As an author of a comprehensive labor relations textbook (Labor Relations: Striking a Balance, McGraw-Hill), I was recently asked to provide some general advice for future human resources and labor relations managers. Issues within the labor relations arena can often be laden with highly-charged and volatile emotions. For complex reasons, the mere mention of labor unions can raise passions, if not outright hostility, among business leaders and others to a much greater extent than many other business and economic issues. Managers should avoid these traps, and instead approach issues in labor relations in a level-headed and respectful manner.
April 2012 Archives
As the Supreme Court wrestles with the future of U.S. social programs, it seems appropriate to recognize Frances Perkins on her birthday. Perkins was a tireless advocate for workers and their families. She was the first woman to ever hold a U.S. cabinet position, and as Secretary of Labor during the Great Depression she was the driving force behind federal legislation creating social security, unemployment insurance programs, a federal national minimum wage, overtime premiums, and protections for child workers.
Continue reading Frances Perkins: Mother of the New Deal.
