Master Builders of Iowa

This article is for HR personnel in a non-union environment or union companies who have elected to limit their collective bargaining obligations to a select building trade union(s). One of the goals of the HR person is to recognize this goal, how it differs from a union environment and how to make the best of the culture of your company. Remember, one of the tests of life is how to play the cards you are dealt.  Many times companies cross their fingers and stick their heads in the ground hoping that because of their history or location, they can stay non-union. As declining employment puts more people on the street, unions will look for more targets that got help and dues. Do you want to remain in the ostrich position during these times?  The following are a few recommendations you can consider using without announcing you are in a union-prevention mode.

1. Check the pay and benefit programs in your area and in the areas where your crews work. It is a lot easier to pay near or above union scale than negotiate or honor a union contract. You also need to check when you last reviewed these benefits with your workforce. It is strongly encouraged to participate in yearly reviews in person, as well as periodically issuing letters on updates in the benefit package.  Always try to communicate these facts in English and any other language that is involved in your workforce. 
2. Refresh your recollection on how unions salt jobs by sending over organizers who announce their intentions and thereby put your company into a no win position of hiring them or risking a visit from the NLRB. 
3. Review your supervisory personnel and realistically ask yourself if these people can invite the union in because of their management techniques or lack thereof.
4. Review the behavior of your top managers and owners to determine if their actions and image will lead to inviting the union in. 
5. Educate all people who contact the workforce about their behavior and communication techniques which can lead to a negative workforce response.
6. Review your office manuals to see if the wage review process is clear and then check your records to ensure the process is being observed...Check that your supervisors honor the raise process and don’t just create wage rates to attract and retain employees.  This process of winging it, regarding raises, can lead to a workforce feeling they need union protection in this area if they aren’t the boss’s pet.
7. Do a morale check to see if your company is one where people are happy and proud to work or just a job. There is a lot of good that an HR person can do in this area. A few ways to create a proud team include: company social events, sports teams, free or cheap company logo-bearing dress items, lunches combined with safety programs or benefit reviews, free tickets to local events, acknowledgement of personal or family achievements or a company newsletter.
8. Do a review of your workforce.  Who are the leaders and are they happy and proud to be with you? Do these leaders have a social following who can give them ready access to help or organize your company to hire them? Who is unhappy about a specific event or life in general? Who are the manager’s pets or enemies?
9. Review your hiring process in the office and in the field both in theory and in fact.  This process is the first step to building a good workforce and it cannot be left to chance.
10. Check your own calendar and see how often you get out to visit with the workers and ask the boss to do the same. It is hard to organize a company where leadership takes the time to know the people and understand their concerns.
11. Vest one person with the responsibility to keep this process going year round.