Labor Relations / Unions

Learn the lessons from ‘Pharmageddon’ walkout

11/20/2023

On Oct. 30, thousands of pharmacy workers at drugstore chains including CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens walked off their jobs. They stayed away from work for three days. They dubbed the walkout “Pharmageddon”—and promised more work stoppages if changes don’t occur. This highlighted the danger of ignoring employee complaints and the adverse publicity worker walkouts can generate.

United Auto Workers win may embolden more union activism

11/03/2023

After weeks of targeted strikes and other work stoppages by the United Auto Workers against the Big 3 automakers, the union has declared victory. The three simultaneous contract negotiations marked one huge win for the UAW—and the continuation of an overall winning streak for organized labor. Other unions and other workers have surely noticed.

NLRB ruling raises the alarm! Even tiny employers should prepare for union drive

10/30/2023

Small employers sometimes act like they don’t have to worry about unionization, the National Labor Relations Act and the National Labor Relations Board. That’s a huge mistake! All organizations with any employees at all must comply with the NLRA and are subject to NLRB enforcement if they violate the law.

Worker-friendly NLRB final rule makes it easier to establish joint-employer status

10/27/2023

The rule says that, under the National Labor Relations Act, two or more entities may be considered joint employers if each has an employment relationship with a group of employees, and if they play a role in controlling one or more essential terms and conditions of employment.

Prepare now for possible strikes and walkouts

10/16/2023

Across industries and across the nation, workers are voicing their displeasure with poor working conditions and low pay at a time when prices are rising and corporate profits remain high. The issues prompting strikes vary: demands for higher pay, concerns over two-tiered pay systems and complaints about being forced to return to in-person work and inadequate staffing.

Stats show unions gaining support, clout

10/02/2023

As the United Auto Workers strike against the Big 3 automotive manufacturers entered its third week—and just a day after the Writers Guild of America won major concessions to end its strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers—it’s clear that organized labor is on a roll.

Unions on the rise: What the NLRA won’t let you do

09/29/2023

With labor unions making news nationwide, now is a good time for all employers to revisit their obligations under the National Labor Relations Act. Remember, the NLRA probably applies to you regardless of whether your employees belong to a union.

NLRB expands criteria for determining what counts as ‘protected concerted activity’

09/11/2023

A new National Labor Relations Board ruling has loosened the criteria for determining if worker activities are protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. That part of the law guarantees employees the right to engage in “protected concerted activities” aimed at collectively improving working conditions.

Review work rules in light of NLRB’s new pro-employee ruling

08/14/2023

As political winds shift, so do National Labor Relations Board rulings. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the realm of cases addressing worker rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.

What the big UPS–Teamsters Union contract means for employers

08/04/2023

United Parcel Service and the Teamsters Union, which represents more than 340,000 UPS employees, have tentatively agreed to a new union contract that—if approved by rank-and-file workers—will avert a strike that threatened to shut down the U.S. supply chain just as retailers are gearing up for busy back-to-school and holiday seasons.