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Labor Relations / Unions

What employers should (and should not) do when employees go on strike

03/16/2023
Labor strikes by employees were up a shocking 52% in 2022 as compared to 2021. Employee collective work stoppages are on the rise, and there is no indication of them abating any time soon. Do you know what to do if your employees walk off the job?

Think twice before closing down to stop union organizing

02/27/2023
Employers that fear the spread of union-organizing efforts might be tempted to shut down the location that first votes in favor of union representation. That strategy can backfire. The shutdown is sure to prompt employees to file unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board, which is quite likely to order the employer to reopen.

First union formation at Microsoft is a lesson in employer/employee relations

01/06/2023
ZeniMax Workers United/Communication Workers of America is the first studio at Microsoft to secure union representation, and it’s the largest group of union-represented quality assurance testers at any U.S. game studio. That in itself has been making headlines since the news broke on Jan. 3. But perhaps just as notable is how Microsoft handled the situation.

NLRB set to get funding boost; expect more enforcement

12/22/2022
If Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package passes before it recesses for the year, one pro-union, pro-worker agency stands to see over $25 million in new funding. The National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the National Labor Relations Act, has in recent years been cash-strapped and its enforcement power therefore curtailed. Since 2010, the NLRB has lost 30 percent of its workforce.

NLRB expands remedies for unfair labor violations

12/20/2022
The National Labor Relations Board, which administers the National Labor Relations Act, has become bolder in devising new penalties for employers it finds guilty of committing unfair labor practices.

Microsoft gamers voting on company’s first U.S. union

12/13/2022
Three hundred quality assurance workers for a subsidiary of Microsoft are voting through December on whether to form a union.

NLRB is watching: Don’t spy on your employees

11/15/2022
Concerned by the brave new world of digital supervision, the NLRB issued a memo on Oct. 31 warning employers not to use intrusive or abusive electronic surveillance.

Overreacting to union talk often backfires

10/06/2022
You may have read about recent high-profile companies and their responses to unionization efforts. Smaller employers also face NLRB unfair labor charges over their handling of unionization efforts.

What has the Federal Trade Commission been up to?

09/27/2022
Checking in on the FTC’s newest initiatives with gig work and impersonation scams.

NLRB efforts to liberalize joint employer standard won’t go away

09/22/2022
Joint employment matters … a lot … because if you’re a joint employer over the employees of another employer, you are jointly and severally liable for the legal wrongs committed by the primary employer.