Bargaining/Negotiations Archives | Labor Relations News and Analysis

The Contract Proposal Didn’t Change. The Vote Did

Posted by Michael VanDervort | Aug 26, 2026 | Bargaining/Negotiations, Collective Bargaining, IBT, Industry, Labor Relations Ink, Labor Relations Insight, Leadership, Legal, Manufacturing, News, Trending, Union Leaders, Unionized Company, Unions

Teamsters Local 455 rejected Cargill’s contract by 25 votes, then approved the same deal by 902 two weeks later. The difference wasn’t the offer, it was whether members understood it.

Managing A Union Shop Between Contracts

Posted by Michael VanDervort | Aug 17, 2026 | Bargaining/Negotiations, Fractional Labor Relations, Fractional LR, Frontline Supervisors, Labor Relations Ink, Labor Relations Insight, Leadership, Left of Boom Show, Podcast, Trending, Unionized Company

Union contracts don’t fall apart at the bargaining table. They erode one supervisor decision at a time, and fixing that starts long before the next negotiation.

Managing During Status Quo: The First 90 Days After A Union Election

Posted by Michael VanDervort | Aug 6, 2026 | Bargaining/Negotiations, Labor Relations Ink, Labor Relations Insight, Left of Boom Show, Legal, Managing During Status Quo Series: Bargaining for a First Contract, Next 52 Weeks, NLRB, status quo, Trending, Uncategorized, Unionized Company

Once a union is certified, employers owe a duty to bargain and can’t make unilateral changes, a status quo period most management teams are navigating for the first time.

Unions and AI: Why the Labor Movement Is Split

Posted by Michael VanDervort | Jul 22, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence, Bargaining/Negotiations, Culture, Healthcare, Healthcare, IBT, Industry, Labor Relations Ink, Labor Relations Insight, Leadership, National Nurses United, Tech - Media, Transportation, Trending, Union Organizing, Unionized Company

Unions and AI: Trade unions are supporting AI work projects like data centers while nurses and entertainment unions push back. What employers need to know.