If you’re used to managing non-union employees, stepping into a unionized environment can feel different.
Here are a few key differences to keep in mind as a manager:
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Managing Unionized Employees
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Managing Non-Union Employees
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- Rules set by a collective bargaining agreement
- Formal communication channels
- Seniority-driven decisions
- Structured discipline + grievance process, including meeting a “just cause” standard
- Policy changes may have to be negotiated
- Unilateral changes to pay, rules, and benefits are prohibited
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- Rules set by company policy
- Direct manager-to-employee communication
- Greater managerial flexibility
- At-will employment (in most states)
- Less structured conflict resolution
- Faster policy changes and those changes can be made unilaterally
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