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Labor Relations / Unions

DOL jobs vacant as nominations lag

10/11/2017
Of 14 Department of Labor appointments requiring Senate approval, only Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has been confirmed, and the White House has submitted just five more nominations.

NLRA doesn’t bar unrelated arbitration

10/06/2017
The National Labor Relations Act lets workers file unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board. But that doesn’t mean employers can’t have workers sign arbitration agreements for employment-related claims, according to a recent federal court decision.

House bill to reverse Browning-Ferris advances

10/05/2017
Legislation that would overturn the National Labor Relations Board’s 2015 Browning-Ferris decision has been approved by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Nonmember union dues case heads back to Supreme Court

10/03/2017
The case the court just accepted—Janus v. AFSCME—is virtually identical to one it dismissed a year ago. It involves a child support specialist in Illinois, Mark Janus, who objects to paying about $44 per month in fair-share dues to the union that represents workers in his government office.

8th Circuit backs NLRB: What happens on the picket line stays on the picket line

09/26/2017
Employers generally don’t have to tolerate racially hostile or otherwise offensive language at work. But under some circumstances, you may not be able to discipline a worker’s behavior if it occurred on a picket line.

With Emanuel confirmed, NLRB now at full strength

09/26/2017
The Senate voted Sept. 25 to confirm the nomination of William Emanuel to fill the final seat on the National Labor Relations Board, giving Republicans a 3-2 majority that is likely to hold until at least 2020.

Outgoing NLRB chair Miscimarra promises busy fall for rulings

09/19/2017
Expect a flurry of activity from the National Labor Relations Board in the run up to the departure of chair Philip Miscimarra.

Employer alert: Support for unions growing

09/14/2017
Pro-labor movements like the Service Employees International Union-backed “Fight for $15” campaign and the AFL-CIO’s “Union Yes!” advertising blitz are influencing public opinion, according to a recent Gallup poll that shows increasing support for unions.

DOL budget dodges Senate cuts; House budget takes axe to NLRB

09/12/2017
The Department of Labor’s FY 2018 budget won’t suffer deep cuts if Senate Republicans have their way. But the Rules Committee approved an array of amendments designed to weaken the National Labor Relations Board and several pro-employee measures.

Canada seeks to outlaw U.S. right-to-work legislation

09/12/2017
Canada is pressuring U.S. trade representatives to override state right-to-work statutes as part of a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement.