Punk Rock HR 042: Labor Relations and Unions in 2019 with Jason Greer
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Not everyone knows that I am a daughter of a police officer. My mom is retired from the Chicago Police Department. She has a great benefit plan and pension package. That’s because of smart union negotiations. Yes, the union has done right by my family. And speaking of unions, my guest this week is Jason Greer, labor relations expert and founder of Greer Consulting Inc. He is a Gen-Xer with a slightly different take on unions. He believes in protecting the working class and that there is strength in numbers. But yet he also believes a union is the wrong way of protecting your interests. We talk about all of that and more in this week’s episode of Let’s Fix Work.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- Jason’s quick and dirty story of who he is and what he does
- The reasons many companies fight unions and work to keep them out
- Jason’s thoughts on “getting the union you deserve”
- Labor relations and why it’s really shades of grey (and not just black and white)
- If employees forgo use of a union, what can they do to protect their benefits and interests?
- How to bridge the divide and recover a relationship that's broken following a union or employee dispute
- Unions and the civil rights movement, how the two are connected and whether or not unions have been good for protecting minorities in America
- Jason shares one horror story about what a union does and doesn't do if you don't play along
- How can you decertify a union? Jason shares what you can do, what's legal, what’s illegal and some next steps you can take
Leaders and employees, if you take anything away from this conversation, take this: You've got to start the conversation early about what you want and voice your expectations. If you do so, maybe you won't need a union or even an intermediary. What you need most is to have a voice, to be brave and to begin the conversation. Jason said it best when he said, “There is strength in being proactive.”
If you are interested in the state of unions in 2019 or you want to hear from an African American man who talks about civil rights and busting unions from a different perspective, then give this episode a listen.
Resources from this episode:
Jason’s website: https://www.greerconsultinginc.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaborDiversity
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreerConsultingInc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjgreer/
Danny Ozment’s Podcast Supercharger Course: https://dannyozment.com/podcastsupercharger