Produce a one-page position paper for us explaining concrete steps we can take today to avoid being unionized tomorrow. The employees at firms like LearnInMotion.com are young, well paid, and technologically sophisticated, and they’re doing interesting, creative work with flexible hours. They are, in other words, exactly the sort of employees you might assume would have no interest in joining a union.

Jennifer, however, was surprised to find that unions are actively attempting to organize several dot-coms. For example, one article she happened to come across read, “Union activity at U.S. Internet companies is on the increase and is illustrated by the Washington alliance of technology workers attempting to unionize Amazon. com. [The union] claims to be receiving inquiries on a daily basis regarding union membership [from] workers at Amazon.””8

“That's all we’d need is to have some disgruntled current or former employee call a union in on us,” said Mel.

The fact that LearnInMotion.com is in New York (which has a relatively high proportion of union workers) and that several employees have left under less-than-pleasant circumstances suggest to Jennifer that perhaps she should be vigilant, and take steps now to prevent a problem later. The question is, what should she and Mel do? Now, they want you, their management consultants, to help them decide what to do. Here’s what they want you to do for them.