A Note from our President, Lynn Ward |
Dear Chamber Member,
Tomorrow is the first official day of summer! Come kick off the season in style on Wednesday, June 21 for our next Out For Business networking event taking place at the beautiful The Residences at Quarry Walk in Oxford. You can register by clicking here.
Did you know that we now have free Wake Up Your Business networking events every Friday morning in one of our four major coverage areas? If you haven't been by a Wake Up Your Business recently, I'd recommend putting an hour aside and attending one to meet other members, generate leads, and hear from prospective members. The reviews from recent sessions have been really positive and I know our members get a lot out of these sessions. Scroll down for upcoming dates.
We have a variety of events planned for the next several months. On Saturday, August 5, in partnership with the City of Waterbury and City native Al Taylor of ACT Jam Productions, our Main Street Waterbury affiliate will host the 2023 Brass City Jazz Fest, featuring many award-winning contemporary jazz musicians. This is a free event but please consider sponsoring this event, which attracts thousands of attendees from throughout the region. Click here for sponsorship opportunities.
On Monday, September 18 at The Golf Club at Oxford Greens, we will host our 28th annual Waterbury Regional Chamber Open. This tournament always fills up fast. I'm sure many of you will remember the delicious raw bar that was held before dinner last year. Registration details will be forthcoming. Get maximum exposure for your company by securing your sponsorship now so you can be promoted on the tournament invitation and other marketing materials.
Do you have young professionals in your organization who would benefit from networking with other area professionals, learning opportunities, and other development initiatives? Consider enrolling them in our Young Professionals of Greater Waterbury program. You can find details here. |
You can reach me, as always, at (203) 757-0701 or lward@waterburychamber.com. Keep scrolling for this month’s updates and events to take full advantage of what our Chamber has to offer.
Thank you, more than ever, for your continued membership,
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In This Issue:
- President's Note
- Welcome New Members
- Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings
- Upcoming Events
- A Message from Newsletter Sponsor: Post University
- HR Corner
- Naugatuck Chamber
- Watertown Oakville Chamber
- Southbury Chamber News
- Hiring and Training Programs Available
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Welcome to Our Newest Members |
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A warm welcome to our newest members!* We encourage you to connect with them soon and see where your next partnership can be! |
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*Joined 5/11/23 to 6/20/23
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Come help your fellow Chamber Member celebrate their opening, renovation completion, or milestone!
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Join Us! - Upcoming Chamber Events |
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Out for Business
Wednesday, June 21
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Residences at Quarry Walk
500 Boulder Pass
Oxford
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Wake Up Your Business
Friday, June 23
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Ion Bank Community Building
270 Church Street
Naugatuck
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Wake Up Your Business
Friday, July 7
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The Local Sixty-Three Bar & Restaurant
465 Main Street
Watertown
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Brass City Jazz Fest
Saturday, August 5
2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Library Park @ Grand Street
Waterbury
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Waterbury Regional Chamber Open
Monday, September 18
Shotgun start @ noon
The Golf Club at Oxford Greens
99 Country Club Drive
Oxford
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Employer Survey: Understanding Workforce Needs |
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Below is a link to a brief survey we at the Waterbury Regional Chamber urge you to complete. The survey, developed as part of our partnership with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, seeks information from employers like you about your workforce needs - specifically, what challenges you face in finding qualified workers to fill open positions.
The survey should take about 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
We hope you will take the time to help us in gathering this important information and will be used to develop and maintain a high-quality workforce in the region. Your time and opinions are greatly appreciated.
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Message From Newsletter Sponsor: Post University |
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Post University Strengthens Leadership Team with New Chief Information Technology Officer |
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Post University is pleased to announce Adam Gorski, Ph.D., has been selected as the new Chief Information Officer (CIO). The university also welcomes new program leadership, including Criminal Justice Program Chair Kevin Hale and Police Recertification Program Director Matthew Reilly.
“Post is committed to attracting the absolute best higher education professionals who share our unwavering dedication to creating an environment of possibilities, rather than probable or predictable, to ensure every student and associate can thrive and succeed,” said Post University Chief Executive Officer & President John L. Hopkins. “We are thrilled to welcome Adam, Kevin and Matthew to the Post family and know their knowledge, experience and passion for education make them invaluable to our university’s community.”
As CIO, Adam Gorski, Ph.D., will be responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of technology initiatives, ensuring all digital resources align with the evolving needs of Post’s students and faculty. With more than 30 years serving in leadership roles within the technology industry, Gorski will also oversee the development of innovative technological solutions and foster a culture of data-driven decision-making. Before joining Post, he held leadership positions at Contour Global Management, The Timken Company, Element Solutions Inc., Stanley Black and Decker and more. Gorski earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Management, Digital Innovation and Transformation from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minn. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn.
Kevin Hale brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to his role as the new chair of the Criminal Justice Program where will be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight to the program. Hale built a sterling career during his tenure as the chief of police for the Ansonia Police Department, where he launched several initiatives to reduce crime. He has served as president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association and the New England Association of Chiefs of Police. Hale received his MBA from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Neb., and his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, Conn. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Matthew Reilly will apply his extensive law enforcement and military experience to his new role as director of the University’s Police Recertification Program as he liaises with various police departments and oversees daily program operations. The Southbury native joins Post after serving on the Western District Major Crime Squad for the Connecticut State Police and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The U.S. Army and National Guard veteran earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Administration from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, Conn.
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HR Corner: NLRB Makes it Harder to Discipline Employees for Outbursts |
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Can an employer discipline an employee who shouts obscenities at a manager? The answer may not be so simple.
On May 1, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its ruling in Lion Elastomers LLC II, overruling its 2020 decision General Motors LLC and restoring prior case law that provides broader protections to employees who engage in offensive conduct in connection with exercising their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Background
Generally, the NLRA protects the rights of all non-supervisory employees (even if they are not in a union) to form a union, collectively bargain, and engage in concerted protected activity to seek better terms and conditions of employment (a.k.a. “Section 7 rights”). The NLRA also prohibits employers from disciplining employees who engage in those activities. Decisions from the NLRB addressing whether employers have violated employees’ Section 7 rights tend to flip flop based on the political party of the current Presidency.
Summary of the Decision
In 2020 under the Trump Administration, the NLRB simplified its analysis for determining whether an employer could discipline an employee for outbursts or “abusive conduct” that occurred in the course of Section 7 activity to a single test. That single test focused not on the “nature of the employee’s conduct but rather on the motive of the employer in taking the adverse action.”
The current Board rejected this single test, reasoning that disputes over wages, hours, and working conditions are often heated and disruptive. Therefore, it was concerned that applying the motive test to all cases involving disruptive conduct in connection with Section 7 activity would chill an employee’s ability to exercise those rights. Accordingly, the NLRB reinstated the traditional setting-specific standards:
(1) The “Atlantic Steel” test” addresses conduct directed at management and analyzes the (a) place of the discussion; (b) subject matter discussed; (c) nature of the employee’s outburst; and (4) whether the outburst was provoked by an employer’s unfair labor practice”;
(2) The totality of the circumstances test, which governs social media posts and workplace conversations; and
(3) The “Clear Pine Mouldings” test addresses picket line conduct and considers whether under all the circumstances, non-strikers reasonably would have been coerced or intimidated by the picket line conduct.
An Alternate View
In a lengthy dissent, Member Kaplan raised concerns that compliance with these standards may require employers to act in conflict with their legal duties under Federal, state and local antidiscrimination laws. By way of example, he cited to past NLRB cases that held as protected: (1) a striker’s racial slur shouted at a black security guard while gesturing with both middle fingers; and (2) an employee’s Facebook post that involved obscenities directed at the manager and the manager’s family while asking employees to vote yes for the union. In contrast, the majority cited to cases where employees lost protections under the NLRA including, for example, when employees advocated insubordination in Facebook posts.
Key Takeaways
Before taking an adverse employment action against an employee who has engaged in disruptive activity, employers must assess whether the conduct occurred in connection with the exercise of Section 7 rights. This may place employers in a difficult position if the conduct engaged in also raises questions about the employer’s legal obligations to provide a workplace free of harassment, discrimination and violence.
Sarah Healey is a partner in Carmody’s Labor and Employment Group. Lisette Donewald is a Summer Associate and a rising second year law student at Boston University School of Law.
This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.
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Join us on Friday, June 32 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for our free Wake Up Your Business event at the Ion Bank Community Building at 270 Church Street in Naugatuck. Get a chance to chat with other members, learn more about chamber membership, make new connections, and bring visibility to your business. |
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Watertown Oakville Chamber News |
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Join us on Friday, July 7 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for our free Wake Up Your Business event at The Local Sixty-Three Bar & Restaurant at 465 Main Street. Get a chance to chat with other members, learn more about chamber membership, make new connections, and bring visibility to your business. |
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Hiring & Training Programs Available |
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Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board: Connecticut Workforce High tech Industries Partnership Grant (CTWHISP)/Incumbent Worker Training Program
Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) is a type of work-based, employer-driven training for employees who need training to upgrade their skills to
- secure full-time employment,
- advance in their careers, or
- retain their current employment in H-1B occupations and industries.
IWT is developed in collaboration with the employer. It requires long term planning and commitment on the part of the employer's CEO, CFO, HR, supervisors and employees.
The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) reimburses contracted training costs up to $2,000 per employee for IT training, and up to $3,000 per employee for manufacturing training. To get the proposal and contract process started please contact Jeffrey Chorches - chorches@careerresources.org.
The workforce board contracts with the employer to arrange the training. The employer chooses the job training course, the training provider, training schedule, and the employees who will participate. Employers are encouraged to backfill open positions that result from incumbent worker training with unemployed and underemployed individuals. One of the goals of U. S. Dept. of Labor Hl-b grants is to make U.S. employers less dependent upon non-citizens.
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