The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) General Counsel, Crystal Carey, has issued updated guidance aimed at promoting fair, efficient, and consistent enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Although...more
Union organizing activity took a clear downturn in 2025, driven by a combination of economic uncertainty and shifting federal oversight. New data from Bloomberg Law shows that the number of union elections dropped sharply in...more
Workers at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago just ratified their first union contract. Elsewhere in the city, employees at the Adler Planetarium voted last Thursday in favor of forming a union. But the trend of...more
Is an employer's comment to a pro-union employee that “if you're not happy at the company, you can go work for another company” an illegal threat under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of...more
Although employers cannot routinely rely on “special circumstances” to restrict employee expression in the workplace, a recent federal court decision confirmed that employees’ rights in this area are not unlimited....more
Congratulations to the 2025 World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their dramatic Game 7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays completed their quest for the rare baseball accomplishment of back-to-back championships. One...more
The Ninth Circuit issued a reminder to all employers that employees discussing wages generally qualifies as protected activity under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Accordingly, all employers need to be...more
Last week, I had the privilege of speaking on a panel for the Chicago Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association discussing how collective bargaining and collaborative labor-management relationships can...more
It has been seven months since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) has had the three-member quorum needed to issue decisions. The last decisions issued by the Board were from a brief period in March 2025 when...more
Non-union private sector employers cannot ignore labor law just because their employees are not represented by a union. Non-union private sector employers must fully comply with labor law developments because all of their...more
Many employers mistakenly assume that their workforce is not likely to be organized by a union. Maybe they assume that only factory workers and public employees are the most typical members of unions. Maybe they assume they...more
While the final results are not yet certified, it appears that we have a new president. Employers across the country, both union and non-union, are wondering what they can expect from a Joe Biden presidency when it comes to...more
11/11/2020
/ Ambush Election Rules ,
Biden Administration ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Micro-Unions ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Persuader Rules ,
Policy Drafting ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Right to Strike ,
Union Elections ,
Unions
As summer winds downs, employers and employees alike look forward to a leisurely three-day weekend typically spent with family and friends, enjoying the remaining days of summer warmth, perhaps readying kids to go back to...more
As shelter in place restrictions ease and U.S. workplaces begin to reopen, both union and nonunion employers may find themselves facing a host of new challenges. Employers may wonder what they should be doing to keep their...more
The Federal Corona Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), approved Friday in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, provides businesses with a myriad of opportunities for relief, including expansion of unemployment benefits,...more
The Federal Corona Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), approved Friday in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, provides businesses with a myriad of opportunities for relief, including expansion of unemployment benefits,...more
3/31/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Federal Loans ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
SBA ,
SBA Lending Programs ,
Small Business ,
Tax Relief ,
Unemployment Benefits
Employers can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Late last week, the National Labor Relations Board (Board) announced finalized union election rules, which will ease some of the quickie election procedures implemented by the...more
Employers may find it easier to remain union-free based on new rules proposed last week by the National Labor Relations Board for bringing unions into and out of the work place....more
8/14/2019
/ Blocking Statutes ,
Decertification ,
Employee Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Union Elections ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
Employers may find it easier to remain union-free based on new rules proposed last week by the National Labor Relations Board for bringing unions into and out of the work place. Citing the National Labor Relations Act’s (Act)...more
Employers should be careful about designating Employee Handbooks confidential as, according to the National Labor Relations Board’s advice division, that would be unlawful. That advice was contained in one of five memoranda...more
Proactive Steps for Higher Education Institutions as Admissions Scandal Intensifies-
On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Felicity Huffman, best known for playing Lynette Scavo on the popular television series Desperate Housewives,...more
On February 11, 2019, Wright State University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a deal to end a 20-day faculty union strike by the university’s tenured, tenure-eligible, and non-tenure eligible faculty. The...more