Our university is interviewing a person for the position of the Labor Relations Director. The message she delivered to us is that “some of her best friends” are union people but it’s important to “treat workers well so they don’t need to unionize.” Given that we are all now unionized, the whole thing was quite bizarre.
Labor Relations
Clarissa's Blog 
“treat workers well so they don’t need to unionize”
At which point Clarissa starts singing (music starts at 0.21)
It seems like a different universe…
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Is the campus 100% unionized? Every employee?
How closely are you following this case?
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The traditionally conservative schools didn’t unionize (law, business, dental and nursing, I think.)
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But only because they think they are above everybody else.
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So this is an Illinois version of the (also current, Federal) Janus case? https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/supreme-court-decision-janus-v-afscme-likely-permanently-weaken-public-ncna851376
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(I mean, the case Shakti refers to)
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Believe it or not, but when she was asked to state her position on the Janus case, she drew a complete blank. She’s never heard of it. An aspiring labor director, for Pete’s sakes. Her entire background is in business.
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Meu Deus.
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Regardless of her pro/anti-union position, she should know about it. Businesses fight tooth and nail to avoid dealing with any unions and want them to be as weak as possible. If you’re for labor unions, you can pretty much count on losing this SCOTUS case thanks to Mitch McConnell.
The traditionally conservative schools didn’t unionize (law, business, dental and nursing, I think.)
There’s not supposed to be a lot of lawyers (because law is supposed to operate like a guild based on attrition from law school & bar passage rates) so unionization shouldn’t be necessary because they’re in a privileged position v anyone who wants to hire them. The same goes for dentists. Dentists mostly hang out their own shingle, don’t deal with a lot of people with dental insurance and don’t work out of a larger corporation.
Nurses and anyone down who isn’t a dentist (like dental assistants) should be organizing like mad based on their working conditions and numbers. I’m sure they think they’re white collar based on the requirements for licenses & continuing education though.
Business majors think they’ll move into management shortly so why would they unionize? All the norms about not discussing your salary and negotiating one on one come from white collar businessmen.
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“Regardless of her pro/anti-union position, she should know about it. ”
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So they are trying to hire someone who can devise a way to break the union?
Lagniappe: there is power in a union. Check out the full 1913 lyrics, not unapplicable today. http://joehill2015.org/joe-hill/joe-hill-songs/there-is-power-in-a-union/
(There is power, there is power
In a band of working folk,
When they stand hand in hand)
(Would you have mansions of gold in the sky
and live in a shack, way in the back?)
(If you want nothing before you are dead
Shake hands with your boss and look Wise)
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The current Chancellor hates the union,so I’m not surprised.
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