Author: Chris Semerjian

Wal-Mart’s Follow-Up: A Consolation Prize for Unions?

By Chris Semerjian The Quebec Superior Court recently upheld an arbitration award against Wal-Mart regarding the  closure of its store in the town of Jonquière in 2005. That closure is now also affecting Wal-Mart elsewhere in Canada. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently indicated that Wal-Mart’s actions in Quebec possibly could be perceived as an […]

Wave of NLRB Decisions Offers Valuable Insights for Employers

by David M. Stevens On September 30, in one of its most prolific moves of 2010, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued 28 decisions addressing a variety of issues affecting labor-management relations and the scope of prohibited employer conduct in the context of union elections. With the addition of three new NLRB members, two […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on November 8. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How […]

Honest, Open, Two-Way Communication

I’ve been thinking a lot about employee communication lately. I’ve been thinking about what makes for good, effective communication and how it can be a powerful force within any organization. I’ve decided that good communication must be H.O.T. H.O.T. stands for honest, open, and two-way. Honest. To me, honesty in communication is the bedrock. If […]

NLRB Backs Employee’s Right to Bad-Mouth Supervisor on Facebook

by Jonathan Sterling and James Goodfellow An employer’s blogging and social networking policy that prohibits employees from posting disparaging comments online about coworkers or their employer has been deemed unlawful by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB recently issued a complaint and notice of hearing against American Medical Response of Connecticut (AMR), an […]

Not the Godfather

When the show started, I thought it was going to be a doozy, with Pam conducting Sabre’s Hygiene Day, but it quickly shifted to something far more, well, mundane — and far more complicated — personal relationships at work. No, not the intimate kind — rather, the kind where workers become friends, in some cases close friends, […]

Election Reflections from Dozens of Employment Law Attorneys

Tuesday’s election brought tremendous change to Congress and many state legislatures and swept in a number of new governors. Many of the promises made by these newly elected government officials will affect employers. Following the election, various members of the Employers Counsel Network took the time to provide their insight on the local and national […]

Florida: Health Care Reform Foes Fortified

by Thomas Harper, Harper Gerlach PL In a very close election, Republican Rick Scott, a virtual unknown who received heavy Tea Party support, has been elected as the new governor. Scott, a multimillionaire with a background in health care administration, has lived in Florida for seven years. He was heavily criticized during his campaign by […]

New Hampshire: Governor Lynch Last Democrat Standing

by Jay Surdukowski, Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. In New Hampshire, Republicans claimed a 19-5 edge in the state senate, a huge house majority, and likely unanimous control of the Governor’s Council, though incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch managed to keep his post. The Republican sweep is not a surprise, but the magnitude is. This third […]

Arkansas: Largest Shift in State Political History

by Don Eilbott, Jack, Nelson, Jones, Jiles & Gregory, P.A. I fully realize that the story of election evening was the Republican victories in the House and Senate nationwide and locally. In fact, looking at color-coded maps of the congressional districts, I see the country is now solid red, with the exception of the small […]