Due to having 4 federal cases, 2 state cases & 3 union negotiations & related labor-management matters ongoing at the same time & most nearing some form of resolution, my posting this Spring & Summer has been sporadic.

On the other hand, union activity seems to be increasing among small businesses in the private sector.  I’m not sure if this is due to unions’ believing that desperate times call for desperate measures, or if it’s because management is intensifying efforts to combat union activity because of the high & rising pension & healthcare costs associated with union collective bargaining agreements. Nevertheless, there’s been a definite increase in union activity among private sector small businesses. As troubling as this is for business, this has been great for the government (it justifies regulatory jobs) & practitioners like me.

Moreover, it’s worthwhile to note that for the first time in U.S. history, the number of unionized employees in the public sector now exceeds the number of unionized employees in the private sector (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Glad to see that government employees are protected from the abuses of their employers (us).

Furthermore, I’ve seen an increase in self-represented employees and former employees filing lawsuits & other charges against businesses. Again, when the economy is bad, and people are desperate, they’ll do what they have to do to make ends meet, with or without legal representation.

For more information about what’s happening in labor & employment law & human resources, check out my LinkedIn group, Charles Krugel’s Labor & Employment Law & Human Resources Practices Group.