrimination cases, non-compete agreements, and wrongful discharge cases. 

To connect with Mike on LinkedIn, go here.

Related:

* Labor Board Highlights Priorities for the New Year: 5 Key Takeaways for Employers

* SEIU's Union of Southern Service Workers Targets Employers With 'Guerrilla' Actions

* SEIU Starts 'Cross-Sector' Union to Unionize Workers across the South

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

“Get into politics or get out of business.” — ABC’s Ben Brubeck

Ben Brubeck, Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors, returns to Labor Relations Radio to share the latest information on President Biden’s rule to mandate Project Labor Agreements on federal projects, the new proposed rules on Davis Bacon as well as apprenticeship programs.

Related:

* ABC: President Biden’s Final Rule Forcing Corrupt Project Labor Agreements Will Face Legal Challenges

* WSJ: Biden to Apprentices: You’re Fired

* To learn more about Project Labor Agreements, visit BuildAmericaLocal.com

Prior Labor Relations Radio episodes with Ben Brubeck:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 33—ABC's Ben Brubeck on the PRO Act Senate Vote and More

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 1 –Guest: Associated Builders & Contractors’ Ben Brubeck Discusses President Biden's Recent Executive Order on PLAs and more

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

The War on Independent Contractors is alive and well.

Mike Hruby, President of New Jobs America joins Labor Relations Radio host Peter List to discuss the background of the War on Independent Contractors, as well as how the battlefront has moved into the states.

New Jobs America advocates for freedom for individuals to choose to be their own boss, in federal and state law. New Jobs writes and promotes federal legislation allowing individuals to classify themselves as self-employed. 

As a non-profit, New Jobs researches and publishes original analyses measuring important factors that stimulate rapid job growth. NJA was founded in 2011 in Massachusetts, home of the current version of the ABC Test that restricts self-employment.

* Learn more about New Jobs America here.

* Go here for prior coverage on the War on Independent Contractors

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

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“Socialism has no place in the hearts of those who would secure the fight for freedom and preserve democracy.” — Samuel Gompers, 1918

For decades, Marxism within the union movement stayed somewhat underground. However, since the end of the pandemic, Marxism in unions has become more mainstream with organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America and the Communist Party USA helping unions like the Amazon Labor Union, Starbucks Workers United, and even the United Auto Workers.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Watson, Research Director for the Capital Research Center and Managing Editor of InfluenceWatch.org, joins host Peter List to discuss the history of Marxism in unions—from the early 1900s to the Cold War—as well as the reemergence in the late 90s to today.

Related:

* To read Michael Watson’s writing, visit here.

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 14—There is more than meets the media's eye on the Amazon and Starbucks campaign victories

* Organizing for the Long Haul

* Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) returns to Labor Relations Radio in this first episode of a three-part series on the War on Independent Contractors.

After witnessing the devastating effects of the disastrous AB5 in his home state of California, Rep. Kiley is adamantly opposed to bureaucrats stripping Americans of their right to earn a living in the gig economy and one of the staunchest defenders of independent contractors.

In this episode, Rep. Kiley shares his efforts to combat the implementation of Department of Labor’s Six-Part Test on Independent Contractors which is being used to destroy the gig economy on behalf of unions and goes into effect on March 11, 2024.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E73—Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) talks about the ongoing 'War on Independent Contractors'

* To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

Following the U.S. Department of Labor’s releasing its final rule to limit the freedom of individuals to earn a living though independent contracting, the founders of Fight For Freelancers, a coalition of more than 2,500 freelancers in professions ranging from writing to truck driving, filed a lawsuit through the Pacific Legal Foundation.

In this second episode in our multi-part series on the War on Independent Contractors, Kim Kavin, one of the founders of Fight for Freelancers USA, returns to Labor Relations Radio, along with her attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation’s Wilson Freeman to discuss the lawsuit, as well as the War on Independent Contractors at the state and federal levels.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin Kiley

* Explainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.

* Pacific Legal Foundation: Freelancers sue Department of Labor over vague, new contracting rule

* Follow Kim Kavin on X (formerly Twitter)

* To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

In this episode, Liya Palagashvili, an economist and Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss the Mercatus Center’s new study on California’s War on Independent Contractors through AB5 and its ABC Test, and how the U.S. Department of Labor’s six-factor final rule may impact America’s workforce.

Be sure to subscribe to Liya Palagashvili’s Substack Labor Market Matters.

Related:

* Labor Market Matters: New Study on California AB5 and Implications for the Department of Labor’s Independent Contractor Rule

* Labor Market Matters: A Deep Dive into our Study on California's AB5

* Mercatus Center: Assessing the Impact of Worker Reclassification: Employment Outcomes Post–California AB5

* Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin Kiley

* Labor Relations Radio, E110—The War on Independent Contractors, Part II: Freelancer Kim Kavin & Attorney Wilson Freeman

* Explainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.

* To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

In this fourth episode in our four-part series on the War on Independent Contractors, Karen Anderson, founder of Freelancers Against AB5—a Facebook group of more than 18,000 Californians impacted by the state’s imposition of AB5 which contains the three-pronged ‘ABC Test’— returns to Labor Relations Radio, along with a panel of independent contractors who have been harmed by the law.

As proverbial ‘canaries in the coal mine,’ as the U.S. Department of Labor rolls out its 339-page final rule—which contains a vague six-factor test—on independent contractors, the panel consists of of freelance writers, musicians (including a concert cellist), a radio journalist, yoga instructor and independent film producer share their stories as a warning to the rest of America.

* Related: AB5 Personal Stories — An Alphabetical Archive of Professionals Harmed by AB5

To contact your representative in Congress, use this link at Congress.gov. and urge them to stop the War on Independent Contractors.

Listen to the entire Labor Relations Radio series on the War on Independent Contractors:

* Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin Kiley

* Labor Relations Radio, E110—The War on Independent Contractors, Part II: Freelancer Kim Kavin & Attorney Wilson Freeman

* Labor Relations Radio, E111—The War on Independent Contractors, Part III: Economist Liya Palagashvili on the impact of California's AB5

* Explainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.

To listen to all Labor Relations Radio episodes, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This episode of Labor Relations Radio is intended for HR practitioners and business owners responsible for administering pay plans for employees.

Do you have a merit pay or pay-for-performance plan? Are you administering it properly? What about your managers?

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Patricia Garland, author of 33 Ways Not to Screw Up HR, joins host Peter List to discuss “Barbara”—a highly-rated employee who went from elation to anger when her employer gave her a merit increase as part of a poorly-managed merit pay plan.

Ms. Garland shares her views on what to do, as well as what not to do when administering a pay-for-performance or merit pay plan.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 61—'33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR' Author Patricia Garland

Order ‘33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR’ on Amazon.

You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Frank Ricci, a Labor Fellow at Yankee Institute, Retired Union President for New Haven (CT) Fire Fighters, and Battalion Chief, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss how teachers’ unions and their progressive counterparts are using the collective bargaining process to put costly social-justice programs into contracts under the nose of taxpayers.

In Boston, Ricci wrote recently, teachers’ union president Jessica Tang announced they secured “an unprecedented $50 million to commence bolstering the affordable housing that Boston students and families require.”

The Boston contract is being utilized as a template by the AFL-CIO to advance housing and ‘environmental justice,’ he notes.

Related:

* How The Teachers Unions Embed Socialism Into Their Contracts

* How Superintendents Deceive Taxpayers into Higher School Budgets

* Labor Relations Radio, E87—Guests Frank Ricci & Keith Williams on Marxist Union Salts

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported.. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Often, despite disagreeing with the political positions and spending, and without knowing there are alternatives, educators join traditional teachers union like the AFT and NEA due to insurance benefits.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List is joined by Noelani Kahapea, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Association of American Educators (AAE).

The AAE, according to its website, is the “largest national, non-union, professional educators' organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.”

Ms. Kahapea explains the benefits provided to AAE members at a fraction of the cost that are usually charged to traditional teachers unions, as well as a large distinction in how benefits are used.

To get more information about the Association of American Educators (AAE), go here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you are experiencing union activity, union salting, or other labor issues with potential legal risk, you should contact your labor attorney.

Labor Attorney Marc Furman, a Partner with the law firm Cohen Seglias has a unique way of advising his clients on how to deal with union “salts.”

While Marc’s clients span a broad range of industries throughout the United States, including manufacturing, hotel and hospitality, automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, food processing and distribution, and financial services, Marc particularly focuses on representing construction companies in matters involving unions and union organizing, picketing, and prevailing wage situations.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Marc shares some insights that listeners may find informative and helpful.

Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you are experiencing union activity, union salting, or other labor issues with potential legal risk, you should contact your labor attorney. Should you wish to contact Marc Furman, you can do so here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Nearly one-third of the manufacturing workforce is over 55. — Michele Vincent

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michele Vincent, the host of The U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Podcast shares some of the alarming research she has gathered on the changing demographics of our workforce.

* Listen to Michele’s episode “What’s to come, 2024 Predictions” on Apple

* Listen to Michele’s episode “What’s to come, 2024 Predictions” on Spotify

To obtain the information Michelle shared, go here.

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 59—MADI Corp's Michele Vincent on Preparing for Strikes

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Thought leader and renowned labor attorney Michael Lotito, with Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Policy Institute, returns to Labor Relations Radio to break down the U.S. Supreme Court case involving the “Chevron Doctrine,” and how it may impact government agencies, as it pertains to labor and employee relations.

In particular, Mr. Lotito discusses the Supreme Court’s case as it may relate to the current independent contractor issue, as well as the NLRB’s joint-employer rule.

Related:

* On 'Chevron' Deference and a Path Forward

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 37—Thought Leader Michael Lotito on the Emma Coalition and the radical and transformational changes coming to America’s workforce

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 12—Guest: Michael J. Lotito, Labor Attorney and Nationally-Recognized Thought Leader on Workplace Policy

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Reputation Partners’ CEO Nick Kalm returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss Chicago politics, our nation’s immigration challenges, as well as to share some political observations and prognostications regarding the 2024 national elections.

Related:

* The Chicago Teachers Union Wants to End Student Homelessness at the Bargaining Table

* Labor Relations Radio, E99—Do unions have an Anti-Israel problem? A conversation with Nick Kalm

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 45—Guests Nick Kalm and Haley Hartmann on Gen Z in the Workplace

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 9—Reputation Partners' CEO Nick Kalm On Attacks On Company Brands

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Have you ever wondered why, on the topic of immigration, unions have gone from protectionism to tacitly supporting so-called “open borders?”

In the episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Watson, Research Director for the Capital Research Center shares what can be considered an ‘origin story’ on how unions went from favoring tighter restrictions on immigration to almost no restrictions at all today.

Check out Michael Watson’s work at the Capitol Research Center:

* The Turn at the Millennium: Why Big Labor Switched Sides on Immigration

* Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Membership Decline

* Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: A Trade Unionist in the White House

* Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Causes of the Long Decline

* Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Labor’s Private-Sector Left

* Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: A New Power Rises

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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By Peter List, Editor | April 6, 2024

Last week, Mike Elk, a pro-union writer, who owns a website called PayDay Report, did a hit piece on me entitled “Anti-UAW Union Buster Secretly Behind Hit Labor News Site.” Here is my response.

* Perhaps, we owe you an explanation...

* Union Watchdog: UAW Leaders Bask In Puerto Rico As Members Get Laid Off

* Congress Should Investigate UAW's Neutrality Agreement & Works Council Scam At VW

* After Volkswagen Loss, UAW Bosses Turn To Bovine Excrement Manufacturing

* The UAW At VW: A Desperate Old Dog Tries A Very Old (And Illegal) Trick

* A Lesson In U.S. Labor Law & How The UAW Is Lying Its Way Into The South With VW's Help

* Why Are VW's German Union Bosses Backtracking On Their Expansion Ultimatum Now?

* Anti-UAW Workers File NLRB Charges Over VW's Pro-Union Coercion

* Why Doesn't The UAW Want A Secret-Ballot Election At VW?

* Anti-UAW Workers File NLRB Charges Over VW's Pro-Union Coercion

* Deutschland Meets Detroit: UAW partners with German union to launch all-out invasion of Mercedes & VW plants in U.S.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Congressman Burgess Owens (R-UT) discusses his recently-introduced bill, the Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act, legislation aimed at exposing “salting,” a common union organizing tactic where individuals are paid by labor unions to infiltrate companies to unionize employers from within.

Although this nefarious tactic—which relies on deceiving employers and, more importantly, employees—has been around for a long time, in recent years, union “salting” has become more prevalent at companies like Starbucks, Amazon and numerous other companies.

In addition to the SALT Act, Rep. Owens discusses the foundation he began before entering Congress, the Second Chance 4 Youth.

Second Chance 4 Youth is a Utah-based non-profit program with the aim to end the cycle of generational incarceration and lower the rates of recidivism. Learn more here.

Related:

* Owens Leads Labor Union Transparency Bill

* About Second Chance 4 Youth

* Analysis: Workers United paid nearly $2.5 million to organizers, "salts" and activists at Starbucks

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 20—A Primer On How Union Salts and “Moles” Undermine Companies Like Amazon and Others

* Labor Relations Radio, E116—Labor Attorney Marc Furman and Dealing With Union Salts

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

According to a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) press release, “during the first six months of Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1–March 31), union election petitions filed at NLRB field offices rose 35% over the same period in Fiscal Year 2023.”

In this episode, Labor Relations Institute’s Michael VanDervort joins host Peter List to discuss the union organizing trends, as well as some of the current labor relations topics of the day.

Related links:

* The LRI Labor Libraries

* LRI Newsletter

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

When Nicole Solas, a stay-at-home mom, was enrolling her child into kindergarten, she asked a few too many questions about what was going to be taught to her child.

The lack of answers, ultimately, led to public-records requests, which then turned into a lawsuit by the teachers’ union.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Ms. Solas joins host Peter List to discuss what led to the lawsuit against her, and the three-year saga that she has endured.

In addition to being a stay-at-home mon, Ms. Solas is a non-practicing attorney and Senior Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She has also appeared as a parent advocate on The Ingraham Angle, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Newsmax National Report, and National Review. Her favorite appearance was on the cover of the New York Post as a featured “domestic terrorist.” She is the 2021 winner of the Goldwater Institute Freedom Award for battling education bureaucrats.  

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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David R. Osborne, Senior Fellow for Labor Policy with the Commonwealth Foundation, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss his new podcast, Disunion: The Government Union Report, government unions, as well as how unions are working around the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision.

Read more about the Commonwealth Foundation here.

Listen to David’s podcast Disunion: Government Union Report:

* On Spotify

* On YouTube

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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More than 20 years ago, Atlas Container was the cover story of an Inc. magazine article entitled, The Power of Listening (registration required).

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List is joined by Paul Centenari, CEO of Atlas Container, a corrugated box manufacturer that practices Open Book Management (OBM).

In this episode, Paul shares his views on what makes OBM a successful way to manage a business, as well as some of the challenges.

Related: The Power of Listening—How does an old-line manufacturer in a stagnant industry manage to grow 25% a year for 10 years? By taking its employees seriously.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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According to Gallup, employee engagement is at its lowest point in 11 years.

The term ‘Employee Engagement’ has been around since 1990. Since then, corporate America has spent millions (billions?) of dollars investing in the “engagement industry”—polls, seminars, consultants and training.

Why, then, is engagement still so low?

What Is Employee Engagement? “Employee engagement,” according to one definition, “is a concept in human resources that refers to the degree to which employees are invested in, motivated by and passionate about the work they do and the company for which they work.” 

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Patricia Garland—author of ‘33 Ways How Not to Screw Up HR’—joins host Peter List to explore possible reasons why employee engagement is low and why, perhaps, we’re asking the wrong questions.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 61—'33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR' Author Patricia Garland

* Labor Relations Radio, E113—How Your Merit Pay Plan May Cause Union Problems, with Guest Patricia Garland

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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With employee engagement the lowest it’s been in 11 years, Dr. Fiona Jamison, CEO of Spring International, joins Labor Relations Radio host Peter List to discuss the “seismic shift” in employee expectations that has occurred over the past several years and how employers can adapt.

Fiona’s company, Spring International, is a women-owned, full-service, custom research and consulting firm located in suburban Philadelphia, PA. Across all research (policy, customer, and employee) programs, Spring has helped large corporations using customized employee engagement surveys, onboarding surveys, diversity assessments, exit interviews, & leadership assessments, as well as conducted research in 88 countries and in 25 languages.

You can follow Fiona Jamison on LinkedIn here, or contact Spring International here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Recently, an administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled that Amazon CEO Andy Jassey’s answers to interview questions violated the National Labor Relations Act.

Unless the ALJ's decision regarding Jassey's seemingly innocuous statements made during various interviews in 2022 (included in this episode) is overturned, which is unlikely to happen soon, all employers' speech during union-organizing campaigns may be significantly impacted. [See the full ALJ decision here.]

In this joint episode of Labor Relations Radio and Labor Relations Institute’s Left of Boom show, LRI’s Phil Wilson and Peter List discuss the ALJ’s decision against Amazon, and its ramifications for all employers.

* NLRB ALJ Decision on Amazon CEO Comments

* NLRB’s Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Cary Burke, a labor attorney with Seyfarth Shaw returns to discuss a number of topics, including a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge’s recent decision that a manager visiting an employee’s LinkedIn profile was ‘surveillance,’ the potential for the NLRB to issue a Cemex Bargaining Order at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama, as well as a number of other potential NLRB actions we might expect in the months ahead.

Follow Cary Burke on LinkedIn here.

Related:

* UAW Has Path to Reverse Mercedes Loss Under New Labor Standard

* Labor Relations Radio, E95—Seyfarth Shaw's Cary Burke on the 'retroactivity' of Cemex Bargaining Orders and more

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Internationally recognized leadership consultant and CEO of the Parone Group, Irma Parone, joins the podcast to discuss her problem-solving techniques, as well as her book WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees, & Your Bottom Line and her new book WINX for Employees: The Problem-Solving Model to Unlock Workplace Success.

* To read more about Ms. Parone, view her bio here, or follow her on LinkedIn here.

* To contact Ms. Parone, visit the Parone Group website here.

* You can order her books on Amazon here.

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Constitutional attorney Jeffrey Schwab from the Liberty Justice Center joins Labor Relations Radio to discuss a newly-filed case that, if successful, may open governments up to being “joint employers” with certain private-sector employers.

Schwab, who is not a labor attorney, served as counsel for Mark Janus in Janus v. AFSCME, the landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court found that public employees could not be compelled to pay money to a union without their consent.

In this most recent case, Schwab is representing two public defenders who work for the publicly-funded Legal Aid Society in New York City and are required to pay agency fees to the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA).

The plaintiffs argue that, even though the Legal Aid Society is a private employer under the National Labor Relations Act, since the City of New York funds the pay and benefits and “attaches conditions that, at least in part, exert control over how LAS spends funds received by the City, including, for example, approving bonuses,” the protections under Janus v. AFSCME from being compelled to pay agency fees to a union should apply to them as well.

Related:

* Will A Lawsuit Over A Union's Alleged 'Anti-Semitism' Open The Door To Expanding Janus To The Private Sector?

* Legal Aid lawyers sue union, claiming that dues violate First Amendment

* Read the lawsuit in full here

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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Megann McManus (bio here) is a full-service traditional labor attorney at the law firm Husch Blackwell.

Before becoming a lawyer, Megann majored in theatre and then worked for Actors’ Equity Association as a director in the human resources department. There, she gained a unique and valuable perspective as a manager for a labor union, and she quickly realized that the collective bargaining and contract management process happening behind the scenes was even more interesting than the drama on the stage.

Now, as an attorney working with employers, Ms. McManus has extensive experience in collective bargaining, grievance management, labor arbitration, and union-related litigation, including matters before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), as well as public sector litigation.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Ms. McManus joins host Peter List to discuss the little-known subject of Deauthorization Elections, wherein private-sector workers in states without right-to-work laws can vote to ‘deauthorize’ required dues payments under a union security clause.

Follow Megann McManus on LinkedIn here.

Related: Labor Relations Radio, Ep 67—National Right To Work Foundation's Glenn Taubman On Employee Rights and Options

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

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With last week’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 40-year precedent called the Chevron Doctrine (or Deference).

This decision may have significant impact concerning how the National Labor Relations Board (and other federal agencies) conduct themselves moving forward.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, labor attorney Jim Paretti, Jr., a shareholder with the law firm Littler Mendelson, returns to the podcast to discuss what the reversal of the Chevron Doctrine means, as well as provides an update to the “Joint Employer Rule” that the NLRB issued last year.

Contact Jim Paretti, Jr. here.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E118: Michael Lotito Explains How A Supreme Court Case May Have A Huge Impact On Government Agencies

* Labor Relations Radio, E79—Labor Attorney Jim Paretti discusses the NLRB's Atlanta Opera decision & its impact on Independent Contractors

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses political issues currently going on in the U.S. and the State of California If political topics trigger you, please do not listen to this episode.

With political issues occupying the national conversation since President Joe Biden’s debate debacle, Will Swaim, president of the California Policy Center and co-host of National Review’s Radio Free California podcast, joins host Peter List to discuss current affairs and the potential replacement of Joe Biden by either current-Vice President Kamala Harris, or California Governor Gavin Newsom, and potential other contenders.

Follow Will Swaim on X (formerly Twitter) here.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E94—CPC's Will Swaim on California's Fast Food Council, Gov. Newsom's Presidential ambitions and much more

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Since October 7th, there has been a tremendous and overt rise of anti-semitism on college campuses across the U.S.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Glenn Taubman from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation joins host Peter List to share what the Foundation is doing to assist and protect grad students, as well as others, against the onslaught of antisemitism in their unions.

Related:

* To contact the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, go here.

* U.S. House Committee Spotlights Need for Employee Protections Against Forced Funding of Extremist Unions

* Labor Relations Radio, E132—Constitutional Attorney Jeffrey Schwab On A New Janus-Related Case With Potentially Sweeping Ramifications

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber..

As unions have become more reliant on government largesse over the last few decades, putting their future fortunes into the hands of the government, the question of whether the Constitution’s First Amendment and its Freedom of Association apply to the concept of Exclusive Representation is called into question.

In this episode, labor attorney Alex MacDonald, from Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute shares some of the details of his paper: Political Unions, Free Speech, and the Death of Voluntarism: Why Exclusive Representation Violates the First Amendment [in PDF]

Shorter: Union membership is now political. So can the government still require people to associate with a union?

Returning guest Nick Kalm, CEO of Reputation Partners, rejoins the podcast to discuss the month’s political events and try to figure out which team has the advantage going into November.

Prior Labor Relations Radio Episodes with Nick Kalm:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 9—Reputation Partners' CEO Nick Kalm On Attacks On Company Brands

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 44—Guest Nick Kalm On Why The Mid-Term's 'Red Wave' Was Barely A Ripple

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 45—Guests Nick Kalm and Haley Hartmann on Gen Z in the Workplace

* Labor Relations Radio, E80—Reputation Partners' Nick Kalm on Companies Destroying Their Brands: 'Stay In Your Lane.'

* Labor Relations Radio, E99—Do unions have an Anti-Israel problem? A conversation with Nick Kalm

* Labor Relations Radio E119—A conversation with Nick Kalm on Chicago Politics, Immigration and the 2024 Election

For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Within three weeks earlier this Spring, employees of a Trader Joe’s store in Chicago turned around an ambush election by Trader Joe’s United. They did so without help from their employer, and to the shock and dismay of the union’s leaders.

Long-time Trader Joe’s employees, Nikki and Jose, explain what happened before and during the short window before their NLRB election.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E102—Unionized Trader Joe's Employees Explain the Efforts to Decertify Trader Joe's United

* Labor Relations Radio, E83—Trader Joe’s Employees Speak Out About Unionization

* Labor Relations Radio, E88—A Trader Joe's employee reveals union tactics that led to a union's loss.

* Trader Joe's union is not what we bargained for

* NLRB: Trader Joe’s Employee Decertification Petition

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

Only months after the State of California required fast-food operators to raise the minimum wage from $16 to $20 per hour, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) wants the minimum wage raised again.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Tom Manzo, President of the California Business & Industrial Alliance joins host Peter List to discuss how unions are negatively impacting the state and driving businesses out.

* California fast-food workers want another minimum wage increase

* California labor takes a rare “L” in 2024

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

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As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent across various industries, one industry that is not often included in the AI discussion in the construction industry.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Patrick Scarpati, Director of Construction Technology and Innovation for the Associated Builders and Contractors, joins host Peter List to discuss ABC’s new AI Resource Guide, the current uses of AI, as well as where AI may be headed.

As an added bonus: The outro for this episode was written and performed by AI for ABC. (😳)

Related:

* Visit our AI @ Work section here.

* Visit our AI @ Work Library here

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 1 –Guest: Associated Builders & Contractors’ Ben Brubeck Discusses President Biden's Recent Executive Order on PLAs and more

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep 11—Guest: Joe Perpiglia, ABC President of Eastern PA talks about union RCOs, sabotage and more...

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 33—ABC's Ben Brubeck on the PRO Act Senate Vote and More

* Labor Relations Radio, E106—ABC's Ben Brubeck on Biden's PLA Mandate, Joint Employer and Apprenticeship Rules

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio.

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, become a paid subscriber.

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Alex MacDonald, from the Workplace Policy Institute, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss the filing of an amicus brief (for a writ of certiorari) with the U.S. Supreme Court for the Court to clarify a prior decision from 1984 that, if successful, could weaken a new form of "exclusive representation" for unions.

Related:

* An Amicus Brief Was Just Filed With The Supreme Court Asking The Court To Hear The Issue Of Exclusive Representation 'Schemes'

* Labor Relations Radio E138 — Attorney Alex MacDonald On The Constitutionality Of 'Exclusive Representation'

* Political Unions, Free Speech, and the Death of Voluntarism: Why Exclusive Representation Violates the First Amendment [in PDF]

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Did you know that more than 95 percent of unionized private-sector employees have never voted to be unionized?

As Americans, every two, four, or six years, we head to polls to cast our ballots for who we want to represent us. For unionized workers in the private sector, the vast majority never voted to unionize.

According to a new study [in PDF] by the Institute for the American Worker (I4AW), 95 percent of private sector union workers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) are represented by a union they have never voted for.

Analyzing four decades of data on union organizing elections shows that workplace democracy has worsened since the last such analysis, in 2016. In the past eight years, the percentage of private-sector union members who voted for their union has declined by more than a full percentage point—from 6% to 4.9%.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, I4AW’s President, F. Vincent Vernuccio returns to the podcast to explain I4AW’s new report.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 43—The Institute for the American Worker's F. Vincent Vernuccio on Independent Contractors, Joint Employers & More

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 2—Guest: F. Vincent Vernuccio of the Institute for American Workers

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Last Friday, the Biden-Harris administration—“the most pro-union administration in American history”—issued an Executive Order that overwhelmingly gives unions and unionized employers advantages in obtaining federal work.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs for the Associated Builders & Contractors explains how this “gift to unions is discouraging for the overwhelming majority of the U.S. construction industry workforce—nearly 90%—that works for nonunion employers.”

Related:

* ABC: Latest Biden-Harris Executive Order Panders to Unions, Harming 90% of Construction Workforce

* Labor Relations Radio, E1–Associated Builders & Contractors’ Ben Brubeck Discusses President Biden's Recent Executive Order on PLAs and more

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 33—ABC's Ben Brubeck on the PRO Act Senate Vote and More

* Labor Relations Radio, E106—ABC's Ben Brubeck on Biden's PLA Mandate, Joint Employer and Apprenticeship Rules

Go here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Is Sean O’Brien, the President of the International Brotherhood Teamsters, a “scab” for not endorsing Kamala Harris?

Joe Brock is president of Reliant Labor Consultants and a former local president of a large Teamsters local.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Joe returns to the podcast to explain why he believes Sean O’Brien has betrayed union principles by allowing the Teamsters’ non-endorsement.

Related:

* Labor Relations Radio, E92—Former Teamster leader-turned-consultant Joe Brock on today's workplace issues

* This Breakdown Of Teamsters Locals Endorsing Harris Shows A Majority Of Members Supporting Trump

* If Unions Don't Want Members' Opinions, They Shouldn't Ask (Most Don't).

* WATCH: Teamsters President Sean O'Brien Delivers A Fiery Speech At The Republican National Convention

LISTEN TO AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE YGTBFKM PODCAST

Returning guest Kim Kavin, a freelance writer, editor and co-founder of Fight for Freelancers has a new Substack: FreelanceBusting.com.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Kim Kavin joins host Peter List to discuss where the battle against the freelance busters stands during this election cycle.

Be sure to subscribe to Kim’s substack.

“It is declared to be the policy of the United States to eliminate the causes of certain substantial obstructions to the free flow of commerce and to mitigate and eliminate these obstructions when they have occurred by encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and by protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association, self- organization, and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment or other mutual aid or protection.” — National Labor Relations Act

Labor attorney Alex MacDonald from Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute returns to the podcast to discuss his article The Accidental Success of the NLRA: How a Law about Unions Achieved Its Goals by Giving Us Fewer Unions.

Read more of Alex’s writings at the Federalist Society here.

* Labor Relations Radio E144—Alex MacDonald Explains How Unions' Right to"Exclusive Representation" May Be Unconstitutional

* Labor Relations Radio E138 — Attorney Alex MacDonald On The Constitutionality Of 'Exclusive Representation'

LISTEN TO AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE YGTBFKM PODCAST

LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

With the November 5th elections right around the corner, employers and unions alike are girding themselves for what could be a very consequential outcome.

In this, the 150th episode of Labor Relations Radio, labor attorney and returning guest Cary Burke joins host Peter List to discuss Elon Musk’s recent victory at the Fifth Circuit over an old tweet, as well as potential labor relations outcomes if Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win the presidency.

Other Labor Relations Episodes with Cary Burke:

* Labor Relations Radio, E95—Seyfarth Shaw's Cary Burke on the 'retroactivity' of Cemex Bargaining Orders and more

* Labor Relations Radio, E130—Attorney Cary Burke on a Potential Cemex Bargaining Order At Mercedes & 'Spying' on LinkedIn

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

With the election of Donald Trump to become the 47th President of the United States, both employers and unions should expect yet another pendulum swing in labor law.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Jon Hyman, a shareholder with Wickens Herzer Panza shares some insights as to what we might see coming in 2025.

Related Links:

* Jon Hyman’s Ohio Employer Law Blog

* Jon Hyman on LinkedIn.com

* The Norah and Dad Show

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 18: Guest—The 'Master of Workplace Schadenfreude,' Attorney Jon Hyman on why 'anti-union doesn't mean anti-worker'

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 21—Guest: Attorney Jon Hyman On What HR Can Take Away From The NLRB's Starbucks Complaint

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 36: Guest Jon Hyman on Weingarten Rights, What They Are And How They're Likely Coming Back To Non-Union Workplaces

* Labor Relations Radio, E86—Guest Jon Hyman on the Existential Impact of Artificial Intelligence

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Employers and their agents beware…

Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision in Siren Retail Corp d/b/a Starbucks, overruling Tri-Cast, Inc., 274 NLRB 377 (1985) and clarifying the test that the Board will use to evaluate whether employer predictions about the impact of unionization on the relationship between individual employees and their employer are unlawful threats. 

Under the new ruling, if an employer (or its agents) does not carefully parse out their statements to employees regarding Section 9(a), moving forward, the NLRB will now find that the employer has issued a threat.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Phil Wilson, President of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. (LRICS) and Approachable Leadership, returns to the podcast to discuss the ramifications of the NLRB’s new decision, as well as what is ahead with a new NLRB under Trump 2.0.

Prior episodes with Phil Wilson:

* Labor Relations Radio E129—LRI's Phil Wilson on an NLRB ALJ's Outrageous Ruling Against Free Speech

* Labor Relations Radio, E97—LRI's Phil Wilson & Michael VanDervort on the new Left of Boom podcast

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 64—LRI's Phil Wilson on Recent NLRB Developments and Union Organizing Trends

* Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 40—LRI's Phil Wilson on the State of the Post-Pandemic Workplace

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Though not unexpected, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its long-awaited decision, which bans employers from conducting so-called “captive-audience” (aka mandatory) meetings with their employees during union organizing campaigns.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, labor attorney Mike Carrouth, from the law firm Fisher Phillips, shares the basics in what employers are allowed and not allowed to do under this new ruling.

Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you, as an employer, have union-related questions or issues, please seek advice from a labor attorney.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien is recommending Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, to lead the Department of Labor under the incoming Trump administration.

She is an odd choice for Trump to consider, given her backing of the economy-destroying PRO Act, and she has already garnered much criticism from many people and groups, including independent contractor advocates.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Saltsman, a partner with Berman & Co. joins host Peter List to discuss what is driving the push behind Chavez-DeRemer, as well as why she would be a bad choice for the incoming Trump administration.

Related:

* Teamsters president pushing Chavez-DeRemer for Labor secretary

* Lori Chavez-DeRemer touted for US Labor Secretary

* Employers' group tees off on Chavez-DeRemer amid Labor secretary chatter

* Don’t Let the Teamsters Pick the Labor Secretary

* Independent Contractors Sound the Alarm: PRO-Act Sponsor Lori-Chavez-DeRemer Is Not Fit to Be Labor Secy

* Make America Work Again

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.

On Friday evening, much to the surprise of the business community and millions of independent contractors, President-elect Donald Trump nominated a one-term Congresswoman, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore), to become Trump’s Secretary of Labor.

Despite her seeming lack of qualifications, Chavez-DeRemer’s pick is surprising to many people due to her…

* Backing of the PRO Act

* Support for nationalizing public-sector labor law

* Reported backing of amnesty for undocumented migrants

As the nomination was fully supported by the Teamsters’ union president Sean O’Brien, the Wall Street Journal editorial board even penned a piece entitled: Trump’s Labor Choice: Unions Over Workers.

In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Jennifer Van Laar, the managing editor of RedState.com joins host Peter List to discuss Trump’s puzzling pick.

LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, become a subscriber.