2013 "Best & Worst in Labor-Management Relations" List

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Dec. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 2013 was a mixed bag in terms of headline-making industry and union disputes,  according to this year's "Best & Worst of Labor-Management Relations" list released by Overland Resource Group.

"While there weren't as many high profile strikes in 2013 as there were in 2012 (the NFL, NHL, Hostess, etc.), there were still many deeply and historically conflicted relationships between labor and management that are causing America – and many Americans -- to suffer economically," said Robert Hughes, president of the Kansas City-based labor-management consulting firm. "Fortunately, there are some shining examples of successful collaboration that others can learn from."

Based on criteria such as measurable positive outcomes or negative impacts, innovative or antiquated approaches, and leadership vision, Overland named the following among the "best":

• CSX Transportation and its four unions signed an agreement that sets new standards of quality and productivity, and guarantees job security for the term of the agreement.
• Collaboration between the Federal Aviation Administration and its unions moved the agency from near bottom ratings on employee satisfaction to the top third in the Best Places to Work™ survey.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199, in partnership with hospital management teams in the Northeast, jointly sponsored several improvement projects to address quality in patient care.

Among the "worst":

• Boeing and the International Association of Machinists' contract dispute led to a threatened relocation of the 777x airplane production.  
• Unresolved conflicts between Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and its unions forced commuters to endure service interruptions from two strikes in one year.
• Infighting between SEIU-United Healthcare Workers-West and the National Union of Healthcare Workers-California Nurses Association bodes ill for upcoming healthcare challenges.

Among the "Jury's-Still-Out":

• Teamsters are voting on a contract with YRC Worldwide that could help the struggling trucking firm preserve 26,000+ jobs.
• Volkswagen and the United Auto Workers are discussing a German Works Council-type model of collaboration at the Chattanooga, TN, facility which could prove a "win-win-win" for the automaker, its workers and the community.

About Overland Resource Group
For more than 30 years, Overland Resource Group has been helping joint labor and management clients transform adversarial relationships into collaborative ones, enabling them to drive and sustain operational and work life improvements. 

SOURCE Overland Resource Group