Labor

  • February 04, 2025

    Federal Unions Challenge Trump's 'Fork' Resignation Program

    Unions representing federal employees slammed the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" offer in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Massachusetts, saying the "Fork in the Road" directive is an unlawful pretext for replacing government workers based on their ideology.

  • February 04, 2025

    Ex-Philly Union Head's Nephew Avoids Jail In Extortion Case

    The nephew of a now-imprisoned former leader of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 received a nonincarceratory sentence in Philadelphia federal court Tuesday after admitting that he tried to violently extort a casino contractor out of undeserved pay.

  • February 04, 2025

    Teamsters Steward Threatened Violence, NLRB Judge Says

    A Teamsters local violated federal labor law when a union steward threatened to take things outside after a worker questioned the union's negotiating strategy, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled Tuesday, saying the remarks could lead employees to think they may face retaliation for speaking up.

  • February 04, 2025

    NLRB Union Says Members Won't Accept Resignation 'Scam'

    The union representing National Labor Relations Board field staff said Tuesday its members won't take up the president's government-wide resignation offer, deriding it as a highly dubious scam.

  • February 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Biden's Gov't Contractor Wage Hike

    The Fifth Circuit upended on Tuesday a ruling that blocked an executive order increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour, saying former President Joe Biden acted within his authority when he put forward the regulation because it was intended to promote economy and efficiency.

  • February 04, 2025

    DC Circ. Must Abandon NLRB Nonunit Info Order, Co. Says

    An internet service provider in Montana challenged an NLRB decision finding the company must hand over requested information about non-bargaining unit workers to an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers affiliate, telling the D.C. Circuit that the union and agency prosecutors "engaged in a disingenuous game of Gotcha."

  • February 04, 2025

    NLRB Attys Won't Address Member Removal In 5th Circ. Row

    National Labor Relations Board attorneys told the Fifth Circuit that they won't defend NLRB members' firing protections at a Feb. 5 hearing on the agency's constitutionality in the wake of the president's removal of a board member and appointment of a new acting prosecutor.

  • February 04, 2025

    DC Circ. Hints Race Bias Battles Over Vax Rules Merit Reboot

    Incisive questions from a talkative D.C. Circuit panel Tuesday indicated the court is leaning toward reinstating two Black workers' lawsuits alleging a union's phased rollout of its COVID-19 vaccination requirements unlawfully favored white employees.

  • February 04, 2025

    Insulation Co. Seeks Nix Of USW's Double Duty Award Suit

    An insulation manufacturer challenged a suit from the United Steelworkers to make the business comply with an arbitration award that requires it to stop having workers do two jobs at the same time, telling an Ohio federal judge that the union hasn't exhausted the grievance process on this issue.

  • February 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Panel Split On NLRB Case After Post-Loper Remand

    Members of a Fifth Circuit panel appeared split Monday about whether to once again uphold a National Labor Relations Board decision letting its acting prosecutor pull a pending suit in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to scale back courts' deference to federal agencies.

  • February 03, 2025

    Airline Workers Can Arbitrate Without Union, Judge Reiterates

    An Alaska federal judge decided Monday not to rethink the court's conclusions that airline employees can go to arbitration without a union, blocking a reconsideration bid from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and one of its locals.

  • February 03, 2025

    Revived Right-To-Work Measure Faces New Test In NH

    Proponents of a renewed push to bring so-called right-to-work legislation to New Hampshire are hopeful that the measure will succeed after years of falling short, potentially bringing the policy into new territory and pushing back against recent high-profile defeats.

  • February 03, 2025

    Trump Names Head Of NLRB's Los Angeles Office Acting GC

    President Donald Trump appointed the director of the National Labor Relations Board's Los Angeles office as the agency's acting general counsel Monday, allowing William Cowen to occupy the seat left vacant by the ousters of Biden-era general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and the most recent acting general counsel, Jessica Rutter.

  • February 03, 2025

    Hockey Players Unions Join The AFL-CIO

    Two professional hockey players unions are affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council, the labor federation announced Monday.

  • February 03, 2025

    Schumer Warns Of 'Hostile Takeover' From DOGE

    Top Senate Democrats on Monday railed against access granted to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency that allowed the outfit's employees to tap into the U.S. Department of Treasury's federal payment system over the weekend.

  • February 03, 2025

    Ill. House Floats Income Tax Deduction Bill For Union Dues

    Illinois would create an income tax deduction for union dues for taxpayers who weren't allowed a deduction under federal law as part of a bill filed in the state House of Representatives.

  • February 03, 2025

    7th Circ. Says Row Over Pilot Contracts Belongs In Arbitration

    The Seventh Circuit has ruled that the Teamsters' challenge to prehire employment agreements with two airlines providing for incentive payments to newly hired pilots must be resolved in arbitration rather than federal court, saying the airlines did enough to show that the incentives are justified by the collective bargaining agreements.

  • February 03, 2025

    NLRB Tells DC Circ. To Back Bargaining Order Against Casino

    The D.C. Circuit must enforce the National Labor Relations Board's decision concluding that a Las Vegas casino continually violated federal labor law during an organizing campaign of hospitality workers, the board said, arguing precedent supports its issuance of a Cemex bargaining order.

  • February 03, 2025

    Former Acting DOL Head Heads To Harvard As Spring Fellow

    Former acting Labor Secretary Julie Su will join the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics as a spring 2025 fellow, the university announced.

  • February 03, 2025

    Kroger, Albertsons No-Poach Suit Back In Colo. Court

    A proposed class action accusing Kroger Co. and Albertsons of brokering an illegal no-poach agreement that hurt wage negotiations during a strike in Colorado is back in state court, after a grocery store worker dropped a federal court lawsuit and refiled her claims in Denver District Court.

  • February 03, 2025

    Sen. Sanders Seeks Information From EEOC, NLRB On Firings

    Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is probing the Trump administration's removal of several Democratic officials from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and National Labor Relations Board, saying he's concerned the unwarranted firings have left the agencies unable to function.

  • January 31, 2025

    NCAA Settles States' Suit Challenging NIL Restrictions

    The NCAA has reached a settlement with a coalition of states, led by Tennessee and Virginia, that's been challenging its ban on name, image and likeness compensation for student athletes being recruited by institutions, according to a notice filed Friday in Tennessee federal court, exactly one year after the suit was filed.

  • January 31, 2025

    NLRB Official Axes Union's Bid To Snatch Workers From SEIU

    A union may not take over representing a group of Service Employees International Union-represented workers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a National Labor Relations Board official held Friday, rejecting the union's argument that a union security clause in the SEIU local's contract was invalid.

  • January 31, 2025

    6 Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In Feb.

    The en banc Eleventh Circuit will consider whether federal anti-discrimination law bars a Georgia county health plan from refusing to cover a worker's gender-confirmation surgery while the Second Circuit will hear from an NBA referee defending his win in a pension payout case.

  • January 31, 2025

    Supreme Court Eyes Its 'Next Frontier' In FCC Delegation Case

    A case about broadband subsidies will give the U.S. Supreme Court the chance to revive a long-dormant separation of powers principle that attorneys say could upend regulations in numerous industries and trigger a power shift that would make last term's shake-up of federal agency authority pale in comparison. And a majority of the court already appears to support its resurrection.

Expert Analysis

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Harry Potter' Reveals Magic Of Feedback

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    Troutman Pepper's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with Wicker Park Group partner Tara Weintritt about various feedback methods used by "Harry Potter" characters — from Snape's sharp and cutting remarks to Dumbledore's lack of specificity and Hermione's poor delivery — and explore how clear, consistent and actionable feedback can transform workplaces.

  • What To Expect From Trump's Deputy Labor Secretary Pick

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    President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Keith Sonderling, has a track record of prioritizing clear guidance on both traditional and cutting-edge issues, which can provide insight into what employers can expect from his leadership, say attorneys at Littler.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

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    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • The Implications Of E-Cigarette Cos. Taking Suits To 5th Circ.

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds over the definition of an "adversely affected" person under the Tobacco Control Act, and the justices' ruling will have important and potentially wide-ranging implications for forum shopping claims, says Trillium Chang at Zuckerman Spaeder.

  • 4 Employment Law Areas Set To Change Under Trump

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    President Donald Trump's second term is expected to bring significant changes to the U.S. employment law landscape, including the potential for updated worker classification regulations, and challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion that are already taking shape, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 8 Lessons Yellow Corp. Layoffs Can Teach Distressed Cos.

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    A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent decision, examining trucking company Yellow Corp.’s abrupt termination of roughly 25,500 employees, offers financially distressed businesses a road map for navigating layoffs under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • 10 Key Worker-Friendly California Employment Law Updates

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    New employment laws in California expand employee rights, transparency and enforcement mechanisms, and failing to educate department managers on these changes could put employers at risk, says Melanie Ronen at Stradley Ronon.

  • 7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

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    A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.

  • How Trump Presidency May Influence NLRB's Next Phase

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    Attorneys at Paul Hastings discuss how last year’s key National Labor Relations Board developments may progress once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, including the wave of lawsuits challenging the board’s constitutionality and two landmark board decisions that upset decades of precedent.

  • How Trump Admin May Approach AI In The Workplace

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    Key indicators suggest that the incoming Trump administration will adopt a deregulatory approach to artificial intelligence, allowing states to fill the void, so it is critical that employers pay close attention to developing legal authority concerning AI tools, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Top 10 Legal Issues This Year For Transportation Industry GCs

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    General counsel must carefully consider numerous legal and policy challenges facing the automotive and transportation industry in the year to come, especially while navigating new technologies, regulations and global markets, says Francesco Liberatore at Squire Patton.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

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    While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • NLRB Likely To Fill Vacuum After NMB Jurisdiction Ruling

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    The National Mediation Board's recent ruling in Swissport Cargo Services LP abandoned decades of precedent by concluding the Railway Labor Act doesn’t apply to airline service providers, likely leading the National Labor Relations Board to assert its jurisdiction instead and potentially causing more operational disruptions and labor strife, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.