Picketing during lunch

LindaS

Let me begin by stating that this is NOT my company that this is happening to and I am curious as to the repercussions on the employees so here is the story, as I understand it...

We have a company here in town, located right across the street, who was bought out by another company back in Dec.. At the time they required ALL the employees complete job apps., etc. to continue employment and ended up "laying off" 18% of the workforce. The rest kept A position, although they did not necessarily get their old jobs. BTW - this was a union facility and the new company is non-union.

Anyway, apparently they have been negotiating with the union although they have yet to reach a contract and beginning last week their EEs have been outside picketing during their lunchtimes.

This is on their own time but is being done on company property. Today there was a local TV station there.

Is there anything the company can do to stop the picketing, outside of reaching a contract? Are the EEs subject to any type of discipline?

In addition, their picket signs are all over town.

I have never seen this without a full-blown strike in place so I'm curious.

Thanks.

HRinFL

We are not union, so I am not speaking from a lot of experience, although we have been targeted in the past. We have clearly defined our property line around the facility with a bright yellow line. Picketers are told they can picket/handbill as long as they do not impede the flow of traffic for our ees and vendorsin and out of the facility, and do not cross the property line. We also let the local law enforcement agencies know when there is union activity, in case there is any altercation. They will come out and make sure that the picketers observe the laws and do not create any situations where someone could get hurt by a car, etc.

I am sure those with some more experience will chime in, but since this is something that, if done properly, is protected, so there may not be a lot of options for the er.

Don D

"Anyway, apparently they have been negotiating with the union although they have yet to reach a contract and beginning last week their EEs have been outside picketing during their lunchtimes."

If they are negotiating then there is technically a union recognized, according to the NLRA. Whether or not they can picket is another matter. If there is no contract, there is no prohibition. You may not know, but, what does the expired contract say about successorship or the expiration of the contract?

Hunter1

Does this place have anything to do with window production? (Remember, my hometown is Medford) What these people are doing is informational picketing and I believe if the new owners thought they were doing anything wrong it would stop in an instant. That doesn't mean that they like it, but probably not much they can do to stop it. The union wanted to tie up the old owners in work rules, inefficiencies, etc, and then complain about why they couldn't make a profit. Then, of course, they want to do the same thing to the new owners so they can eventually complain about all losing their jobs.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

LindaS

Hunter -

Yes, as a matter of fact, they do make windows.

Whatever

I would add to the wisdom above that the picketers have no right to picket on private property. If the company wishes to prohibit them from the premises, they have the right.