Grievance Solicitation After Organizing Activity Begins

Abstract

A reason not to wait for union organizing activity to assess your workplace and address problems is that the National Labor Relations Act does not allow an employer to “fix what's broken” once a union organizing campaign is underway. The law carries a presumption that attempts to solicit and resolve grievances or meet employee demands at this time are aimed to sway a workforce to vote against the union. The law considers such efforts to be interference with employee free choice. Thus, for reasons both legal and practical, the time to initiate a communications strategy; organize employee involvement committees; implement a grievance procedure; address compensation, policy or practice inequities; and solicit and remedy employee concerns is before a union organizer comes knocking.