Employers: Just Recognize the Union!

I appreciate what this city councilperson did here:

Minneapolis City Council member Katie Cashman privately encouraged chef Ann Kim to voluntarily recognize an employee union at her Uptown restaurant, according to a voicemail Axios has obtained.

Why it matters: Cashman made this call in a delicate moment for the council’s left-wing majority, which is attempting to notch a big win for the labor community while also building trust with local business owners — including Kim, one of Uptown’s most prominent boosters.

The big picture: Cashman is co-author of a proposal to create a labor standards board, which proponents hope could become a powerful vehicle to drive new labor-friendly policies through city hall.

• To work well, the new board would need broad buy-in. But business groups are nervous, fearing new regulatory burdens — and Kim has asked some of the toughest questions about the idea behind the scenes.
• In an e-mail, Cashman told Axios she was calling Kim to follow up. “There was a desire from restaurateurs to be in better communication with council members and this was part of my attempt to bridge that gap.”

Behind the scenes: Cashman left the voicemail on May 30 — two days after Kim’s employees announced plans to unionize with Unite Here Local 17 — according to a source who shared the voicemail with Axios and asked for anonymity.

• In the message, Cashman asked for a meeting, then brought up the union drive.
• Cashman mentioned First Avenue management’s decision last November to voluntarily recognize their employees’ bid to unionize, also with Unite Here. That move “led to a really smooth transition” for the music venue, Cashman said.
• “So, wanted to offer that and encourage you to recognize the union [at Kim’s],” Cashman continued. “I know the guys at Unite Here Local 17 are really committed to the Uptown development and working together with businesses and workers to do that. So I’m happy to support you in any way.”

Catch up quick: Since Kim didn’t recognize their petition voluntarily, the workers will now hold a June 27 unionization vote, the Star Tribune reported.

Really, just recognize the union! If you are an employer and you just recognize the union, you will be beloved by your workers! You will show that you actually do care about them. Your workplace will be better off! I am reminded of the successful attempt several years ago now to organize the employers of Theda Skocpol’s Scholars Strategy Network. And Skocpol simply refused to recognize the union. She just couldn’t handle it. I was a member of SSN at the time and I resigned due to her refusal to do so. We had some conversations about it and I think basically she is such an institutionalist that she thought it was wrong to not force the NLRB election. I responded that this was incredibly short-sighted and silly. That was about the end of that relationship. She did acquiesce once the workers overwhelmingly voted for the union, but not happily. For someone who has long presented herself as a great defender of liberalism, it was a disappointing moment.

The other thing I’d note here is the good move by the city counselor. People in power, especially locally, can give that kind of public support for the union. I suppose there’s an argument that this is interference, but it’s not a very strong one. I mean, really, it’s a personal call and that’s all. And of course politicians on the right engage in massive, egregious anti-union campaigns all the time.

Having a unionized workplace is not an attack on the employer. Or it doesn’t have to be. It’s a recognition that there are different stakeholders involved and that unlimited power is not good for the workers or the employer. But this is very, very hard for employers to wrap their heads around. After all, I BUILT THIS has a lot of power in our mythology and society.