In his first few days on the job, Acting General Counsel of the NLRB Peter Sung Ohr has withdrawn a complaint that had challenged the use of a neutrality agreement by an employer and union. This early move by the Acting GC indicates the direction that he will take in attempting to change the course
Are Union Neutrality Agreements Unlawful?
The NLRB’s General Counsel recently issued a memo that demonstrates his hostility toward neutrality agreements. Generally, neutrality agreements contain a promise from an employer that it will remain neutral in a union organizing campaign. These agreements often contain other provisions, such as allowing unions access to employer property to address employees and providing unions with
Notice Posting Requirements Are – and Remain – Postponed Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
In an early May 2020 decision, the Board declared a temporary pause in charged parties (usually an employer) complying with the NLRB’s standard notice posting remedy in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. Thereafter, on May 20, 2020, General Counsel Peter B. Robb issued GC Memo 20-06 and made this temporary change
New NLRB Case Investigation Guidelines Change How Regions Will Handle Particular Evidence and Witness Testimony
On June 17, 2020, National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Peter Robb issued GC Memo 20-08 (“Memo”), providing Regional offices new directives for taking certain witness testimony and accepting audio/video recording evidence in unfair labor practice (“ULP”) investigations.
First, the Memo instructs Regions allow a charged party – in most cases an employer – to
Federal Court Affirms NLRB Ruling Limiting a Union’s Right to Employer’s Financial Information
On April 29, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a National Labor Relations Board decision where an employer was lawfully permitted to refuse a union’s request for financial information because it appropriately clarified its previous “inability to pay” statements and explained that it was only unwilling, not unable, to meet the union’s wage
NLRB Corrects Defect in Withdrawal of Union Recognition Doctrine
Employers have been privileged to withdraw recognition of a union when presented with objective evidence that the union has lost majority support of employees, but have faced significant legal risks in doing so under NLRB precedent. Some of this legal risk has been mitigated by the NLRB’s decision in Johnson Controls, Inc., 368 NLRB No.
NLRB Delays Implementation of Election Rule Changes
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NLRB has delayed its roll out of amendments to the “quickie” election rules, which we discussed in a previous post. Instead of becoming effective on April 16, 2020, the rule changes will now be effective on May 30, 2020. The scope of the crisis caused by the coronavirus
NLRB modifies rule concerning workplace changes
For many years, the NLRB has required evidence of a “clear and unmistakable” waiver by unions of the duty to bargain with management over workplace changes. Now, after prodding from some Courts of Appeals, the NLRB has changed its standard: employer changes to workplace conditions will only require evidence that the change is “covered” by
NLRB Makes Significant Changes to “Quickie” Election Rule
The National Labor Relations Board recently scaled back the 2015 “quickie” election rule, which had sped up the timelines for conducting union elections. Speeding up the process provided an advantage to unions by setting short deadlines that often ambushed employers, leaving them with limited time to react to the election petition. The new rule offers
NLRB may revisit the limits of profane employee speech protected by federal labor law
While it may come as a surprise, the NLRB has long held that employees are sometimes entitled to use profane language while engaging in labor activities. In recent years, the Board has found that employee speech was protected where:
- An employee posted online that his supervisor was a “NASTY MOTHER F**KER don’t know how to