Preparing for increased union organizing. A commitment to deal justly with employees is the best response to the new...

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a National Labor Relations Board regulation giving unions of healthcare workers the right to organize as many as eight different kinds of hospital bargaining units. With the Court's decision, hospital administrators must prepare for increased union organizing by maintaining policies that evidence the institution's commitment to social justice in the workplace. Hospital administrators can reduce the potential for labor-management conflict by stressing the institution's commitment to social justice and establishing programs to educate managers and other employees about Catholic teaching on social justice. Facility administrators should also establish a written philosophy statement outlining the institution's position on unionization, institute labor relations training, survey employees' opinions of management and their work environment, conduct audits of managers' perceptions of the organization's effectiveness, and periodically review the state of labor relations in the organization.