Labor Relations / Unions

The HR I.Q. Test: October ’10

10/13/2010

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

A sign of change: New NLRB majority says pro-union ‘bannering’ against employers is legal

10/05/2010

Forecasts of a shift in the rulings at the National Labor Relations Board are starting to come true. In a trio of cases, it said that “bannering” by a union—holding a large banner near a neutral business urging the public to boycott the company because of the union’s dispute with a primary employer—does not violate the National Labor Relations Act.

NLRB sides with nurses union in six-year-old dispute

09/24/2010

A Brick social services organization committed an unfair labor practice when it began cracking down on nurses who administered medications after the employees joined a union, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

Beware! Your ‘neutral’ rule may invite lawsuit

09/24/2010

So your work rules are fair and neutral. There’s no way employees belonging to a protected class would sue you, alleging the rule has a disparate impact. Guess again—it happens. Consider this recent case, which has resulted in years of legal wrangling.

Q&A: How the new federal contractor NLRA notice rules affect you

09/22/2010

Final rules are now in place for enforcing Executive Order 13496, the White House decree requiring all federal contractors and subcontractors to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The following questions and answers cover some of the issues you may have to deal with.

How to comply with your new union posting requirements

09/14/2010

Final rules are now in place for enforcing new rules requiring all federal contractors and subcontractors to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. If you do any business for the federal government, as either a contractor or subcontractor, here are the steps you need to take to comply.

What can we do about an employee who has been blasting us on his personal web site?

09/08/2010

Q. One of my employees has created his own web site and has been posting negative comments about our company. Specifically, he has accused the company of failing to provide adequate benefits and paying below-market wages. Can we fire this worker for this conduct?

Texas judge tells strikers to stop sticker campaign

09/08/2010

A Texas judge has ordered members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union to stop placing stickers airing their grievances on jars of Mott’s apple juice and other beverages made by Mott’s parent company, Dr Pepper Snapple.

Where can I get the new EEO poster we need?

09/03/2010

Q. I heard something about a new EEO poster that employers are required to have in their workplaces. Can you explain this new requirement?

Was N.Y. union staffer fired for trying to organize a union?

09/01/2010

Until recently, Jim Callaghan was a writer for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the union that represents New York City teachers and that has made its name by actively opposing city officials’ power to fire teachers without due process. Now Callaghan is claiming UFT employees have no such protection themselves. He says he was fired after he began looking into unionizing UFT editorial employees.