Union activity is on the rise and many labor experts believe the organizing efforts at companies such as Amazon and Starbucks are just a step in a growing nationwide movement. Combine the events of the past couple of years with a shortage in the labor force, and workers everywhere are reevaluating and expecting more from
Employers Beware! NLRB General Counsel Seeks to Restrict Employer Free Speech
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) made two announcements recently that should be of concern to all employers with employees not represented by a union. The first announcement was made by the NLRB General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, who announced that she will seek to overturn an employer’s ability to enforce mandatory employee meetings during an
Project Labor Agreements are Now Required for Large Federal Construction Projects
Last week, I wrote a blog post predicting that President Biden may be requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts, effective November 15, 2021 (link here). That prediction has now become reality.
On Friday, February 4, 2022, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14063 (EO
Project Labor Agreements and Government Funded Infrastructure Projects: What You Need to Know Now
As many construction contractors are aware, the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, effective on November 15, 2021, includes significant monies for transportation, roads, bridges, rail, and other infrastructure construction. President Biden has encouraged public governmental agencies to use project labor agreements (PLAs) on these government-funded infrastructure projects.
What is a PLA?
A PLA requires
The NLRB Gets Tougher on Penalties for Unfair Labor Practices
Several months ago, we settled an unfair labor practice charge filed by an employee against our client alleging retaliation for the employee’s protected concerted activity. The employee had enlisted the support of other employees in challenging certain pay practices, and it was alleged that the charging party was terminated because of those efforts, rather than
The National Labor Relations Board and College Athletes in a New World
In 2015 the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) declined to exercise jurisdiction over a petition filed by a union seeking to represent Northwestern University’s scholarship football players. The NLRB was unwilling to make an affirmative decision as to whether the Northwestern University scholarship football players were “employees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations
The Changing Landscape of Union Organizing and Worker Activism
Union organizing is down as compared to previous years, but that does not mean employers should believe that support for labor unions has decreased. NLRB records indicate that the number of representation petitions filed in 2020 is dramatically down from each of the previous four years. This reduction in representation petitions can be attributed to