Experts say nurses are leading a trend toward more organized labor in the medical setting — mostly in hospitals.

A recently published article in American Medical News discusses the increased number of unions in hospitals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of medical personnel covered by some form of collective bargaining agreement or registered as union members is edging up. This is partly because the health care sector now employs many more people than do traditionally unionized industries such as manufacturing.

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Sympathetic to recession-reeling Strip casinos, the Culinary Union has agreed to postpone by one year a wage increase that was supposed to take effect June 1.  Read the entire story -  LasVegasSun.com.

It is good to see some concessions being made during these hard economic times.  Kudos to the Culinary Union for doing what is right. 

The California Nurses Association (in cooperation with the National Nurses Organizing Committee) are stepping up their game against the SEIU.  In the morning newspaper today, a full page ad was placed wishing Las Vegas nurses a “Happy Nurses Week.”

Also included in the ad were their talking points to assist their efforts against unseating the SEIU over at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals.

Las Vegas is  currently experiencing the ‘calm before the storm.’  As we watch unemployment levels rise to their highest levels since post 9-11, employers are building confidence that the War for Talent is shifting in their favor.  To some extent, they are correct.  For now. 

But let me be very clear about this – there are rough waters ahead.  What Las Vegas will experience in the next 5 years will be the “Perfect Storm.”  Over 200,000 jobs will be created across all industries.  To validate this projection – Deutsche Bank Securities recently authored a report that shows 113,500 jobs being created in the casino industry alone.  And according to their findings, even at our current rate of 8,000 new residents moving in, if this migration is not accelerated, 25,000 of these jobs will go unfilled.

Now to put all of this job creation into perspective……. The State of Nevada (because of Las Vegas’ growth) has been the fastest growing State in the union for 18 consecutive years.  No other state has ever grown at this rate.  Well – in the next five (5) years, we will experience twice (2x) the amount of job growth as the last ten (10) years combined.  That is double the job growth in half the period of time.  And during the last 10 years, we have consistently had one of the lowest unemployment levels in the country. 

Let’s add another perspective – from a real-estate point of view.  There currently are close to 23,000 homes on the MLS; more than Las Vegas has ever experienced.  Those homes make up only 11.5% of what will be needed to house all of the families of the 200,000 new employees expected to move to Southern Nevada.  In 2005, the hottest year in the real estate market in Las Vegas, 39,000 new homes were sold and 58,522 resale homes changed hands – mainly because of investor ‘flipping.’

That means we will ultimately need to build more housing, which means more job creation in the construction industry.  With $24 Billion in construction occurring on Las Vegas Boulevard alone, there will be a fierce War for Talent for commercial construction employers who have been enjoying the slow down in the residential markets as many of these laborers have helped fill vacancies.

So, enjoy the Calm Before the Storm.  It will not last long.  Maybe another 6-9 months.

For the first time in over 30 years, auto-workers went on strike.  The auto industry has had some rough times, first with the pension fund fiasco and then with declining consumer spending.  A labor strike can not be good right now.

Here is the story:

DETROIT (AP) — Thousands of United Auto Workers walked off the job at General Motors plants around the country Monday in the first nationwide strike against the U.S. auto industry since 1976.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said that job security was the top unresolved issue, adding that the talks did not stumble over a groundbreaking provision establishing a UAW-managed trust that will administer GM’s retiree health care obligations. Gettelfinger complained about “one-sided negotiations.”

“It was going to be General Motors’ way at the expense of the workers,” Gettelfinger said at a news conference. “The company walked right up to the deadline like they really didn’t care.”

Gettelfinger added that the union and GM’s management would return to the table Monday.

Workers walked off the job and began picketing Monday outside GM plants after the late morning UAW strike deadline passed. The UAW has 73,000 members who work for GM at 82 U.S. facilities, including assembly and parts plants and warehouses.

General Motors Corp. had been pushing hard in the negotiations for the health care trust — known as a Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association, or VEBA — so it could move $51 billion in unfunded retiree health costs off its books. GM has nearly 339,000 retirees and surviving spouses.

“This strike is not about the VEBA in any way shape or form,” Gettelfinger said at an afternoon news conference in Detroit.

“The No. 1 issue here is job security,” Gettelfinger later said, adding that the union also was fighting to preserve workers’ benefits.

GM spokesman Dan Flores said the automaker was disappointed in the UAW’s decision to call a national strike.

“The bargaining involves complex, difficult issues that affect the job security of our U.S. work force and the long-term viability of the company,” he said. “We remain fully committed to working with the UAW to develop solutions together to address the competitive challenges facing GM.”

It remained to be seen what effect the strike would have on the automaker and consumers. The company has sufficient stocks of just about every product to withstand a short strike, according to Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis for J.D. Power and Associates.

Worker Anita Ahrens burst into tears as hundreds of United Auto Workers streamed out of a GM plant in Janesville, Wis.

“Oh my God, here they come,” said Ahrens, 39. “This is unreal.”

Ahrens has seven years at the plant, where she works nights installing speakers in sport utility vehicles. She waited outside the building Monday for her husband, Ron Ahrens, who has worked there for 21 years.

The couple has three children, including a college freshman, and Ahrens worried about how they would pay their bills.

“This is horrible, but we’re die-hard union, so we have to,” Ahrens said. “We got a mortgage, two car payments and tons of freaking bills.”

Gettelfinger said he believed the UAW’s leadership owed “our membership an answer as to why they’re out there.”

“This is as serious as anything that any of us do,” he said. “There’s not one person on this stage … that wanted to see these negotiations end in a strike. Who wins in a strike? But again, you can be pushed off a cliff, and that’s what we feel like happened here.”

Despite the strike, GM stock rose a penny to $34.95 in midday trading.

 

Over the years I have learned that each union operates differently, based on their relationship with management.  One of the biggest variances is “Ultimately, who is responsible for the recruiting function?” 

Let me give you some examples:

Nurses (SEIU) – Does not assist in any level of recruiting nurses for the hospitals.  Recruiting is a pure function and responsibility of management.  After a nurse accepts a job, he/she is expected to join the union.

Teachers (CCEA) – Just as with the SEIU, does not assist in any level of the recruiting function.  They simply are the recipient of dues after management recruits.

Electricians (IBEW) – Is 100% responsible for the recruitment of electricians.  All must go through the apprenticeship (NJATC) program prior to joining.

Food Servers/Bartenders, etc. (Culinary)  - The largest union in Nevada was once responsible for 100% of the recruiting function, using the union hall as the labor pool that management was required to draw from.  Throughout the 1990s that responsibility shifted more to management as the union halls ran dry and casinos needed new wells of human capital.

So what impact does this have on a labor-management relationship? 

Considering we are all facing a war for talent in the very near future, the cost of talent acquisition and the immediate demand will be the determining factor.  Using construction as an example – when the union halls run dry of talent, will management assume the recruiting function because they have construction deadlines that need to be met, regardless of the cost?  Or will they just succumb to the mandatory overtime at above prevailing wages driving up the cost of construction even further? 

I am anxious to see.

Hilarious Union Joke: 

A dedicated Teamsters union worker was attending a convention in Las Vegas and decided to check out the local brothels. When he got to the first one, he asked the Madam, “Is this a union house?”

“No,” she replied, “I’m sorry it isn’t.”
“Well, if I pay you $100, what cut do the girls get?”

“The house gets $80 and the girls get $20,” she answered.

Offended at such unfair dealings, the union man stomped off down the street in search of a more equitable, hopefully unionized shop. His search continued until finally he reached a brothel where the Madam responded, “Why yes sir, this is a union house.  We observe all union rules.”

The man asked, “And if I pay you $100, what cut do the girls get?” “The girls get $80 and the house gets $20.”

“That’s more like it!” the union man said.  He handed the Madam $100, looked around the room, and pointed to a stunningly attractive blond.

“I’d like her,” he said.
“I’m sure you would, sir,” said the Madam. Then she gestured to a
92-year old woman in the corner, “but Ethel here has 67 years seniority and according to union rules, she’s next.” 

Happy Friday All!!! Hope I did not offend anyone.