Julius Steiner clearly did not go to the Wal-Mart school of management.

Not when he says, "We voluntarily recognized the Steelworkers union," and then he follows it with this sentiment: "There's no downside. There simply isn't."

Mr. Steiner is CEO of Gamesa USA in Philadelphia, a Spanish-owned company that builds wind turbines and develops wind to energy farms. Gamesa (pronounced gam-ay-sah) was named by American Rights at Work on its Labor Day list of Partnerships that Work, for the company's strong ethic of workers' rights.

"Gamesa has a Western European approach to dealing with people that embraces the concept of corporate social responsibility," Mr. Steiner said.

Mary Beth Maxwell, executive director of the American Rights at Work Education Fund, announced the list, which includes the Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C.; Justice Clothing in Bangor, Maine; and Alabama Power in Birmingham.

"While job outsourcing, corporate bankruptcies, layoffs and unfair negotiations are rampant, this year's Labor Day List employers and their employees' unions tell another story. They are proving that tumultuous labor relations are a thing of the past, not the future," she said in a news release on the announcement. "These companies buck the trend and showcase the strength that comes when workers and management create long-lasting productive partnerships. Economic success does not have to come at the expense of workers' rights."

Mr. Steiner said the company was comfortable with the union representing the workers because it provides a clear path for disputes and takes away any uncertainty an employee might have that he could be fired at any time.

"We don't have a we/they mentality that often accompanies a union. We have a relationship that's cooperative," he said.

He also noted that working with the United Steelworkers union, the company has been able to secure a no-strike clause in the contract so that production is ensured and workers don't have to worry about being out of work while disputes are settled.