The Left of Boom Show

Could the Faster Labor Contracts Act fundamentally change how first-time union contracts are negotiated in America? In this episode of The Left of Boom Show, Phil Wilson is joined by labor relations veteran Dave Sapenoff for a discussion on legislation that could dramatically shorten bargaining timelines and replace negotiations with mandatory mediation and binding arbitration. Explaining the Fast...

In this episode of the Left of Boom Show, host Phil Wilson sits down with Doug Hessinger aka "Data Doug", a veteran labor and employee relations professional with over two decades of experience across retail, distribution, and financial tech services. Hessinger draws on his time as a labor relations department of one, managing six represented units across the US and Canada, to share hard-won lesso...

Managing the Union Shop Every supervisor conversation, grievance response, and contract interpretation happening on your shop floor today is shaping the outcome of your next union contract negotiations Dave Sapenoff spent seven years organizing for the Teamsters before crossing to the management side and spending three decades running labor relations for Sprint Communications across 35 collective...

Left of Boom Show — Episode Description Grant Pecor has been in healthcare bargaining long enough to know when a dispute is heading somewhere bad. He heads the labor relations group at Miller Canfield in Detroit, and he's currently eight months into a nursing strike that shows no signs of resolving. Phil sits down with him to work through what actually happens at the table and what employers keep...

In this final episode, Michael VanDervort and Phil Wilson reflect on the key lesson of the Next 52 Weeks series: rebuilding your workplace culture after a union campaign is not a one-time project. The first year is critical, but the work of maintaining a healthy workplace never stops. They discuss the importance of continuously checking in with employees, developing frontline supervisors, and rein...

In this episode of the Next 52 Weeks series on the Left of Boom Show, Michael VanDervort and Phil Wilson explore how organizations can improve workplace relationships by strengthening conflict resolution processes. The discussion focuses on why employees need to feel that workplace decisions are handled fairly and how unresolved disputes often become organizing issues during union campaigns. Phil...

Summary In this episode of the Left of Boom show, Phil Wilson of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. and Mike Perkins of Frontline HR discuss the critical role of frontline supervisors in providing performance feedback. They explore the importance of training supervisors to effectively communicate with employees, the flaws in traditional performance review processes, and the necessity of regular feedbac...

Summary In this episode of The Left of Boom Show , Phil Wilson and Glenn Album explore what it takes to build a net promoter culture, one where employees actively advocate for the organization, challenge it constructively, and help solve real problems. Rather than focusing on slogans or programs, the conversation centers on trust, inclusion, and everyday leadership behaviors that invite employees...

In this episode of the Left of Boom Show, Phil Wilson, CEO of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. , and John Mortimer , CEO of Mortimer & Company Consulting and LabourWatch, discuss the intricacies of Canadian labor law, comparing it with the U.S. system. They discuss the structure of labor boards, the dynamics of union membership, and the importance of fostering positive employee relations. The con...

"Every employee base is a bell curve." "Leaning into the why is so important." "Hang a flag on your problems." Summary In this episode, Phil Wilson, CEO of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. , and Nick Kalm, CEO of Reputation Partners , discuss the importance of effective communication in the workplace, particularly in relation to managing employee stress and anticipating reactions to change. They expl...

In this episode of the Next 52 Weeks series, Michael VanDervort speaks with Phil Wilson about the critical role of approachability in leadership , which Wilson calls the 'One Ring of Leadership. Drawing on his experience as a labor lawyer, Wilson emphasizes that approachability is foundational to effective leadership and can significantly impact team dynamics and organizational culture. He outline...

Show Description In this episode of the Left of Boom Show , Phil Wilson and Ted Glesener of LRI Consulting Services discuss the critical components of action planning in employee relations, particularly following union campaigns. They explore the importance of prioritizing action items, understanding campaign dynamics, and executing plans effectively. The conversation emphasizes the need for stron...

Episode Summary In this episode of the Left of Boom Show, Phil Wilson interviews Evelyn Fragoso , a former union organizer and now a labor consultant, for a conversation most employers never get to hear. Employees do not casually decide to organize. They arrive there after a series of missed signals, broken trust, and communication gaps that compound over time. Drawing on her experience inside org...

In this episode of the Left of Boom show, Phil Wilson and Danine Clay of LRI Consulting Services, Inc . discuss the critical aspects of recruiting and onboarding, particularly for companies that have recently undergone a union election. They explore the cultural challenges that arise post-election, the importance of transparency, and best practices for hiring and integrating new employees into the...

Fix Your Supervisors, Fix Everything What if I told you your entire workplace culture lives or dies at the supervisor level? Not in the boardroom. Not in the town hall meeting. Right there on the floor, at the desk, in the breakroom. That is where culture becomes real. Or collapses. Today, we are diving into the one topic that makes or breaks almost every labor relations situation we see on the gr...

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐌𝐁𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭 When a steward walks in with a grievance, when a supervisor mishandles a conversation, when your collective bargaining agreement suddenly becomes a minefield, these are not slow burn problems. They are operational fires. Big companies have entire in-house labor relations teams to put those fires out before anything spreads. Small and...

In the wake of a union election, proactive communication isn’t a luxury. It’s the difference between a healthy workplace and a combustible one. In this episode of The Left of Boom Show, Phil Wilson , CEO of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. , sits down with Nick Kalm , CEO of Reputation Partners , to break down the fundamentals that every leader in your organization needs to master over the next 52 we...

Next 52 Weeks — Third-Party Intervention, Vulnerability, and Your Union-Free Strategy In this episode of the Left of Boom Show, host Phil Wilson and guest expert Evelyn Fragoso discuss the critical aspects of vulnerability assessment in the workplace. They explore the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, the common pitfalls companies face in assessing vulnerability, and the signific...

In this episode, Michael VanDervort and Phil Wilson introduce the concept of the 'Next 52 Weeks' as a proactive approach to employee relations, emphasizing the importance of creating a positive workplace culture to prevent union campaigns. They discuss the 'Left of Boom' strategy, which focuses on identifying and addressing potential issues before they escalate. The conversation highlights the sig...

In this episode of The Left of Boom Show , host Phil Wilson sits down with Deb Muller , founder and CEO of HR Acuity, to explore how technology, data, and leadership are transforming the way organizations manage employee relations and workplace investigations. With over 25 years of experience in HR and ER, Deb shares her journey from corporate HR leader to tech entrepreneur, and why she built the...

Cary Burke left Big Law, joined the plaintiff’s side, and hasn’t looked back—except when his kids are jumping down the stairs in dinosaur underwear. Episode Summary: Cary made partner at Seyfarth—and then left to jump into the chaos of plaintiff-side litigation, a coworking space, and parenting two daredevil sons. We discuss that leap, what’s broken in labor law, and why Cary’s voice on LinkedIn c...

CUE Inc. isn’t just a conference—it’s the go-to spot for leaders who want to build trust, truth, and transparency in employee and labor relations. In this episode of the Left To Boom Show , host Phil Wilson interviews Elizabeth Huston , the executive director of CUE Inc., a positive employee relations organization. They discuss Elizabeth's leadership journey, the importance of community and collab...

What happens when economic pressure meets patient care? Lori King gives us the pulse check. Phil Wilson sits down with Lori King—a nurse, educator, executive, and labor relations strategist, to discuss the operational storm brewing in healthcare. From staffing ratios to legislative landmines, Lori explains how hospitals navigate a system under pressure and what it takes to keep care teams function...

🎤 We negotiated with a union… powered by AI. No, seriously. We ran a mock collective bargaining session using Grok AI’s voice mode on iOS. The result? A surprisingly real-feeling negotiation, complete with demands, tension, and even performance feedback for the company lead (ouch, but helpful). 🧠 Here's why this matters: ✅ Real-time training ✅ Feedback-driven learning ✅ Anywhere, anytime prac...

In this episode of The Left of Boom Show, Phil McMann and Dave Sapenoff take us inside the room to explore the tactics and strategies behind bargaining in a first collective bargaining agreement. Building on the previous episode’s focus on preparation, this installment dives into the practical, day-to-day dynamics of sitting at the table and getting the deal done. Key topics include: Setting groun...