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Labor Relations / Unions

Beware the sweeping power of that other federal agency: The NLRB

06/03/2024
The NLRB doesn’t have to file lawsuits to force compliance. In fact, it manages its entire enforcement process by itself. It investigates and gathers information, determines whether a violation occurred and, if so, decides on the punishment. The NLRB is, in effect, the judge, jury and executioner of unfair labor practices cases.

Court: Your policy can require employees to keep ‘spy cams’ turned on

05/28/2024
A federal court has upheld an employer’s handbook rule requiring full-time camera monitoring of employees. The ruling is a victory for employers who want to track the behavior of employees they can’t directly observe.

Biden vetoes resolution blocking NLRB joint-employer rule

05/20/2024
The rule would have made it easier for workers filing unfair labor practices charges to claim they work for more than one employer.

Union election petitions rising dramatically, unfair labor practices charges also up

04/15/2024
Union election petitions rose 35% in the first six months of fiscal year 2024 compared to the same period a year ago, while unfair labor practices charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board increased 7%.

NLRB joint-employer rule blocked from taking effect

03/18/2024
A federal judge in Texas has vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s new joint-employer rule, calling it “arbitrary and capricious.”

Discouraging even one worker from complaining violates the NLRA

03/13/2024
The NLRA applies to just about every private-sector employer, setting strict rules for what employers can and cannot do when setting workplace rules. For example, it makes it illegal to tell employees not to discuss workplace conditions among themselves. However, until February, discussing work conditions had to involve at least two employees. Not anymore.

You can’t do that: Never ban employees from discussing pay

03/13/2024
Even though Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act has been the law for decades, a 2021 study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found nearly half of full-time employees have been prohibited or dissuaded from discussing or disclosing wages.

Labor lessons: Takeaways from 2023, a record-setting year for strikes

03/13/2024
There were 33 major strikes in 2023, according to new figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the most in almost a quarter-century. It’s a sign that workers still believe they have the upper hand in an economy that has defied the odds and has not slipped into a recession.

Judge: NLRB joint-employer rule won’t go into effect until March 11 at the earliest

03/01/2024
A federal judge has put the National Labor Relations Board’s new joint-employer rule on hold until at least March 11. Reason: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has sued to permanently strike down the rule. U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas said he needed more time to consider the merits of the lawsuit.

Washington Watch: NLRB, OSHA in the news

02/23/2024
A constitutionality argument against the NLRB and OSHA’s new walkaround rule.