In this Issue

In the labor world, 2014 has started out with a bang. We have seen a hotly contested union election at Volkswagen in Chattanooga make national news culminating in an employer victory. Commentators have openly questioned whether this portends an era of reinvigorated union efforts to gain a toehold in the historically companyfriendly Southeast. We have also seen a decidedly union-friendly and reinvigorated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) roll-out a new set of initiatives that champions and critics alike agree will make it easier to organize employees. While it may still be premature to draw any sweeping conclusions, these intensified union and regulatory efforts highlight the importance of early preparation, should the union come knocking at the door.