Post-pandemic unionization trends — and how to navigate a union organizing campaign

Starbucks, Amazon, Chipotle, Trader Joe’s and other household names have been in the news lately for their union organization campaigns, a post-pandemic trend that likely won’t change anytime soon, according to Elizabeth McPhail, partner with Hodgson Russ. She said some of these unionization efforts are a “product of the social justice movements” and they’re changing labor union organizing. 

In the latest episode of the Thought Leaders in Law and Business podcast, presented by Hodgson Russ and The Business Journals, Buffalo Business First Publisher John Tebeau interviews McPhail and her colleague Asia Evans, associate and member of the labor and employment practice at Hodgson Russ, on what employers should consider when navigating a union organizing campaign.

“When you get a union organizing campaign and they are coming with social justice issues and cultural connectivity (concerns), if the response is just, we're paying 50 cents an hour more than the competitor down the road and their union, and we're not union free, that is not a message that's going to resonate with employees,” McPhail said. 
Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• New organizing trends and how campaigns have changed post-pandemic.
• The importance of understanding employees’ wants and needs. 
• Regulatory concerns to consider when responding to efforts to unionize.
• Anti-unionizing efforts that don’t violate labor laws. 
• Bargaining with employees in good faith. 
• Lessons learned from high-profile organizing campaigns (Starbucks, Amazon, etc.). 
• The prominent senator Evans worked with during one of her internships.

Learn more about Hodgson Russ at hodgsonruss.com.

This podcast does not provide legal advice.