The John Deere Co. Strike – Sign of the Times?
In case you missed it, a major battle between labor and management is playing out in the heartland. On October 14, over 10,000 UAW-represented workers at John Deere Co. plants in Iowa, Illinois and elsewhere walked out following the expiration of their collective bargaining agreement.
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
Private sector employers with unionized employees and even non-union employees must be especially careful when addressing certain workforce concerns connected with the coronavirus outbreak. Below, we will address common issues that may arise in union facilities during this crisis. 
If there is a current collective bargaining
Federal labor law protects neutral (secondary) employers from becoming entangled in labor disputes between another (primary) employer and unions. For most of the past decade, however, the NLRB has allowed unions to set up various displays – including an inflatable rat (otherwise known as “Scabby”) and an inflatable “fat cat” – near neutral employers’ premises
Can employees engage in a concerted stretching exercise during work hours? The NLRB recently said yes.
The NLRA allows employees to engage in demonstrations to support their union, including demonstrations in support of contract proposals. However, the law does not protect employees from engaging in work slowdowns or other refusals to perform work. Strikes
In a recent decision, a Board panel majority found that an employee was unlawfully fired for writing “whore board” on an overtime sign-up sheet at work. This decision highlights the expansive nature of employee activity protected by the NLRA and the limited value that the NLRB can sometimes place on employer property rights.
In
On June 6, 2018, the NLRB issued two Orders that put an end to the Hy-Brand case, which briefly changed the NLRB’s standard for determining whether two employers were jointly responsible for violations of federal labor law and collective bargaining. As we explained in previous posts (links), in December 2017 the Hy-Brand Board
This past Monday, April 30, marked the conclusion of a weeklong strike conducted by Columbia graduate students at the University’s campus. Timing, as people say, is sometimes everything – especially in an ongoing labor dispute – and here these graduate students scheduled a strike for the last – and busiest – week of the semester.
On April 20, 2018, the National Labor Relations Board, by adopting an ALJ’s decision, held that employees who replied in agreement to another employee’s critical group email about the employer’s workplace were engaged in protected concerted activities under the Act. The email discussed wages, work schedules, tip policies, working conditions, and management’s treatment of employees
Though it may come as a surprise to some employers, the NLRB generally recognizes the right of employees to wear union insignia (pins with union logos, etc.) while at work. This rule applies to hospitals, but the Board and the courts, in recognition of the sensitive nature of working in medical facilities, have restricted employees’