Michael D. Farren, PhD ., is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. HIs article A Pro-Union Vision for the 21st Century and Beyond raises interesting possibilities for unions in the 21st Century. In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Dr. Farren discussed a “blue sky” vision of how unions could prosper by getting rid of “Unions’ Original Sin: Exclusive Representation” and competing in a free market workplace, as well as independent contractors and the prob...
Jul 11, 2022•2 hr 59 min•Transcript available on Metacast “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, Founder of the American Federation of Labor Mark Mix is our guest on this episode of Labor Relations Radio. Mr. Mix is the President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. He also serves as President of the Na...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re in human resources, you probably know the name Suzanne Lucas (aka “ Evil HR Lady ”). Suzanne is one of the most well-known writers on HR topics and writes about many current events affecting the HR community. In this episode Labor Relations Radio, Suzanne shares the history of her “Evil HR Lady” moniker, as well as her thoughts on a wide array human resources topics. Although she writes for a number of publications, you can read all of “Evil HR Lady” here . If you’re a human resources ...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast With the word ‘recession’ hitting the headlines, Dr. Dan Mitchell , a co-founder of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation, discusses the current economic outlook for the country. Dr. Mitchell holds a Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from the University of Georgia. Mitchell was a senior fellow with the Cato Institute and The Heritage Foundation, and an economist for Senator Bob Pac...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Mr. Maxford Nelson , the Freedom Foundation’s Director of Labor Policy is the Labor Relations Radio guest. The Freedom Foundation is, 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.” In that regard, through its “ Opt Out Today ” program , the Freedom Foundation has “liberated” 116,918 public employees from political exploitation” th...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This podcast is public so feel free to share it. Former NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce joins Labor Relations Radio for a wide ranging discussion about the post-pandemic activism, life after the NLRB, union organizing, the politics of labor policy, as well as art. As a former Board Member and Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Chairman Pearce served by appointment of President Barack Obama for two terms, concluding in August 2018. On August 23, 2013, he was sworn in for a se...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Synopsis In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Evan Armstrong , a spokesperson for the Coalition for Workforce Innovation , as well as Vice President of Workforce and a member of the Government Affairs team for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (or RILA) discusses the status of case involving a Trump-era rule regarding independent contractors, the NLRB general counsel’s efforts to enact card-check, ban captive audience meetings, as well as a host of other labor and employment policy is...
May 19, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast For years, the AFL-CIO has published its ‘ Executive Paywatch ,’ which (despite using a tiny fraction of the top-earning CEOs across America) has a clear purpose of painting nearly all CEOs with the same broad brush of “corporate greed.” While it’s generally understood that the purpose of the AFL-CIO’s Executive Paywatch is to create a media buzz about executive compensation that can be used by the media to foster an “us vs. them” environment in the public mind, when the Wall Street Journal publ...
May 17, 2022•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this podcast with your colleagues. Last week, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rather large complaint against Starbucks consisting of 33 charges of unfair labor practices that included 200+ alleged violations of the National Labor Relations Act. While it is important to note that the NLRB’s complaint consists of allegations , not findings of “guilt,” they can be used as a tool for employers to learn from—especially those unfamiliar with the “Do’s and Don’ts” of union organizing ...
May 11, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Union “salts” or “moles” have been around for a long time. While they are commonly known in the construction industry, with the uptick in union organizing activity across the country, union “salting”—or the planting of union “moles”—is becoming more commonplace in companies outside the construction industry—like Amazon’s warehouse in Staten Island. In this episode of Labor Relations Radio , we cover the basics of union “salting” and how union “moles” undermine and unionize companies. Share this ...
Apr 28, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this episode of Labor Relations Radio. Background : On June 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that affects the rights of public-sector employees across the country. The decision, Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31 , involved a public employee, Mark Janus, who declined to join a union but was nevertheless required under a union contract to pay union fees, sometimes referred to as “agency fees” or “fair share fees.” For years, these compulsory union fees were considered le...
Apr 25, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this episode of Labor Relations Radio. Attorney Jon Hyman is one of the most well-known and prolific employee and labor law writers on the internet. As a shareholder and director at Wickens Herzer Panza , in Avon, Ohio, Jon is the Practice Group Leader of the firm's Employment & Labor Practice Group, and a member of the Firm's Litigation Department. However, on the internet, and with a following of nearly 16,000 followers on LinkedIn, Jon’s posts reach thousands of human resources professi...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Subscribers to LaborUnionNews.com’s Substack received the email covering the NLRB General Counsel’s Brief To Ban "Captive Audience" Meetings, Install Back-Door Card Check . In this short episode of Labor Relations Radio, for subscribers who did not read the entire post, we cover the three main takeaways of the GC’s 93-page brief in Cemex Construction Materials Pacific . * De-facto card check is likely coming * Mandatory employer meetings will likely be outlawed * The NLRB wants it to be illegal ...
Apr 13, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast With so much in the headlines, in this episode of Labor Relations Radio, we cover some of the major news stories over the last five days—from the Teamsters ending the concrete strike in Seattle to Amazon and its election objections, as well as include the NLRB General Counsel’s memorandum seeking to ban so-called “captive audience” meetings and why not to panic—yet. Related Data: * SOURCE: Union Elections in 2020—Who Won and Lost at the NLRB * Source: NLRB—Number of Elections Held Per FY Related...
Apr 11, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast The so-called “gig economy” encompasses hundreds (perhaps thousands) of professions and 59 million Americans and is growing . However, because independent contractors (aka “freelancers” or “gig workers”) are not “employees” under National Labor Relations Act and cannot be unionized, unions and their political allies are trying to kill the gig economy at the state-by-state level, as well as at the federal level through the “ PRO Act ” by enacting a draconian measure called the ‘ ABC Test .’ Since...
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast With last week’s union victories at Amazon’s warehouse in Staten Island, as well as union victories at Starbucks, there is a media narrative that is not telling the whole story. In both campaigns, the Democratic Socialists of America, as well as Communist Party USA have had a rather large role to play in helping to unionize the workers at Amazon and, as well, Starbucks. However, despite it being publicly available for anyone to search out, it is not being talked in the media—even though it could...
Apr 05, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast The franchise business model has become a key way for many Americans and immigrants to achieve the “American Dream.” However, it is under attack on multiple fronts. Just as tens of thousands of franchisors and franchisees and their millions of employees are beginning to recover from the pandemic, politicians, government bureaucrats and judicial activists are wittingly (or unwittingly) trying to destroy the very business model that has delivered the American Dream to so many. In this episode of L...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to America’s workplace policy , there are very few who meet Michael J. Lotito ’s knowledge, stature and influence. A nationally-known labor attorney for the firm Littler Mendelson , Mr. Lotito is co-chair of the firm’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI). Mr. Lotito has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, as well as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In his WPI role, he advocates on beha...
Mar 24, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this episode of Labor Relations Radio with your colleagues. Unions are trying to pass ordinances in cities and towns nationwide to exclude non-union employers and their employees from doing public works. They’re called Responsible Contractor Ordinances (RCOs) and, while this is happening across the country, eastern Pennsylvania is one of the current battle grounds . “The controversial part of the ordinance requires contractors to have an apprenticeship program in place for employees for at...
Mar 21, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this episode of Labor Relations Radio with your colleagues. For employers under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act, the legal landscape is changing quickly. At the American Bar Association’s mid-winter meeting, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) General Counsel’s ‘ extreme agenda ’ was on full display. In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Bob Nagle , an employer-side labor and employment attorney with the law firm Fox Rothschild discusses issues that the NLR...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Employers today face a large number of hurdles, from supply chain issues to employee recruitment and wage inflation issues. Not the least of those issues are internal and external attacks on their brands or corporate officers. With more than 30 years in the industry, Nick Kalm is the CEO of Reputation Partners , an integrated communications firm that provides a full range of PR, marketing and strategic services entirely in-house. Over the years, they’ve helped over 600 clients with their PR and ...
Mar 15, 2022•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Share this episode of Labor Relations Radio with your colleagues. Among the hundreds of resources found on LaborUnionNews.com’s resources page is the Americans for Fair Treatment (AFFT). The Americans for Fair Treatment is a non-profit that helps public-sector employees (e.g., fire fighters, police officers, teachers, as well as other public-sector employees) exercise their First Amendment rights. “Americans for Fair Treatment (AFFT) believes all public sector employees should have the freedom t...
Mar 10, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning journalist Steven Greenhouse was a reporter for the New York Times from 1983 to 2014—19 of those years covering labor and the workplace. He has been honored with the Society of Professional Journalists Deadline Club award, a New York Press Club award, a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Reporting, and the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism for his book The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker . His latest book Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Pr...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Labor Relations Radio is actually from the DriveThruHR podcast, the second leading HR Podcast You Need To Follow In 2022 . On Thursday, DriveThruHR host Michael VanDervort and Labor Relations Radio host Peter List discussed “the current leadership and direction of the NLRB, the potentially game-changing agenda of NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, and the union organizing campaigns at Amazon and Starbucks, among other topics.” Over the years, Michael and his cohosts have reco...
Mar 04, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast “As goes California, so goes the rest of the nation.”—unknown WARNING: This episode of Labor Relations Radio discusses California politics—and the exodus of businesses and people—from a rather blunt perspective. If blunt political discussions cause you, as a listener, to drive erratically, raises your blood pressure, or otherwise impair your performance, please do not listen to this podcast without sitting down, perhaps with a glass of wine. Businesses and People Are Fleeing California. Why? The...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Small businesses fuel America’s economy and are under assault. In 2020, before pandemic lockdowns, there were 31.7 million small businesses across the United States—from the single, self-employed entrepreneur to small businesses with less than 100 employees, according to the Small Business Administration. * Combined, they have 60.6 million employees—or 47% of the private-sector workforce. * 5.2 million of those small businesses are either minority owned, or self-employed minorities. * A lot of t...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast With union membership down to 10.3 percent of the American workforce—or 14 million workers—and 59 million workers who are independent contractors (aka ‘freelancers’ or ‘gig workers’) who are not unionized , unions and their allies in state and federal government are attacking the “gig economy.” What began in California as a law called ‘AB5’ to push a concept called the ABC Test—which has had catastrophic consequences on tens of thousands of people—has expanded nationally into the currently-stall...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast With so much coming out of Washington these days—from the stalled PRO Act to President Biden’s Executive Order on Project Labor Agreements and the America COMPETES Act (which recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives), it is difficult to keep up with it all. On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, F. Vincent Vernuccio of the Institute for American Workers joins Labor Relations Radio host and LaborUnionNews.com editor Peter List for a wide-ranging discussion on union related issues from...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast A wide-ranging discussion with Ben Brubeck of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), the nation’s largest trade association for merit-shop construction contractors and their employees. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 21,000 members, mostly small union-free contractors and their employees, with 69 chapters nationwide.In this hour-long, wide-ranging discussion, Ben Brubeck, ABC’s Vice President of Regu...
Feb 08, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
