Buying a Company? Transforming a business? Working to get a better contract or avoid a strike? Or just want to remain union free?
Whether you are trying to avoid a strike, improve efficiency in operations through collective bargaining or just assess whether and how to structure an acquisition, our experts see things most people miss. The consultants from Yessin & Associates add decades of operational, financial, and human resource management experience to your team.
When you are buying a business, selecting a site or hiring a new workforce, Yessin & Associates can help.
Site Selection
If you are opening a new facility, you don’t want surprises. What is the union density in the area. Have their been layoffs in the region? What is the unemployment rate? What contracts do other employers have with their unions? Who is organizing there – is there anything going on in the industrial park you are getting ready to move into? What about local strikes – are those applicants coming through your doors the same people that just put your neighbor out of business?
Our Research company, RMI has a unique licensing agreement with the Bureau of National Affairs – the most respected name in labor relations research. Using BNA data, and local and industry contacts, our consultants can help evaluate your sites, and even provide interviewing and hiring expertise and strategies to maximize you chances of success in your new locations.
Due Diligence Support
Experts measure and evaluate the engineering, pension liability, value of accounts receivable, risks of toxic tort liability…everything it seems but the ability of the workforce and the management team to adapt to the changes that you will need to make your investment a success.
Why do most mergers or acquisitions fail? Experts now believe that the key to success in you new venture is whether the human resources fit together as well as the financial and physical assets. Read more…
Using tools from electronic surveys to facilitated assessments, our consultants can measure the employment relations climate, the likelihood of acceptance of a contract or risk of a strike. Our partners can evaluate the savings needed and identify where those savings can be achieved using industry benchmarks and proven analytical tools. For examples of good deals gone very, very bad for want of such analysis and support, contact us…and avoid the pitfalls that can cost you profits, damage debt ratings and reduce market capitalization.
Hiring and Selection
Our consultants have hired and screened as many as 1500 people a month to ensure that you get the kind of workforce that will make your venture successful…and to avoid surprises that could cost you millions. We can conduct and run the management assessment centers that select your leaders, or simply design a hiring process to enhance your likelihood of success.
Past engagements have included hiring an entire workforce following an asset purchase from hospitality businesses to logistics firms. We have ensured workplace continuity during a strike – from healthcare to transportation to manufacturing. For more information, contact us…
Union Vulnerability Assessments
Electronic surveys or one on one interviews between the consultant and management team are used to identify extent of organizing, employee alienation or vulnerability. This process helps allocate resources more efficiently and creates a trip wire so you can address problems before they become issues – and while they can still legally be addressed.
Employee Opinion Surveys
Measure employee alienation, predicts labor problems, and identifies areas of convergence of opinion to help target communications and efforts more effectively and efficiently. Also used to benchmark acceptable levels and measure performance, or to identify outliers for recognition or remedial assistance.
Employee Relations (“Environmental”) Audits
One on one interviews between the consultant and management team to identify employee relations issues, and intensity or energy around those respective issues. Helps identify extent of organizing, employee alienation or vulnerability, and can be used in conjunction with electronic tools to drill down beyond the electronic feedback and begin looking for anecdotal examples, solutions and differentiation so that solutions really match problems. This process helps allocate resources more efficiently and creates a trip wire so you can address problems before they become campaign issues – and while they can still legally be addressed.
Integrated employee relations and business strategies
What happens in another unit, another division, or another facility does affect what happens in yours. Understanding that relationship, and making the linkage work to effect the desired outcome, is the goal of our strategic team. Frequently this involves coordinating labor relations, public relations, governmental relations, investor relations and legal resources – understanding the objectives and concerns of each and working together for a common goal calibrated to your bottom line business objectives.
Establishment of effective employee-management teams
In coordination with your legal counsel, we can help unlock the creativity, insight and skills of your workforce. American employers do have more legal restrictions on working directly with employees than in almost any other industrialized nation – it isn't easy, but it is possible, and it sure can make a difference. Call us to find out how.
Collective bargaining support – communicating for success at the bargaining table
Does the old contract work for you? Getting a good first contract can be the key to your success. Bargaining never gets any easier, and establishing a good baseline to work from – as well as avoiding the surprise of undocumented “past practices” that cost you time and money -- may be the difference in success or failure of your new business. Ask our clients who failed to assess this and found $20 million in poor work practices embedded in the old contract’s unwritten past practices.
Our clients have secured contracts that allowed them to compete by taking their case to the employees. Isn't that illegal? Not if you do it properly. If employees of the old company are unwilling to change to meet the expectations of the new company, you need to know that up front. Our consultants are experienced at getting employees to sign onto the new work culture, and designing exit strategies, or soft landings, for those who prefer to take their talents elsewhere.
When you are transforming a business, and must save money to save jobs, Yessin & Associates can help.
Supervisory and Management Training in effective communications and advocacy for the business objectives
Many supervisors are promoted for technical proficiency, not communications skills – and certainly not advocacy skills. Many are not sure of what they legally can and cannot say during organizing campaigns, negotiations, or even day to day human resource problems. We train them to be effective advocates for the business, better communicators and encourage and coach them as to what to say, not just what not to say. They learn to bring information in, as well as to hand it out. (Note – link to schematic – outflow of information to employees, inflow to management – should be dynamic/flash)
Business Literacy Enhancement for management and employees
The foundation for successful communications. Once employees and managers understand where the business needs to go and why, they can become advocates for you, assets for you and allies for your business strategies.
Collective bargaining support – communicating for success at the bargaining table
Does your old contract work for you? Our clients have secured contracts that allowed them to compete by taking their case to the employees. Isn't that illegal? Not if you do it properly.
Winning strike authorization votes
If your employees knew what you put on the table, would they really go out on strike? If they knew the consequences, would they walk off their jobs? Our clients shoot straight with the members, and have avoided strikes, lockouts and closures.
Establishment of effective employee-management teams
In coordination with your legal counsel, we can help unlock the creativity, insight and skills of your workforce. American employers do have more legal restrictions on working directly with employees than in almost any other industrialized nation – it isn't easy, but it is possible, and it sure can make a difference. In the EU, our International consultancy, ERA (UK) can help install functioning and robust Works Councils to achieve this result. Call us to find out how.
Employee Opinion Surveys
Measures employee alienation, predicts labor problems, and identifies areas of convergence of opinion to help target communications and efforts more effectively and efficiently. Also used to benchmark acceptable levels and measure performance, or to identify outliers for recognition or remedial assistance.
Employee Relations (“Environmental”) Audits
One on one interviews between the consultant and management team to identify employee relations issues, and intensity or energy around those respective issues. Helps identify extent of organizing, employee alienation or vulnerability, and can be used in conjunction with electronic tools to drill down beyond the electronic feedback and begin looking for anecdotal examples, solutions and differentiation so that solutions really match problems. This process helps allocate resources more efficiently and creates a trip wire so you can address problems before they become campaign issues or strike issues – and while they can still legally be addressed or avoided.
When you want to operate union-free, avoid a strike or get a better contract, Yessin & Associates can help.
Remaining union-free
Our consultants enjoy a 96% success rate in NLRB elections – versus 42% for all employers who went to election last year. Winning the right way is a passion and a commitment. Read more... Election Statistics Graph/Article about union win rates up – just out recently.
Re-gaining a union-free workforce
It isn't up to us, and it isn't up to you…but employees can and do decide to return to a union-free environment. Contact us to find out how and why.
Employee Opinion Surveys
Measures employee alienation, predicts labor problems, and identifies areas of convergence of opinion to help target communications and efforts more effectively and efficiently. Also used to benchmark acceptable levels and measure performance, or to identify outlyers for recognition or remedial assistance.
Employee Relations (“Environmental”) Audits
One on one interviews between the consultant and management team to identify employee relations issues, and intensity or energy around those respective issues. Helps identify extent of organizing, employee alienation or vulnerability, and can be used in conjunction with electronic tools to drill down beyond the electronic feedback and begin looking for anecdotal examples, solutions and differentiation so that solutions really match problems. This process helps allocate resources more efficiently and creates a trip wire so you can address problems before they become campaign issues – and while they can still legally be addressed.
Collective bargaining support – communicating for success at the bargaining table
Does the old contract work for you? Getting a good collective bargaining agreement may be the difference between saving jobs or losing jobs. Our clients have secured contracts that allowed them to compete by taking their case to the employees. Isn't that illegal? Not if you do it properly. Read more…
Winning strike authorization votes
If your employees knew what you put on the table, would they really go out on strike? If they knew the consequences, would they walk off their jobs? Our clients shoot straight with the members, and have avoided strikes, lockouts and closures.
Effective strike plans
Going into negotiations without an effective strike plan is like going fishing with half a boat. Our consultants have helped create strike plans for nuclear utilities, medical centers, factories and phone companies…preparing it usually means you don't have to implement it. Read more…
Directing communications strategy and providing communications support
Whether it is cultural change initiatives, collective bargaining support, legislative initiatives or union campaigns, we can help devise a communication plan that works for your employees in your culture. Through strategies, training, surveys, multi-media support, handouts, feedback, and one on one or group advocacy we can help formulate or implement your communications plan.
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