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 Hart...
Mar 27, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 'Chev...
Mar 14, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 . * Lab...
Mar 06, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 an...
Feb 21, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 16, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 bolster...
Feb 06, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Feb 02, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 —w...
Feb 01, 2024•2 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Calif...
Jan 26, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jan 24, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 implementatio...
Jan 22, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast “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 epis...
Jan 10, 2024•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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-prof...
Dec 26, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast “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...
Dec 22, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Dec 13, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Direc...
Dec 11, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Found...
Dec 07, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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,” t...
Nov 30, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 automake...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 decade...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast 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 individi...
Nov 07, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast “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. Rel...
Oct 11, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 . LaborUnionNews.com's News Digest and Labor...
Oct 07, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 th...
Oct 05, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 22, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 L...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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: Decodi...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 i...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 s...
Sep 04, 2023•2 hr 41 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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" Mee...
Aug 28, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
