David R. Osborne, Senior Fellow for Labor Policy with the Commonwealth Foundation, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss his new podcast, Disunion: The Government Union Report, government unions, as well as how unions are working around the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision.Read more about the Commonwealth Foundation here.Listen to David’s podcast Disunion: Government Union Report:On SpotifyOn YouTubeFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Parents having the audacity to ask what their kids are being taught is, apparently, a bad thing.When Nicole Solas, a stay-at-home mom, was enrolling her child into kindergarten, she asked a few too many questions about what was going to be taught to her child.The lack of answers, ultimately, led to public-records requests, which then turned into a lawsuit by the teachers’ union.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Ms. Solas joins host Peter List to discuss what led to the lawsuit against her, and the three-year saga that she has endured.In addition to being a stay-at-home mon, Ms. Solas is a non-practicing attorney and Senior Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She has also appeared as a parent advocate on The Ingraham Angle, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Newsmax National Report, and National Review. Her favorite appearance was on the cover of the New York Post as a featured “domestic terrorist.” She is the 2021 winner of the Goldwater Institute Freedom Award for battling education bureaucrats.  For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

According to a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) press release, “during the first six months of Fiscal Year 2024 (October 1–March 31), union election petitions filed at NLRB field offices rose 35% over the same period in Fiscal Year 2023.”In this episode, Labor Relations Institute’s Michael VanDervort joins host Peter List to discuss the union organizing trends, as well as some of the current labor relations topics of the day.Related links:The LRI Labor LibrariesLRI NewsletterFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Congressman Burgess Owens (R-UT) discusses his recently-introduced bill, the Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act, legislation aimed at exposing “salting,” a common union organizing tactic where individuals are paid by labor unions to infiltrate companies to unionize employers from within.Although this nefarious tactic—which relies on deceiving employers and, more importantly, employees—has been around for a long time, in recent years, union “salting” has become more prevalent at companies like Starbucks, Amazon and numerous other companies.In addition to the SALT Act, Rep. Owens discusses the foundation he began before entering Congress, the Second Chance 4 Youth.Second Chance 4 Youth is a Utah-based non-profit program with the aim to end the cycle of generational incarceration and lower the rates of recidivism. Learn more here.Related:Owens Leads Labor Union Transparency BillAbout Second Chance 4 YouthAnalysis: Workers United paid nearly $2.5 million to organizers, "salts" and activists at StarbucksLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 20—A Primer On How Union Salts and “Moles” Undermine Companies Like Amazon and OthersLabor Relations Radio, E116—Labor Attorney Marc Furman and Dealing With Union SaltsFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

A pro-union writer does a hit piece about a not-so-secret secret...actually, the WORST-KEPT SECRET EVER!Last week, Mike Elk, a pro-union writer, who owns a website called PayDay Report, did a hit piece on me entitled “Anti-UAW Union Buster Secretly Behind Hit Labor News Site.” Here is my response.Perhaps, we owe you an explanation...Union Watchdog: UAW Leaders Bask In Puerto Rico As Members Get Laid OffCongress Should Investigate UAW's Neutrality Agreement & Works Council Scam At VWAfter Volkswagen Loss, UAW Bosses Turn To Bovine Excrement ManufacturingThe UAW At VW: A Desperate Old Dog Tries A Very Old (And Illegal) TrickA Lesson In U.S. Labor Law & How The UAW Is Lying Its Way Into The South With VW's HelpWhy Are VW's German Union Bosses Backtracking On Their Expansion Ultimatum Now?Anti-UAW Workers File NLRB Charges Over VW's Pro-Union CoercionWhy Doesn't The UAW Want A Secret-Ballot Election At VW?Anti-UAW Workers File NLRB Charges Over VW's Pro-Union CoercionDeutschland Meets Detroit: UAW partners with German union to launch all-out invasion of Mercedes & VW plants in U.S.For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Why do so many unions seem to support open borders and illegal immigration? Capital Research Center's Michael Watson shares the background why.Have you ever wondered why, on the topic of immigration, unions have gone from protectionism to tacitly supporting so-called “open borders?”In the episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Watson, Research Director for the Capital Research Center shares what can be considered an ‘origin story’ on how unions went from favoring tighter restrictions on immigration to almost no restrictions at all today.Check out Michael Watson’s work at the Capitol Research Center:The Turn at the Millennium: Why Big Labor Switched Sides on ImmigrationBig Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Membership DeclineBig Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: A Trade Unionist in the White HouseBig Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Causes of the Long DeclineBig Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: Labor’s Private-Sector LeftBig Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: A New Power RisesFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Reputation Partners’ CEO Nick Kalm returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss Chicago politics, our nation’s immigration challenges, as well as to share some political observations and prognostications regarding the 2024 national elections.Related:The Chicago Teachers Union Wants to End Student Homelessness at the Bargaining TableLabor Relations Radio, E99—Do unions have an Anti-Israel problem? A conversation with Nick KalmLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 45—Guests Nick Kalm and Haley Hartmann on Gen Z in the WorkplaceLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 9—Reputation Partners' CEO Nick Kalm On Attacks On Company BrandsFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Thought leader and renowned labor attorney Michael Lotito, with Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Policy Institute, returns to Labor Relations Radio to break down the U.S. Supreme Court case involving the “Chevron Doctrine,” and how it may impact government agencies, as it pertains to labor and employee relations.In particular, Mr. Lotito discusses the Supreme Court’s case as it may relate to the current independent contractor issue, as well as the NLRB’s joint-employer rule.Related:On 'Chevron' Deference and a Path ForwardLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 37—Thought Leader Michael Lotito on the Emma Coalition and the radical and transformational changes coming to America’s workforceLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 12—Guest: Michael J. Lotito, Labor Attorney and Nationally-Recognized Thought Leader on Workplace PolicyFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Nearly one-third of the manufacturing workforce is over 55. — Michele VincentIn this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michele Vincent, the host of The U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Podcast shares some of the alarming research she has gathered on the changing demographics of our workforce. Listen to Michele’s episode “What’s to come, 2024 Predictions” on AppleListen to Michele’s episode “What’s to come, 2024 Predictions” on SpotifyTo obtain the information Michelle shared, go here.Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 59—MADI Corp's Michele Vincent on Preparing for StrikesFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you are experiencing union activity, union salting, or other labor issues with potential legal risk, you should contact your labor attorney.______________________________Labor Attorney Marc Furman, a Partner with the law firm Cohen Seglias has a unique way of advising his clients on how to deal with union “salts.”While Marc’s clients span a broad range of industries throughout the United States, including manufacturing, hotel and hospitality, automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, food processing and distribution, and financial services, Marc particularly focused on representing construction companies in matters involving unions and union organizing, picketing, and prevailing wage situations.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Marc shares some insights that listeners may find informative and helpful.Note: Nothing in this episode of Labor Relations Radio should be construed as legal advice. If you are experiencing union activity, union salting, or other labor issues with potential legal risk, you should contact your labor attorney. Should you wish to contact Marc Furman, you can do so here.For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

AAE's Noelani Kahapea explains the differences between a traditional teachers' union and the Association of American EducatorsOften, despite disagreeing with the political positions and spending, and without knowing there are alternatives, educators join traditional teachers union like the AFT and NEA due to insurance benefits.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, host Peter List is joined by Noelani Kahapea, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Association of American Educators (AAE).The AAE, according to its website, is the “largest national, non-union, professional educators' organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.”Ms. Kahapea explains the benefits provided to AAE members at a fraction of the cost that are usually charged to traditional teachers unions, as well as a large distinction in how benefits are used.To get more information about the Association of American Educators (AAE), go here.For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

A pernicious and very costly new tactic is emerging from teachers' union negotiations that taxpayers are unaware of, but will end up paying for.Frank Ricci, a Labor Fellow at Yankee Institute, Retired Union President for New Haven (CT) Fire Fighters, and Battalion Chief, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss how teachers’ unions and their progressive counterparts are using the collective bargaining process to put costly social-justice programs into contracts under the nose of taxpayers.In Boston, Ricci wrote recently, teachers’ union president Jessica Tang announced they secured “an unprecedented $50 million to commence bolstering the affordable housing that Boston students and families require.”The Boston contract is being utilized as a template by the AFL-CIO to advance housing and ‘environmental justice,’ he notes.Related:How The Teachers Unions Embed Socialism Into Their ContractsHow Superintendents Deceive Taxpayers into Higher School BudgetsLabor Relations Radio, E87—Guests Frank Ricci & Keith Williams on Marxist Union SaltsFor all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

How a merit pay plan could go from being a motivator to a de-motivator.This episode of Labor Relations Radio is intended for HR practitioners and business owners responsible for administering pay plans for employees.Do you have a merit pay or pay-for-performance plan? Are you administering it properly? What about your managers?In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, returning guest Patricia Garland, author of 33 Ways Not to Screw Up HR, joins host Peter List to discuss “Barbara”—a highly-rated employee who went from elation to anger when her employer gave her a merit increase as part of a poorly-managed merit pay plan.Ms. Garland shares her views on what to do, as well as what not to do when administering a pay-for-performance or merit pay plan.Related:Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 61—'33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR' Author Patricia GarlandOrder ‘33 Ways Not To Screw Up HR’ on Amazon.You can find prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Karen Anderson and a panel of Californians impacted by the War on Independent Contractors share their stories.In this fourth episode in our four-part series on the War on Independent Contractors, Karen Anderson, founder of Freelancers Against AB5—a Facebook group of more than 18,000 Californians impacted by the state’s imposition of AB5 which contains the three-pronged ‘ABC Test’— returns to Labor Relations Radio, along with a panel of independent contractors who have been harmed by the law.As proverbial ‘canaries in the coal mine,’ as the U.S. Department of Labor rolls out its 339-page final rule—which contains a vague six-factor test—on independent contractors, the panel consists of of freelance writers, musicians (including a concert cellist), a radio journalist, yoga instructor and independent film producer share their stories as a warning to the rest of America.Related: AB5 Personal Stories — An Alphabetical Archive of Professionals Harmed by AB5To contact your representative in Congress, use this link at Congress.gov. and urge them to stop the War on Independent Contractors.Listen to the entire Labor Relations Radio series on the War on Independent Contractors:Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin KileyLabor Relations Radio, E110—The War on Independent Contractors, Part II: Freelancer Kim Kavin & Attorney Wilson FreemanLabor Relations Radio, E111—The War on Independent Contractors, Part III: Economist Liya Palagashvili on the impact of California's AB5Explainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.To listen to all Labor Relations Radio episodes, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

A new Mercatus Center study reveals the consequences of imposing the draconian ABC Test on California's independent contractors.In this episode, Liya Palagashvili, an economist and Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, returns to Labor Relations Radio to discuss the Mercatus Center’s new study on California’s War on Independent Contractors through AB5 and its ABC Test, and how the U.S. Department of Labor’s six-factor final rule may impact America’s workforce.Be sure to subscribe to Liya Palagashvili’s Substack Labor Market Matters.Related:Labor Market Matters: New Study on California AB5 and Implications for the Department of Labor’s Independent Contractor RuleLabor Market Matters: A Deep Dive into our Study on California's AB5Mercatus Center: Assessing the Impact of Worker Reclassification: Employment Outcomes Post–California AB5Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin KileyExplainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.Explainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Up to 72 million Americans participate in the gig economy as 1099 independent contractors and are under siege by state and federal bureaucrats.Following the U.S. Department of Labor’s releasing its final rule to limit the freedom of individuals to earn a living though independent contracting, the founders of Fight For Freelancers, a coalition of more than 2,500 freelancers in professions ranging from writing to truck driving, filed a lawsuit through the Pacific Legal Foundation.In this second episode in our multi-part series on the War on Independent Contractors, Kim Kavin, one of the founders of Fight for Freelancers USA, returns to Labor Relations Radio, along with her attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation’s Wilson Freeman to discuss the lawsuit, as well as the War on Independent Contractors at the state and federal levels.Related:Labor Relations Radio, E109—The War on Independent Contractors, Part I: Rep. Kevin KileyExplainer: Top 10 Facts About the War on Independent Contractors in the U.S.Pacific Legal Foundation: Freelancers sue Department of Labor over vague, new contracting ruleFollow Kim Kavin on X (formerly Twitter)To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.LaborUnionNews.com and Labor Relations Radio are subscriber-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.Subscribed0 CommentsLaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations RadioLabor union-related news stories from around the United StatesListen onSubstack AppApple PodcastsRSS FeedAppears in episode__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

The first episode of a three-part series on the War on Independent Contractors.Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) returns to Labor Relations Radio in this first episode of a three-part series on the War on Independent Contractors.After witnessing the devastating effects of the disastrous AB5 in his home state of California, Rep. Kiley is adamantly opposed to bureaucrats stripping Americans of their right to earn a living in the gig economy and one of the staunchest defenders of independent contractors.In this episode, Rep. Kiley shares his efforts to combat the implementation of Department of Labor’s Six-Part Test on Independent Contractors which is being used to destroy the gig economy on behalf of unions and goes into effect on March 11, 2024.Related:Labor Relations Radio, E73—Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) talks about the ongoing 'War on Independent Contractors'To listen to all other episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

After decades of staying underground, Marxists are back in the open and pushing today's unions leftward.“Socialism has no place in the hearts of those who would secure the fight for freedom and preserve democracy.” — Samuel Gompers, 1918For decades, Marxism within the union movement stayed somewhat underground. However, since the end of the pandemic, Marxism in unions has become more mainstream with organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America and the Communist Party USA helping unions like the Amazon Labor Union, Starbucks Workers United, and even the United Auto Workers.In this episode of Labor Relations Radio, Michael Watson, Research Director for the Capital Research Center and Managing Editor of InfluenceWatch.org, joins host Peter List to discuss the history of Marxism in unions—from the early 1900s to the Cold War—as well as the reemergence in the late 90s to today.Related:To read Michael Watson’s writing, visit here.Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 14—There is more than meets the media's eye on the Amazon and Starbucks campaign victoriesOrganizing for the Long HaulGo here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

The War on Independent Contractors is alive and well.Mike Hruby, President of New Jobs America joins Labor Relations Radio host Peter List to discuss the background of the War on Independent Contractors, as well as how the battlefront has moved into the states.New Jobs America advocates for freedom for individuals to choose to be their own boss, in federal and state law. New Jobs writes and promotes federal legislation allowing individuals to classify themselves as self-employed. As a non-profit, New Jobs researches and publishes original analyses measuring important factors that stimulate rapid job growth. NJA was founded in 2011 in Massachusetts, home of the current version of the ABC Test that restricts self-employment.Learn more about New Jobs America here.Go here for prior coverage on the War on Independent ContractorsGo here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.

Ben Brubeck, Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors, returns to Labor Relations Radio to share the latest information on President Biden’s rule to mandate Project Labor Agreements on federal projects, the new proposed rules on Davis Bacon as well as apprenticeship programs.Related:ABC: President Biden’s Final Rule Forcing Corrupt Project Labor Agreements Will Face Legal ChallengesWSJ: Biden to Apprentices: You’re FiredTo learn more about Project Labor Agreements, visit BuildAmericaLocal.comPrior Labor Relations Radio episodes with Ben Brubeck:Labor Relations Radio, Ep. 33—ABC's Ben Brubeck on the PRO Act Senate Vote and MoreLabor Relations Radio, Ep. 1 –Guest: Associated Builders & Contractors’ Ben Brubeck Discusses President Biden's Recent Executive Order on PLAs and moreGo here for all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio__________________________LaborUnionNews.com's Labor Relations Radio is a subscriber-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber here.