So last week, I'm over at the SHRM Employment Law and Legislative Conference that was held in DC. Zzzzz. Boring, I know. Normally, I'm not into the wonky HR issues that drive some of our work but with everything that HR folks are confronted with, given the new administration, economic crises and advances in technology, I went diligently to check out the scene. And this is the kind of conference it was:
"Did you know that the FMLA stands for the Friday and Monday Leave Act?"
Roaring laughter ensued. And only in a room full of HR people would this joke get a laugh. But hey, it's the only way to jazz up topics like compliance with the revised regulations on FMLA and ADA. Ahhhh… the glamor of being an HR pro. I know. This is as sexy as it gets.
Here was an interesting bitty during the conference though. The keynote speaker was former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. who now chairs the Democratic Leadership Council – and I felt a bit confused by the pick. Awesome speaker, seemingly authentic fellow, but he chairs an organization that supports the Employee Free Choice Act which SHRM has stated they are not in support of. A bit of a dichotomy, no? But thankfully, before I could put my little hand up and ask a question, another attendee asked him about his opinion of the EFCA. Bam! I thought for sure we'd see some action at this point in the conference – something at least better than FMLA jokes. And without skipping a beat, Ford responded that he has some hesitations about it since he doesn't see how it will support job creation but quickly admitted that the DLC is in support of it. Okay, not so bad, I thought.
And then he hit me with something more. "If you're against EFCA, then you need to do a better job of talking about it. The unions and everyone else in support of it – you see their ads everywhere. They've got the PR game down. You're going to need to work on your PR and advertising around your stance on the issue."
Ouch. OUCH. Does that hurt anyone else? Anyone? (And SHRM – did you hear that? Read: take the ad dollars from the HR is so wow campaign and pour it into EFCA efforts. Now. Please. No more CNN ads.) To be clear, a la the HR Capitalist, Fistful of Talent isn't a political site. But, we have opinions, and we write on relevant topics. And with a battle brewing on the EFCA and the bill being reintroduced into Congress last week, we have to talk about it. Good rundowns exist here, here and here… Back to the point though. Do you have thoughts on EFCA? Want to do something about it? Well then, it's time to get involved. A starting point would be to sign a petition along with hundreds of thousands of others to say you're not in support of it.Or you could write your elected official and share your opinion. Or you can hit us up in the comments and we'll find another way for you to get involved within the HR community specifically. After all, Harold Ford Jr. said so.
I am in labor relations and I am constantly surprised how so many HR professionals think that this is someone else’s issue. If EFCA passes, every HR pro who doesn’t know much about labor relations instantly becomes less valuable to their employer.
The pro-union PR is unbelievable. The latest is that they are telling the public that the secret ballot doesn’t really go away and that the workers will decide whether they want to keep the secret ballot. It is a lie, as the union organizer will be the one making this decision (and they will take the easiest route, which is to circumvent the secret ballot).
Their PR gives wonderful examples of how the union folks are skilled at misleading and false information. They will use this skill to trick workers into signing union cards.
One thing everyone can do is to contact key senators to ask them to vote no and to support a filibuster of this bill. Especially for those living in Arkansas and Penn., home of some key senators.
I don’t want SHRM to lobby against EFCA. I want SHRM to provide solutions.
PS – I’m scared of organized mobs. Unions fall into that category, but so do organized companies who fail to provide safe work environments and fair & transparent pay practices. The best thing to come out of this EFCA battle will be a compromise that protects employees from unfair labor practices — and protects employees from unions, which often represent the lowest common denominator of populism. I’m just sorry that SHRM isn’t offering solutions in this discussion.
FOT is not a political blog so I will spare the readers of a politically charged post.
There is simply nothing free about this act and if it becomes law, freedom will pay a price. Now, organized labor for its own sake, will greatly benefit from it. But the guy on the factory floor who has come to believe (falsely in most cases) that the union is looking out for him won’t know any better and will also not think to look past the law’s nicely written title and quickly assume it’s nothing but a good thing. Sadly, he won’t realize how bad it is until his employer shuts down, and maybe not even then. More reading here: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/openingargument.php
This Gallup poll speaks to your point Jessica: http://burnurl.com/iNuQV9