I can't offer much about LO and unions because I was working with union
management issues before LO was around. But I don't think its much
different than what would go with any "initiative of the day" that was
authentic.
The most effective process that I used, as an outside consultant, was to
decline to engage in development of a programme or initiative without the
participation of the union. What that meant was, that as soon as the
engagement or contracting process was over - and sometimes before - I
insisted that senior union representation be included. In this way, to
use a happy phrase recently acquired in this dialogue, they could LEARN-IN
and did not have to deal with a "complete" package that they then had to
deali with. A side benefit was that the union could input to the
programme design.
It seems to me that this would be particularly appropriate if
"organisational learning" was the initiative. After all, wouldn't there
be something inauthentic in assuming that the union had nothing to
contribute to the learning process of setting up a learning project? It
would certainly be inconsistent.
By approaching things in the this way, the union is strengthened and
empowered.
In case you might think these were the "nicer" side of union management
situations, let me set the record straight. One of these was a situation
where there had been a long history of physical violence including
shootings. The situation was a chemical plant that the company was in the
rather long process of shutting down. A new manager came in with a
personal commitment to turn the place around. A plant which did not
participate in safety programmes let alone quality programmes was leading
the company wide quality awards ceremony only 9 months later. The plant
become a model instead of being closed down and the union turned into a
partner instead of a problem.
Those who had the biggest problem with the transformation were the
managers - but that's another story.
--
Mike McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
"Intelligence is an underlying organisational principle
of the universe. The 'logos principle' is hidden and
perceptible only to the intelligence." Heraclitus