Leadership
must follow Strike
Currently,
there are a number of potential labour disputes in Ontario
that could lead to a strike situation.
City Hall workers, Fanshawe College faculty and Ontario government
workers are among the groups that may go out on strike in
the next few weeks.
When employees return to work, most organizations just put
them back on the job. The anger and frustration built up during
the strike is often not dealt with either by management or
by the union. Managers and union leaders need to know how
to rebuild relationships
The
first piece of advice is to not place heavy work demands on
employees the first day back to work. A better strategy is
to welcome them back with clean work sites and with the same
hospitality as you would someone you haven't seen in a while.
As an
example, perhaps personally greet every returning employee at the
door or on the floor or in the office. If you do communicate, the
message might include:
• Note the
legality and due process of the strike, it is a legitimate conflict.
• Respect individual rights to have opposing points of
view.
• An agreement has been reached to settle the dispute.
• Move forward and put conflict behind.
• The workplace has been challenged in a significant way.
The climate may be strained for a period. This is normal and
expected.
Avoid communicating:
• Meaningless platitudes.
• Sense of winner and loser.
• Personal opinion.
• Recount of what occurred. |
Arrange
a meeting between local management and union leadership about a
week after employees return. Plan how your organization will move
forward after a strike. Develop an “ideal” working relationship
as something desirable, doable, as a target to work towards.
Begin work group meetings after two to three weeks. In these meetings
look forward rather than back. Don't explain what happened. Discuss
how to continue to work together effectively.
Most employees will be glad to get back to work. After all, it’s
no fun to manage on a significantly-reduced income. Some employees
may nurture hard feelings against management and some management
may harbour hard feelings for employees.
It is unrealistic to expect that things will return to “normal”
quickly. It takes time for feelings of anger and frustration to
subside.
A strike is a shock to the system. As with anyone that has suffered
a trauma, time must be given for the healing process. Also, leaders
must show care and concern and help the employees through the shock.
They must:
• Know and understand the changes to the collective agreement
and be prepared for its application.
• Understand that fear, anger, resentment are normal emotions
that employees will have to work through.
|
Think of an integrated, stable organization subjected to massive
upheaval. The good, positive relationships built up over time have
been put in jeopardy. There is a need to re-integrate and rebuild
the relationships that have been affected. Employees, both union
and non-union, need to be involved in the healing process.
Leaders must communicate extensively, intensively and continuously
with all members of the organization is a given, it is a ‘must
do’ activity. The goal is to create psychological safety and
a mentality of “let’s get on with rebuilding our relationship
and service to the customer.”
Leaders of the organization must get out of their offices, show
that they care and are concerned and help the whole organization
deal with the past and focus on the future.
