U.S. Chamber says non-union groups could reshape labor relations
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a briefing on Wednesday discussing the new and expanding role of ?worker centers? as compliments to and potential replacements of traditional unions. The Chamber, the largest business lobbying group in the U.S., said that the growth of ?worker centers? represented a ?significant paradigm shift? in U.S. labor relations. Worker centers can bypass many of the traditional U.S. labor laws that dictate how, when, what, and for whom negotiations and bargaining can take place and be protected. For example, OUR Walmart, a worker center who demonstrates on behalf of low-wage workers at Walmart and some partner firms, was able to pressure the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) to pressure its members to increase paid sick-leave. The Chamber of Commerce warned labor consultants, trade association representatives, attorneys, and political staffers that this same story could play out in other industries across the nation.
See "U.S. Chamber says non-union groups could reshape labor relations", Amanda Becker, Reuters, April 16, 2014