Labor

  • August 30, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Appeals courts have awakened from summertime slumber and crammed their early autumn calendars with arguments of national significance, which Law360 previews in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing. We're also recapping August's top appellate decisions, exploring new polling about U.S. Supreme Court opinions and testing your knowledge of Fifth Circuit history.

  • August 30, 2024

    NLRB Official Nixes Union Ouster Attempt At Red Rock Casino

    A worker's bid to decertify a union representing maintenance employees at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas can't proceed, a National Labor Relations Board regional director determined, finding the petition should be dismissed because the board recently issued a bargaining order.

  • August 30, 2024

    UPS Gets NLRB Info Request Redo From 11th Circ.

    The Eleventh Circuit reversed on Friday part of a National Labor Relations Board ruling that UPS illegally refused to provide information to the Teamsters, directing the board to analyze the company's argument that the parties' contract precluded the union's request for workers' phone numbers.

  • August 30, 2024

    NLRB Says Nexstar Must Bargain With Union In Upstate NY

    The National Labor Relations Board ordered Nexstar Media Inc. to bargain with its workers' newly installed union, ruling that the media conglomerate violated federal labor law by refusing to work with a Communications Workers of America affiliate at its Rochester, New York, television station.

  • August 30, 2024

    NY Forecast: Hotel Bid To Toss Workers' WARN Act Suit

    This week a New York federal judge will consider attempts from the operators of Four Seasons Hotel New York to toss a class action that claims the hotel violated state and federal law by furloughing them without notice.

  • August 30, 2024

    3 Atty Takeaways On What's Ahead As ERISA Turns 50

    As the Employee Retirement Income Security Act turns 50 years old this Labor Day, attorneys reflecting on five decades of development of the federal employee benefits law see a complex path ahead for both litigation and policy. Here are three key takeaways from top attorneys on what’s next for ERISA on its golden anniversary.

  • August 30, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: $5M Walmart COVID Deal Up For Approval

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for the potential final approval of a $5.2 million deal in a wage and hour class action against Walmart alleging the retail giant failed to pay for time workers spent in COVID-19 health screenings. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • August 30, 2024

    COVID Excused Facility From Some Bargaining, 6th Circ. Says

    A Michigan nursing home that became critically understaffed when COVID-19 hit could offer temporary hazard pay and hire nonunion temporary workers without bargaining with its workers' union because of the emergency circumstances, but it needed to bargain over the effects of hiring the temps, the Sixth Circuit held.

  • August 30, 2024

    Starbucks Lawfully Denied Transfer Requests, NLRB Says

    An agency judge rightly cleared Starbucks of claims that the company unlawfully denied an Illinois employee's bids to transfer stores, the National Labor Relations Board concluded, pointing to evidence that the company blocked one request because of the worker's availability.

  • August 29, 2024

    Don't 'Handcuff' NLRB By Halting ULP Case, Agency Says

    A Michigan federal court should not "handcuff" the National Labor Relations Board by greenlighting an injunction to stop unfair labor practice proceedings against an auto parts maker, the board contended, fighting back against claims that there are constitutional concerns with the agency.

  • August 29, 2024

    NLRB Partners With Other Feds In Merger Probes

    The National Labor Relations Board said it's teaming up with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate mergers that present competition concerns for workers.

  • August 29, 2024

    NFL, Broncos Say Player's THC Suit Belongs In Arbitration

    The NFL and Denver Broncos said a former player's revised discrimination lawsuit can't avoid arbitration because claims that he was unfairly fined more than $532,000 for using prescribed THC to treat medical conditions still fall under a collective bargaining agreement.

  • August 29, 2024

    Starbucks' Texts About Union Drive Still Coercive, NLRB Says

    Starbucks unlawfully texted a worker with questions about union organizing at a Minneapolis cafe, the National Labor Relations Board concluded, nixing the coffee giant's argument that such queries via text message are "inherently less coercive."

  • August 29, 2024

    FTC Wants Kroger's Constitution Suit To Follow Merger Case

    The Federal Trade Commission is sparring with Kroger over where, and when, to handle the grocery giant's constitutional counterattack to the FTC's merger challenge, with the agency teeing up a bid to move the company's Ohio federal court suit to Oregon, where it's defending the proposed Albertsons purchase.

  • August 29, 2024

    Brewer Fights NLRB Order Over Union President Put On Leave

    A Puerto Rico beer company asked the D.C. Circuit Thursday to reverse a National Labor Relations Board decision finding it unlawfully declared impasse during bargaining and placed a union president on long-term leave, saying the board improperly cited a settlement of an unrelated case as evidence of antiunion sentiment.

  • August 29, 2024

    National Labor Relations Board Appoints 1st Chief AI Officer

    The National Labor Relations Board on Thursday announced the appointment of an assistant general counsel and e-litigation chief as the agency's first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer.

  • August 29, 2024

    Starbucks' Remark On Worker Trustworthiness Found Illegal

    A Starbucks manager at a Tennessee cafe illegally told a worker that employees became untrustworthy after union organizing efforts sprang up, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled, saying a reasonable employee would consider the remarks a threat of retaliation.

  • August 28, 2024

    Teamsters Can't Arbitrate Sysco Pension Spat, Judge Says

    A Teamsters local can't take its challenges about a monthly early retirement benefit to arbitration, a Michigan federal judge determined Wednesday, finding that the grievance process under a collective bargaining agreement doesn't cover the dispute.

  • August 28, 2024

    Wash. AG Fears Kroger Will Move Goalposts For Merger Trial

    The Washington Attorney General's Office told a state court Wednesday that Kroger refuses to commit to sticking with the current terms of its divestiture package in its merger with Albertsons, which the state fears would unfairly "move the goalposts" less than three weeks before a trial on the state's merger challenge kicks off.

  • August 28, 2024

    In WNBA Pregnancy Bias Suit, Contract Tensions Emerge

    A recent pregnancy bias lawsuit by WNBA player Dearica Hamby highlights the challenges faced by professional athletes who are also parents, especially when it comes to the leeway teams have to trade players, experts said. Here, Law360 dives into Hamby's case and highlights three key things attorneys should know.

  • August 28, 2024

    8th Circ. Revives FMLA Interference Claim Against Pork Co.

    An Iowa federal judge correctly tossed a mechanic's claim that a pork processing plant discriminated against him for taking Family and Medical Leave Act leave by firing him, the Eighth Circuit said Wednesday, but it said the judge should have preserved a claim that the discharge constituted FMLA interference.

  • August 28, 2024

    Hospital Co. Fired Worker For Wage Talk, NLRB Judge Says

    An Indiana hospital operator violated federal labor law by firing an employee for talking about pay with co-workers, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled, tossing the company's argument that the worker's conversations lacked protection because they were only for his benefit.

  • August 28, 2024

    USPTO Atty Union Loses Bid For Right To Review Settlements

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office must give its attorneys' union a copy of any settlements it reaches in cases involving the attorneys' work conditions, but the agency does not have to let the union review those settlements in advance, an arbitrator held.

  • August 27, 2024

    Floodgates Are Open On NLRB Constitutionality Challenges

    The trickle of challenges to the National Labor Relations Board's constitutionality that began last fall has become a flood, with at least five employers filing federal court suits in recent weeks seeking to block NLRB cases. It's not expected to let up anytime soon. 

  • August 27, 2024

    NLRB Judge OKs AFSCME Unit's Firing Of Dissident Staffer

    An American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees affiliate did not violate federal labor law when it fired a staff member who supported officers who lost an internal election, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled Tuesday, saying the worker hadn't taken part in any protected actions.

Expert Analysis

  • Proposed Law Would Harm NYC Hospitality Industry

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    A recently proposed New York City Law that would update hotel licensing and staff coverage requirements could give the city commissioner and unions undue control over the city's hospitality industry, and harm smaller hotels that cannot afford full-time employees, says Stuart Saft at Holland & Knight.

  • US Labor And Employment Law Holds Some Harsh Trade-Offs

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    U.S. labor and employment laws have evolved into a product of exposure-capping compromise, which merits discussion in a presidential election year when the dialogue has focused on purported protections of middle-class workers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Immigration Insights From 'The Proposal'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with their colleague Robert Lee about how immigration challenges highlighted in the romantic comedy "The Proposal" — beyond a few farcical plot contrivances — relate to real-world visa processes and employer compliance.

  • Insuring Lender's Baseball Bet Leads To Major League Dispute

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    In RockFence v. Lloyd's, a California federal court seeks to define who qualifies as a professional baseball player for purposes of an insurance coverage payout, providing an illuminating case study of potential legal issues arising from baseball service loans, say Marshall Gilinsky and Seán McCabe at Anderson Kill.

  • Preparing For The NLRB's New Union Recognition Final Rule

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    The National Labor Relations Board's impending new final rule on union recognition puts the employer at a particular disadvantage in a decertification election, and best practices include conducting workplace assessments to identify and proactively address employee issues, say Louis Cannon and Gerald Bradner at Baker Donelson.

  • The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Key Steps To Employer Petitions For Union Elections

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Since the National Labor Relations Board shifted the burden of requesting formal union elections onto employers in its Cemex decision last year — and raised the stakes for employer missteps during the process — companies should be prepared to correctly file representation management election petitions and respond to union demands for recognition, says Adam Keating at Duane Morris.

  • Focus On Political Stances May Weaken Labor Unions

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    Recent lawsujits and a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives call attention to the practice of labor unions taking political stances with which their members disagree — an issue that may weaken unions, and that employers should stay abreast of, given its implications for labor organizing campaigns, workplace morale and collective bargaining, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • NLRB Ruling Highlights Rare Union Deauthorization Process

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board decision about a guard company's union authorization revocation presents a ripe opportunity for employees to review the particulars of this uncommon process, and employer compliance is critical as well, say Megann McManus and Trecia Moore at Husch Blackwell.

  • Latest 'Nuclear Verdict' Underscores Jury-Trial Employer Risk

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    A Los Angeles Superior Court jury's recent $900 million verdict in a high-profile sexual assault and harassment case illustrates the increase in so-called nuclear verdicts in employment cases, and the need for employers to explore alternative methods of resolving disputes, say Anthony Oncidi and Morgan Peterson at Proskauer.

  • After Chevron: What Loper Bright Portends For The NLRB

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court has a long history of deferring to the National Labor Relations Board's readings of federal labor law, the court's Loper Bright v. Raimondo decision forces courts to take a harder look at the judgment of an agency — and the NLRB will not be immune from such greater scrutiny, says Irving Geslewitz at Much Shelist.

  • What's Next After NLRB Ruling On Overbroad Noncompetes

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    If the National Labor Relations Board's recent ruling on noncompete provisions and its extension of Section 7 rights to limit noncompetes is adopted, this interpretation of the National Labor Relations Act will have to survive scrutiny by the courts without the deference previously afforded under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent overturning of Chevron, say attorneys at Littler.