Board establishes new test for reviewing employer policies
In this column, I have been predicting for some time that when all three Republican seats of the five-member National Labor Relations Board were filled by President Trump's appointees, the NLRB would begin reversing/overruling some of the Obama Board's more egregious decisions that demonstrated an outright hostility toward employers.
Chairman Philip A. Miscimarra's term expired on Dec. 17, 2017. On Dec. 14 and 15, Chairman Miscimarra went out "with a bang!"
MORESet a good example
To inspire employees and command respect, always speak and act in the organization's best interests. Here are some tips to help you lead by example.
MORELegal adventurism in an attempt to make new law
This month's column reports on two National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge decisions involving the issue of whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor. In both cases, former NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin had urged the ALJ to rule that merely classifying someone as an independent contractor is an independent violation of the National Labor Relations Act. This is legal adventurism in an attempt to make new law.
In one of the cases, the ALJ found independent contractor status and chose not to reach that novel issue. In the second case, the ALJ found employee status and agreed with the NLRB general counsel, finding that the misclassification of the individuals as independent contractors was a per se independent violation of the NLRA. With a new management majority sitting on the NLRB in Washington, let us hope that this legal adventurism will be reversed.
I also report on a new NLRB case involving an employer's texting and confidentiality rules, as well as a new court case addressing the ability to discover social media passwords in litigation.
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Farewell blog post: Some parting words about what our industry needs to do
This may be my final blog post, for reasons I explain in its opening paragraphs.
So I'm using this last opportunity to sum up the huge challenge that faces newspaper companies – and the things I believe could possibly turn the tide from ongoing decline to growth.
It's a very tall order – but with the right leadership and commitment of resources, perhaps it could be done.
MOREMake sure your team stays in the loop
One drawback to great teamwork is that, because of the effort and time it takes to work well together, team members may become isolated from the rest of the organization. To keep that from happening to your team, here are some questions team members should be answering periodically.
MOREManagement attorney Peter Robb confirmed as next NLRB general counsel
On Nov. 8, by a vote of 49 to 46, the U.S. Senate confirmed President Trump's nomination of Peter Robb to be the next NLRB general counsel. Robb, a management labor lawyer from Vermont, replaces Richard Griffin, whose term expired on Nov. 4.
In this column, also read an update about the U.S. Department of Labor overtime rule, news about an EEOC case, plus a case regarding the ADA.
MOREBuilding a productive sales environment
Newspaper companies can't take a passive approach in how they approach the hiring of salespeople. They must implement a proactive hearts-and-minds marketing campaign in order to build what Charity Huff, managing partner of Maroon Ventures, calls the A-Team.
During the SNPA-Inland Annual Meeting, Huff shared proven, successful strategies to build a productive sales environment, maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified sales professionals, and reach new customers with compelling marketing tactics.
MOREFour guidelines for effective coaching
Learning to be a good coach for your employees doesn't mean mastering complicated techniques or memorizing dozens of rules as much as simply developing the right attitudes in yourself. To be an effective coach, you need to follow some basic guidelines to help you cultivate the habits and perspective that bring out the best in your staff.
MOREPublishers somewhat more optimistic than the past two years
Responses to the Fall 2017 Publisher Confidence Survey conducted by Cribb, Greene & Cope indicate publishers continue to be encouraged about the short-term future, and are somewhat more confident than they were a year ago.
MOREEmanuel confirmed; NLRB management majority restored
On the evening of Monday, Sept. 25, the U.S. Senate voted 49 to 47 to confirm William Emanuel to the National Labor Relations Board.
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There is still time to participate in the SNPA Salary Survey
SNPA will continue to accept questionnaires for the SNPA Salary Survey through the end of this week.
This tool for daily newspapers helps them benchmark their salaries against those of other SNPA member newspapers.
All SNPA daily newspaper members are encouraged to take part in the survey, which includes job listings and several additional introductory questions – all designed to give you better data with which to evaluate your compensation plan.
Download the survey questionnaire (Excel file)
MoreNLRB general counsel issues new advice memoranda
In December 2018, new NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb issued several new advice memoranda. Advice memoranda advise local NLRB offices about how to proceed with a particular unfair labor practice charge.
In one such memorandum, the employer's "Commitment to My Coworkers" policy was found to be lawful. The employer required all employees to read and sign a "Commitment to My Co-Workers" document.
MoreP.J. Browning elected president of SNPA for 2018-19
P.J. Browning, publisher of The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., was elected president of SNPA for 2018-19 at the News Industry Summit in Nashville.
Three additional officers and eight members of the SNPA Board of Directors also were elected.
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