Labor Relations / Unions

PRO Act could trigger massive union changes

02/25/2021

Legislation introduced in February will usher in sweeping labor-management changes if it passes.

As jobs declined, union participation rose in 2020

02/19/2021

Although the country saw historic job losses due to the pandemic in 2020, it also saw a jump in the percentage of U.S. workers who are members of a union to 10.8%, up from 10.3% in 2019.

Change is coming to NLRB: New leadership, rescinded memos

02/16/2021

Between appointing a new lead attorney and acting to reverse several recent labor-relations memoranda, the Biden administration is moving swiftly to undo Trump-era actions that affected the labor landscape.

Amazon fights back hard against union organizing

02/11/2021

A high-profile effort to unionize Amazon employees in Alabama has triggered a high-alert response from the online retail colossus.

Full speed ahead for Biden’s pro-worker plans

01/14/2021

Expect a sharp contrast with the employer-friendly policies of the Trump administration. Here is what we know so far about how the Biden administration will address hot-button employment law issues.

Walsh nominated to head Biden’s Labor Department

01/12/2021

President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to become secretary of labor. A labor union official before he entered politics, Walsh is expected to lead a Department of Labor focused heavily on employee rights, a dramatic shift from the DOL’s pro-employer tilt during the Trump administration.

Beware NLRB lawsuits that allege worker retaliation

12/17/2020

The EEOC isn’t the only enforcement agency that can file a retaliation lawsuit. The National Labor Relations Board can, too. Even employers with nonunion workforces may find themselves in the NLRB’s crosshairs if they bar discussing working conditions.

It’s up to HR to foster workplace civility

12/03/2020

American society is as polarized as it has been in decades. We have just completed a bitterly divisive election. Public discourse and even private conversations are angry. That same coarseness can permeate the workplace unless employers intervene. But employers must be careful not to chill protected speech when they try to enforce civility.

Biden’s DOL pick to bring pro-employee tilt

11/16/2020

The next Secretary of Labor will bring a pro-employee perspective to the U.S. Department of Labor. Almost all the contenders President-Elect Joe Biden is said to be considering for the job have close ties to labor unions.

Unions seek binding OSHA coronavirus rules

11/05/2020

Unions have filed two lawsuits seeking to compel the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop mandatory pandemic-related workplace safety standards. OSHA is pushing back, maintaining that current safety standards and practices do enough to protect frontline workers.