While it can be tempting to forego legal counsel and instead use template employment policies and procedures, this approach often backfires, resulting in an unhealthy workplace that is primed for unionization. In addition, some labor laws apply even to non-union employers. That’s why savvy employers in West Virginia (WV), Kentucky (KY), and Ohio (OH) engage experienced labor and employment attorneys to help them navigate this complex area of law.
How a Tristate Collective Bargaining Attorney Helps Employers
In the absence of a unionized workforce, businesses set the terms and conditions of employment bound only by applicable law. Once workers join or establish a union, the whole landscape changes. Most terms and conditions of employment—such as pay, work hours, discipline, and benefits—become subject to mutual agreement through the process of collective bargaining.
The National Labor Relations Act sets the playing field for businesses and their workers when the workers seek to join or establish a union, as well as for the collective bargaining process after unionization. It prescribes the methods by which employees may seek to unionize and the behaviors required of management during and after the unionization effort. And some aspects of the Act apply even in a non-unionized environment.
Collective bargaining can be beneficial to both labor and management. Labor unrest can be extremely counterproductive, harming profits and even the existence of the business. The process allows management to understand what is on the minds of employees—both good and bad—and allows employees a better look at what their employers are facing. At the end of the day, if a business falls on hard times because of labor unrest or unprofitability, no one wins.