weirdest anti-union video

[sandinista]

Here’s the Cheesy Anti-Union Video All Target Employees Must Endure

Is this legal in the states? WTF...this shit is crazy.

http://gawker.com/5811371/heres-the-che ... ust-endure

[Rum]

Pure propaganda. Utter bullshit. Nothing was ever voluntarily given up by 'capital'. It doesn't give a fuck. The rights ordinary people got were fought for through organised labour - no more, no less.

[Coito ergo sum]

It's a silly video, to be sure. But, why in the world would this video be illegal?

[Rum]

It's a silly video, to be sure. But, why in the world would this video be illegal?

In the UK encouraging people not to join a union, which is a right by law, might be construed as illegal.

[Coito ergo sum]

One good point they make is that unions can stifle flexibility in the business. For example, at about 4:30 of the video they talk about how if a union comes in, their work rules may prevent a Target employee from assisting a customer outside of their department. That's certainly not an unheard of suggestion. They also point out the inefficiencies of rigid seniority systems.

At 7:00 into the video, Target says that team members have a right to join a union, and they also have a right NOT to join a union. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Like all corporate videos, this thing is a bit childish sounding, but other than that - meh. It's Target saying, very politely, that they don't think you should join a union, but it's up to you.

[Coito ergo sum]

It's a silly video, to be sure. But, why in the world would this video be illegal?

In the UK encouraging people not to join a union, which is a right by law, might be construed as illegal.

Well, I don't know UK law on the subject, but I would highly surprised if the company can't state its position on the costs and benefits of joining a union.

In the US, it can be unfair labor practice if the employer doesn't trod very carefully in this area, but I just watched the whole video, and frankly, the video is so milquetoast that it's hard to see what could be wrong with it, other than inanity and poor production values.

[Rum]

Unions have often hampered the flexibility of companies to respond to new market conditions and sometimes that has been a major fault, but if one remembers where the union movement started, the conditions that workers lived with and what they had to put up with in the early part of the 20th century (in western countries) it is not surprising that they held on to every iota of power and control they managed to gain an advantage in.

The relationship between labour and capital has changed radically over the last 30 years in my view, due to economic conditions. Mass unemployment, for example, is a factor Marx did not have to consider in the interplay between the owners of the big stuff and the rest of us. That weakens the unions' position, as we can easily see these days.

[sandinista]

It's a silly video, to be sure. But, why in the world would this video be illegal?

In the UK encouraging people not to join a union, which is a right by law, might be construed as illegal.

Same in canaduh.

[Geoff]

It's a silly video, to be sure. But, why in the world would this video be illegal?

In the UK encouraging people not to join a union, which is a right by law, might be construed as illegal.

Nope, the law only states that an employer cannot penalise a worker for joining (and neither can a Union penalise you for not joining). Persuasion, from either side, is fine.

[Coito ergo sum]

At least in Canada, both unions and employers can attempt to present their factual case against or for the union, but they can't threaten employees or intimidate them. The employer is allowed to organize a counter-organizing drive to stop card signing or if an election is called they can try to sway the prospective bargaining unit. They can't, of course, encourage employees by offering incentives, but they can encourage employees by discussing the downsides of unionizing, the union dues, the fact that unions can't promise anything, etc. The same is true in the United States, by the way.

[sandinista]

The last union I organized (at a hotel...I was an employee there) this kind of thing would have been illegal I'm quite sure. The main problem is this; "We've obtained a copy of Target's notorious internal anti-union propaganda video, which it shows to all new employees in America when they're hired." Employees are forced to watch the video in order to get hired. Are unions allowed to force all employees to watch pro-union material in the states. I highly doubt it. What you're saying coito, that the employer and the union can "encourage" is only lawful if the encouragement is voluntary. If, upon employment the employee was offered the CHOICE to watch the video than I could see it, but all employees are made to watch it.