To demonstrate their appreciation for their employees’ hard work and dedication, Holland-Zeeland area employers are once again hosting a celebration honoring the local workforce on Labor Day. This event is the Labor Day Truck Parade and Ice Cream Social on Monday, September 6. About 50 big rigs representing lakeshore-area companies will rumble down Zeeland’s Main Street at 9:15 am and 8th Street in Holland at 9:30, horns blasting and polished to high gleam, in the largest non-military convoy in the U.S.
After-parade festivities continue in the Holland Civic Center parking lot, where free hot dogs, ice cream and an up-close look at the semi-trucks that carry locally-made goods across the nation and around the world are available to the community until noon. This fun-for-the-whole-family experience is delightful in sight and sound and is a great way to recognize the work ethic and mutual respect our area employees and employers enjoy.
For photos of past parades, click here.
Beginning June 21, 2010, businesses that contract and subcontract with the Federal government are required to display a notice that outlines employee’s rights under the National Labor Relations Act to unionize and collectively bargain with their employer. This requirement is just the most recent outcome of the current administration’s actions involving employer-employee relations and third party representation.
Included on this poster is a list of unlawful employer activities and contact information for the National Labor Relations Board. In West Michigan, we recognize the hard work of our employees and their contributions that make our companies successful. We pride ourselves in the mutual respect between employers and employees, and this includes open communication between the two with no need for third party intervention. This poster requirement, under Executive Order 13496 signed by President Obama, seems to disregard this respect and encourage employees to seek representation by bringing grievances to the NLRB, not their supervisors.
According to the Department of Labor, Executive Order 13496 “ . . . advances the Administration’s goal of promoting economy and efficiency of Federal government procurement by ensuring that workers employed in the private sector and engaged in activity related to the performance of Federal government contracts are informed of their rights to form, join, or assist a union and bargain collectively with their employer. Knowledge of such basic statutory rights promotes stable labor-management relations, thus reducing costs to the Federal government.”
The Department of Labor states that the notice must be posted both physically and electronically, if the Federal contractor or subcontractor posts notices electronically. Noncompliance could include suspension of the current federal contract and future federal contract work.
The tone of the poster seems to invite third-party representation, and it is unfortunate that the government is requiring its contractors to post such a message. We should keep in mind that the key to a successful relationship between employers and employees is to understand workforce needs and to build strong relationships between employees and supervisors. This may include some internal training on what third-party representation really means to an organization, and how to really listen to employee needs. Good two-way communication between management and employees has always been part of the formula that makes West Michigan Work.
Click here to see the poster.
Click here to read Executive Order 13496: Notification of Employee Rights under Federal Labor Laws.
In West Michigan, our employers and employees enjoy work relationships based on mutual respect. Employees participate in their company’s successes. The “Us vs. Them” mentality is contrary to the fabric of our West Michigan culture and how we work. Our community and businesses have a responsibility to maintain this type of collaborative work environment that fosters innovation, pride in ownership, positive relationships and open communications among all employees. This is the type of business environment we choose, and it makes West Michigan work.
For more on this, read West Michigan Works’ executive director Randy Boileau’s letter to the editor that appeared in the Holland Sentinel on April 8, 2010 here.
West Michigan Works
We have had great response so far to the guest speaker planned for our October 19 membership update meeting, U.S Representative Tom Price of Georgia. As many of you may know, Rep. Price is chair of the House Republican Study Committee and is the ranking Republican on the House Labor Subcommittee. He is coming to talk with us about the view of labor issues from Washington, and provide insight into what we might expect from Congress this fall on matters of labor and employment, including the controversial EFCA legislation.
If you already have called or emailed to reserve a space, thanks, no need to do anything else. If you have not yet reserved your space please do so as soon as possible. Rep. Price’s talk is sure to be informative and we want to make sure that as many West Michigan Works members as possible have an opportunity to hear it.
If you’re interested in attending the meeting or you have questions about the event, please email us at or call us at 616.786.4461.
West Michigan Works
Join West Michigan Works for this fun-for-the-whole family event, showcasing area employers and honoring employees who make the Lakeshore area a great place to live and work.
Horns blasting. Engines roaring. Diesel wafting. Tires rumbling. Trucks gleaming. Earth shaking. Kids laughing. Tune your five senses in to the fifth annual Labor Day Truck Parade on Monday, September 7. This unique, fun-for-the-whole-family event starts with a convoy of about 50 trucks rumbling through the streets of downtown Zeeland and Holland and culminates at the Holland Civic Center parking lot where spectators can get an up-close look at the trucks and enjoy free ice cream, hot dogs and giveaways.
While entertaining and involving our community, this event celebrates area employers and employees who make the Lakeshore area a great place to live and work. Labor Day is the perfect time to honor our local workforce. Parade participant trucks range from local corporate giants to smaller, family-owned businesses that have been a part of the community for decades. These trucks are used to distribute locally-made products to neighboring towns, across the nation and around the world. The trucks symbolize the pride of our area workforce, and the community that supports and makes these businesses successful.
The parade will depart from Herman Miller in Zeeland at approximately 9 a.m. Spectators are invited to watch the parade along Main Street in Zeeland starting at 9:15 a.m. and along Eighth Street through downtown Holland at 9:30 a.m. The trucks will end up in the Holland Civic Center parking lot, and post-parade festivities will wrap up by noon. The event is sponsored by West Michigan Works and the cities of Holland and Zeeland.
If you would like to help us promote the event, you can download our poster to tack up in your business or workplace. If your Holland/Zeeland area company would like to participate in the truck parade, please contact West Michigan Works at 616.786.4461.
Check out the images from our events in our photo gallery.