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Labor Relations / Unions

New for New York employers: union posters, NYC religious accommodation

10/07/2011
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that private-sector employers must post a notice advising employees of their right to join a union. And a new amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law imposes a higher burden on employers that assert that accommodating an employee’s or pros­­pective employee’s religious observance or practice would constitute an “undue hardship.”

3 new NLRB decisions keep recent pro-union streak alive

10/04/2011
The NLRB has issued three significant decisions that affect the relationship between unions, em­­ployers and employees. These include new rules for determining what is an appropriate bargaining unit and when employees can vote a union out as their representative. Together, they add to the NLRB’s recent record of ruling in favor of unions and against employers.

Feds sue Northbrook union fund for improper lending

10/03/2011
The Dol has sued the United Employee Benefit Fund in Northbrook and its trustees, following an investigation by the Employee Benefits Security Admin­istration that found the defendants violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by making improper loans.

Know union rules on probationary employees

10/03/2011
You won’t find many employers extolling the upsides of having a unionized workforce, but there is one advantage. If your union contract provides for a probationary period before an employee becomes a permanent part of your workforce, you may have more discretion in how you discipline the new em­­ployee.

Which online comments are protected? NLRB helps explain

09/30/2011
Confusion reigns over when employers are legally allowed to discipline employees for bashing the company on Facebook or other social media sites. Now the NLRB has published a report that summarizes the out­­comes and reasoning behind 14 cases it decided in the past year involving employees’ use of social media and the legality of em­­ployers’ social media policies.

Cincinnati union leader faces jail time, fines for fraud

09/23/2011
Former Cincinnati city employees’ union president Diana Frey has pleaded guilty to federal charges of embezzling more than $750,000 from the Cincinnati Organized and Dedicated Employees (CODE) union.

What’s the NLRB’s real stance on employees’ social media criticism of employers?

09/21/2011
Q. We’ve heard about the National Labor Relations Board’s focus on an employee’s right to post critical work-related comments on Facebook. However, we also heard that the NLRB has started to limit its view on whether such comments are protected concerted activity. What’s going on? 

Display new pro-union poster by Nov. 14

09/19/2011

Make room for another poster on your breakroom wall. The National Labor Relations Board announced last month that most private employers will have to display a new poster in their workplaces that notifies employees of their right to form or join a union. The poster is available now for download on the NLRB website.

NLRB issues final employee rights posting rule

09/16/2011

The National Labor Relations Board has announced its final rule on Notification of Employee Rights under the National Labor Rela­­tions Act. The proposed rule had been pending since December of last year. Now that it is final, employers have until Nov. 14 to put up an official poster stating that employees have a right to form or join a union.

Appeals court sends card check case to arbitration

09/16/2011
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has sent to arbitration a labor/management dispute over union representation following several lawsuits that accused employers of acting in bad faith by refusing to accept the union as em­­ployees’ bargaining representative.