Resignations Shake up Cybersecurity, Labor Relations, and the C-Suite
Seth Ford, a partner with Troutman Pepper, is quoted in the Middle Market Executive article, " Resignations Shake up Cybersecurity, Labor Relations, and the C-Suite."
Seth Ford, a partner at law firm Troutman Pepper, expects unions will continue to feel emboldened and encourages private equity investors and portfolio companies to train their managers accordingly.
Nearly 200 large employer contracts representing 1.3 million workers are set to expire this year, according to Bloomberg Law. Ford notes that will happen against the backdrop of a union-friendly National Labor Relations Board, rising inflation, continued pandemic-related safety concerns and a tight labor market.
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"Many publicized strikes include disputes over efforts by unions to recapture concessions they have made in previous years, signaling that, for many unions approaching negotiations, now is the time to press for gains they were unable to negotiate in previous bargaining cycles," Ford said in an email.
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"Even within organized businesses, we have seen that some businesses have been opportunistic in meeting with unions over COVID pay and other pandemic-related issues to raise wages mid-term in an effort to incentivize retention and avoid later demands for sharp wage increases at the bargaining table," Ford said.
In cases where a company's workers have or are considering organizing, Ford says manager training is critical. It can help the company avoid being caught off guard by an organizing campaign. The training can also address the type of disconnect that often leads workers to organize in the first place. "Routinely, organizing efforts are catalyzed by poor relationships between potential bargaining unit employees and their first-line management team, and union avoidance training can be one step towards improving such relationships," Ford said.
If and when that bargaining unit is certified, "manager training on the details of a company's obligations (and rights) under applicable labor agreements becomes key to saving resources otherwise spent on time-consuming grievances and unfair labor practice charges," he added.