SERVICES

Union Avoidance

Countering union organizing drives has become one of the most difficult labor relations challenges facing the workplace today. The consultants at Harmonious Labor, Inc., however, are skilled and experienced in countering union organizing drives through lawful means. Our goal is not union avoidance, rather it is to help you design and implement a strategic campaign strategy that will keep the workplace connected to the goals of the organization. The ultimate goal is to maintain a harmonious union-free work environment. To achieve this goal, our consultants will provide specialized employment-related services to address the business needs of our clients.

These services include:

• Corporate Campaign Communications
  
  
• Supervisory / Managers Training- What Employers Can and Can’t Do
  
  
• Employee Education During Union Organizing Campaigns
  
  

Vulnerability Audit

The debate over labor law reform will likely lead to expedited elections and significantly shortened campaigns. America’s labor unions are working harder than ever to recruit new members and convert more workplaces. As a result, employers must be prepared for significantly more aggressive organizing tactics. Harmonious Labor’s experienced consultants will help you identify your union vulnerability areas and issues that trigger union activity to put your company in the best possible position to avoid union organizing.

The vulnerability audit will identify the following key areas that may make your company vulnerable to any outside organization:

• Unclear or written policies and procedures or policies that are administered unfairly.
  
  
• Absence or marginal two-way communication between employees and upper management.
  
  
• Absence of supervisory or employee training and development programs.
  
  
• Unaddressed employee grievances.
  
  

Union Substitution Programs

It is our belief that well defined human resource management (HRM) practices act as a substitute for unionization. Therefore, Harmonious Labor Inc. will plan a comprehensive review of your company’s HRM practices, ensuring that policies, handbooks, and procedures provide guidance for fair and consistent staff treatment. Most successful campaigns are driven by unresolved employee concerns, unaddressed employee grievances, and failure to get employees involved in decisions and actions that affect their job. We believe workers do not need union representation in their workplace to ensure that grievance procedures, health and safety arrangements, and other forms of involvement exist. Research indicates companies that have or encourage employee communication and participation programs, including nonunion grievance procedures, are more successful in maintaining nonunion status than are companies without such programs.

The following is a list of union substitution programs Harmonious Labor Inc. will help our clients establish:

• Employee Involvement Program

• Encouraging Employee Involvement Through Safety Teams
• Involvement in Continuous Improvement Activities
• Building Powerful Successful Work Teams
  
  

• Formal Grievance and Dispute Resolution System

• Strategic Negotiation Skills
• Resolving Workplace Conflict
• Facilitation Techniques and the Dynamics of Group Interaction
• Workplace Investigation Techniques
• Negotiation Skills
  
  

• Quality Circles

• Team-Base Process Improvement
• Increasing Employee Involvement in Problem Solving
  
  

• Effective Employee Relations Program

• Effective Coaching, Counseling, and Progressive Discipline Strategies
• Identification of Employee Concerns
• Effective Communication Techniques
  
  

Workplace Harmony Program

Harmonious Labor’s consultants will help create and implement a Workplace Harmony Program, providing interactive trainings to supervisors and managers on how to be aware of internal problems and improve management skills and employee morale. Our interactive programs teach and advise supervisors and managers how to effectively maximize organizational performance and maintain positive employee relations. The program offers interactive executive, management and supervisory training and advice on: promoting positive employee relations; managing workplace conflict; developing management-employee dialogue; union organizing campaign management; the affect of employee relations on organizational culture, and many other topics.