HR Happy Hour - Episode 89 - 'The Union Label '

HR Happy Hour - Episode 89 - 'The Union Label ' Thursday March 3, 2011 - 8PM ET Call in 646-378-1086 We've been doing the HR Happy Hour show for close to two years, and we've never done a 'unions' or 'organized labor' show before. Why? Well, for the most part unions and organized labor were not really topical, not terribly interesting, and seemingly almost a relic of a earlier time in industrial America. But in just the last few weeks the news from Wisconsin has thrust unions, labor relations, and collective bargaining from the dimly-lit back room to the front page. Today, you can't tune in to any cable news channel without getting the latest update from the statehouse in Madison. All of a sudden, we've all received a 10-minute course in collective bargaining. Do the events in Wisconsin have broader, more universal implications? Is this really a kind of 'Custer's last stand' for public sector unions in America? Do unions even have a place any more, in an economic landscape increasingly marked by rapid change, and institutions that are forced to evolve and adapt much faster than ever before? And one final question - since the issue of union support seems to be almost entirely tied up in politics, are elected officials of all stripes taking advantage of the situation in Wisconsin (and other states) to further there own aims? Lots of questions, lots of passion, and no easy answers. But after two years the HR Happy Hour will at least open up the floor as we talk about unions, labor, politics, and the future of work. Our labor relations guy, Mike VanDervort will join us for the show, as well as MIT's Thomas Kochan, and maybe even an additional guest or two, but we really want you the listener to join the conversation as well. Postscript - who remembers the 'Look for the union label' song?