about us
We are a highly specialized labor relations consulting firm that persuades employees not to join unions. Working exclusively for management, Laurel Labor Advisors is comprised of experienced human resources, labor relations, and legal professionals who specialize in assisting the leadership of organizations to maintain an engaged and valued workforce free from third party interference.
In coordination with general counsel, labor counsel, and senior leadership, Laurel professionals provide a suite of practical on-going communications solutions that deliver short and long term employee relations results. First, we provide proactive preventative initiatives with employees who are the targets of unionization efforts. Second, once a petition for recognition is filed we aggressively work directly with employees to persuade them not to join the union. Finally, we provide senior leaders, managers and supervisors with leadership development initiatives aimed at improving their communication and leadership strategies.
Our Services
WE KNOW HOW TO FIGHT A CAMPAIGN. AND WE KNOW THAT THE BEST TIME TO WIN IS BEFORE THE CONTEST STARTS. WE OFFER SERVICES TO DO BOTH.
Before a union organizing campaign starts, employers must proactively educate their employees about how unions organize a workforce, the consequences of signing an authorization card, and the uncertainty of actually obtaining a contract and realizing positive change, even after an election victory.
After a campaign has begun, employers must act faster than ever to educate employees about the costs and risks of unionization, correct misperceptions created through the pre-election campaign, and ultimately, position themselves to win the election.
Accordingly, we offer both proactive and campaign services to management in all manner of labor relations matters.
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PROACTIVE SERVICES
Laurel educates employees on the value of direct one-on-one conversations with their managers and supervisors and ensures that employees understand the obligations and implications of seeking representation.
- We conduct educational meetings such as new employee orientations and periodic departmental refresher meetings to reinforce the realities of union representation.
- Our meetings are fact-based, presented clearly and directly, and practical--focused on the unionization process and the realities of work life in a union environment.
Laurel also provides leadership development programs for key communicators, including senior leaders, managers, and supervisors, to ensure that management is vigilant and ready to address issues early and effectively.
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CAMPAIGN SERVICES
Should an organization receive a Petition for Representation from the NLRB, Laurel provides a structured educational strategy based on our experience during aggressive pre-election communication campaigns.
In a series of meetings we discuss the costs and risks that come with unionization.
- We remind workers that voting for a union does not mean automatic raises and improvement in working conditions and that the union is not legally obligated to be truthful in its pre-election campaign.
- We discuss risks of union corruption, permanent replacement workers and that a collective bargaining agreement may not be reached.
- We educate workers about union operations and how union dues are used.
Why Now
OUR WORK HAS NEVER BEEN MORE CRITICAL THAN IN THE CURRENT LABOR RELATIONS ENVIRONMENT.
THE NLRB Recently ENACTED THE SO CALLED "AMBUSH RULES" WHICH CONTINUED ITS LONG TREND OF REGULATIONS FAVORING PRO-UNION FORCES. THE AMBUSH RULES EARN THEIR NAME THROUGH TWO CHANGES THAT DRASTICALLY SHORTENED THE ELECTION PROCESS:
NO MORE WAITING PERIOD
The rules eliminate the old 25-day automatic waiting period between the petition filing date and the election. The NLRB will no longer rule on a request for review during this window.
NO MORE LITIGATION DELAY
NLRB directors were given discretion to delay litigation of key issues, including eligibility and inclusion, to the post-election period. Previously, pre-election litigation of these issues took weeks or months to properly set the table for an election.
Why Choose Us
AS FORMER OPERATIONAL LEADERS WITHIN OUR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS, WE WALKED IN THE SHOES OF OUR CLIENTS AND RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR A "BIG PICTURE" LASTING APPROACH. WE KNOW FIRSTHAND THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF OPEN AND DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITHOUT A THIRD PARTY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE END GAME IS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN A HIGH ENERGY, COHESIVE AND PRODUCTIVE TEAM AT ALL LEVELS THAT DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF FROM THE COMPETITION AND PROVIDES LONG-TERM ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS FOR ALL.
The backgrounds of our leadership team are highly diverse in terms of organizational experience. We have held roles in senior leadership positions in unions and manufacturing, managed human resources and labor relations teams, led security operations, worked with law enforcement including the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, and have extensive experience as members of boards of directors.
Our decades-long experiences in these organizations has taught us this: Following any labor relations matter, whether relatively benign or protracted and bitterly fought, everyone in the organization has to work together going forward. How labor relations are executed in critical times is as important as the final result. An election campaign that follows a scorched earth win-at-any-cost strategy can be shortsighted, harming the organization's long term objectives. While we are well prepared and well experienced to aggressively fight for victory, we do so with an eye on the long view.