Labor

  • May 31, 2024

    US, Mexico Reach Truce On Steel Factory Labor Violations

    A steel manufacturer in Mexico has agreed to pay a monetary settlement to workers it dismissed in retaliation for their union organizing activity after the United States asked the Mexican government to review the matter, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said.

  • May 31, 2024

    Starbucks, Workers United Secure Tentative Accords In Talks

    Starbucks and Workers United said Friday that collective bargaining talks have resulted in tentative agreements related to just cause, union representation and transparency between the parties, marking another step toward a first labor contract for the coffee chain and union.

  • May 31, 2024

    Texas Justices Won't Review Boeing, Union Back Pay Suit

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to review a decision by the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District permitting the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association to continue its attempt to recover lost wages from Boeing after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded its 737 Max plane in 2019. 

  • May 31, 2024

    DOL's Fund Mismanagement Suit Stayed For 7th Circ. Appeal

    An Illinois federal judge pressed pause on a suit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the trustees of a union life insurance fund, saying she'll let two former trustees' appeal of an injunction she issued in the case play out before she resumes adjudicating.

  • May 31, 2024

    CWA, Microsoft Reach Neutrality Deal Over ZeniMax Workers

    The Communications Workers of America and Microsoft notched a neutrality pact that applies to all ZeniMax workers, according to an announcement from the union, with the company agreeing not to interfere if employees want to unionize. 

  • May 31, 2024

    4 Argument Sessions In June Bias Lawyers Should Know

    A group of Republican state attorneys general will urge a federal judge Monday to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to block regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and the Fifth Circuit will hear Southwest Airlines’ push to overturn an anti-abortion former flight attendant's win in her religious bias suit. ​​​​​Here are four June argument sessions discrimination lawyers should have on their radar. 

  • May 31, 2024

    NY Forecast: Judge Considers IATSE Movie Pay Dispute

    This week, a New York federal judge will hear arguments over the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees' attempt to force a film production company to make wage and benefits payments the union claims it has not made as required under an arbitration award.

  • May 31, 2024

    Split NH High Court Says Cops Must Pay Back Sick Leave

    An updated version of a City of Manchester ordinance requires four police officers to pay the city back for the sick leave benefits they received while their compensation claims for on-the-job injuries were pending, a split New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled.

  • May 31, 2024

    NLRB Official OKs Doughnut Chain's Challenge To Union Vote

    A National Labor Relations Board official has upheld a Portland, Oregon, doughnut shop chain's challenges to two votes that swung a representation election in a union's favor, saying the workers were not on payroll at the time they cast their ballots.

  • May 31, 2024

    Transit Co. Wrong To Snub Union In Dallas, NLRB Judge Says

    A company that took over providing certain public transit services in the Dallas area unlawfully refused to work with a union that represented the majority of its drivers, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled, deeming the company a successor to the workers' previous employer.

  • May 31, 2024

    Calif. Forecast: State Justices To Hear 'Sovereignty' Args

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for oral arguments at the California Supreme Court regarding whether all public entities are exempt from certain state labor law wage requirements. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • May 31, 2024

    IBEW Exits Fired Utility Worker's Sexual Harassment Suit

    A Tennessee federal judge cut the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers loose from a fired employee's suit claiming her union stood by while her supervisor sexually harassed her, rejecting arguments from the Memphis utility she worked for that it was unfair to let the IBEW out of the case.

  • May 30, 2024

    Lawmakers Urge NLRB To Investigate Claims Against Google

    A group of nearly 50 lawmakers asked the National Labor Relations Board's general counsel to quickly investigate unfair labor practice allegations against Google and its contractor Cognizant, saying the outcome of these cases could "set important precedent" for workers and companies.

  • May 30, 2024

    NLRB Judge Hits Nursing Homes For Bad Faith Bargaining

    The operators of six Connecticut nursing homes bargained in bad faith with a Service Employees International Union local and refused to rehire workers who went on strike to protest their unlawful implementation of a contract, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled in a case that stretches back more than 12 years.

  • May 30, 2024

    Teamsters Urge Court To Keep Airline Retaliation Suit Alive

    The Teamsters have asked a Minnesota federal judge to preserve their allegations that Sun Country Airlines retaliated against workers for participating in a union drive, saying the judge should toss the company's bid to dismiss the suit.

  • May 30, 2024

    NLRB Says Member Conflict Rightly Doomed Exxon Mobil Win

    The National Labor Relations Board has asked the Fifth Circuit to preserve a board holding that Exxon Mobil refused to bargain with a union, defending its decision to nix the oil giant's initial victory in the case after discovering that a board member had invested in a fund containing Exxon stock.

  • May 30, 2024

    Ford Settles Union Worker's Retirement Credit Suit

    Ford Motor Co. and a union retirement plan have agreed to settle an employee's proposed class action claiming the company improperly calculated retirement benefits owed to workers who were injured on the job, according to a filing Thursday in Michigan federal court.

  • May 30, 2024

    NLRB GC Calls On Board To Find Racism Claim Is Protected

    A National Labor Relations Board judge was right to find that a school choice nonprofit illegally terminated a worker for saying she thought her supervisor was racist, agency prosecutors argued, saying the worker's remark was linked to protected concerted activity.

  • May 30, 2024

    Homeland Security Worker Settles Union Agency Fee Suit

    A U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee told a Washington, D.C., federal judge that she has settled her suit against an International Guards Union of America local out of court, resolving allegations that the union improperly refused to give her information about how it calculated agency fees.

  • May 29, 2024

    ILWU Units Call For Toss Of Barge Co.'s Injunction Request

    International Longshore and Warehouse Union affiliates asked an Alaska federal judge to nix a barge company's request for an injunction to halt the union from arbitrating over a work preservation dispute, saying federal labor law doesn't allow the company to request this injunctive relief.

  • May 29, 2024

    IBEW Local Wins Benefits Dispute With Power Plant Operator

    A New York federal judge preserved a win for an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local Wednesday in a dispute with a power plant operator over who qualifies for a supplemental retirement benefit at the company, deeming the arbitrator's award reasonable.

  • May 29, 2024

    Ex-Philly Union Leader Wants To Delay New Extortion Trial

    Former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 business manager John Dougherty, who was convicted of bribery and embezzlement but escaped a third conviction when the jury deadlocked at his extortion trial, asked Wednesday that the prospective new trial date on the extortion charges be pushed back due to his attorney's scheduling conflict.

  • May 29, 2024

    NLRB Wants Subpoenas Enforced In Calif. Tribal Casino Row

    The National Labor Relations Board has gone to federal court to enforce its subpoenas seeking a list of casino workers in a proposed bargaining unit, saying the refusals of a California tribe and a gaming company to provide the information are impeding an agency investigation.

  • May 28, 2024

    Construction Co. Says Union Broke PLAs With Picket Line Ask

    A construction company urged a Washington federal judge Tuesday to hand the business a win over its suit claiming a Teamsters affiliate violated project labor agreements, arguing the union encouraged drivers not to cross the picket lines during a strike.

  • May 28, 2024

    DC Circ. Revives Campaign Ad Fight At Mail Carriers Union

    The D.C. Circuit has revived claims that a mail carriers union violated the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act by refusing to publish an officer candidate's campaign ads in its magazine, ruling Tuesday that a Washington, D.C., federal judge prematurely dismissed the suit.

Expert Analysis

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

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    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.

  • One Contract Fix Can Reduce Employer Lawsuit Exposure

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    A recent Fifth Circuit ruling that saved FedEx over $365 million highlights how a one-sentence limitation provision on an employment application or in an at-will employment agreement may be the easiest cost-savings measure for employers against legal claims, say Sara O'Keefe and William Wortel at BCLP.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Sick Leave Insights From 'Parks And Rec'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper spoke with Lisa Whittaker at the J.M. Smucker Co. about how to effectively manage sick leave policies to ensure legal compliance and fairness to all employees, in a discussion inspired by a "Parks and Recreation" episode.

  • 3 Employer Lessons From NLRB's Complaint Against SpaceX

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    Severance agreements traditionally have included nondisparagement and nondisclosure provisions as a matter of course — but a recent National Labor Relations Board complaint against SpaceX underscores the ongoing efforts to narrow severance agreements at the state and federal levels, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • Time For Congress To Let Qualified Older Pilots Keep Flying

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    While a previous Law360 guest article affirmed the current law requiring airline pilots to retire at age 65, the facts suggest that the pilots, their unions, the airlines and the flying public will all benefit if Congress allows experienced, medically qualified aviators to stay in the cockpit, say Allen Baker and Bo Ellis at Let Experienced Pilots Fly.

  • Game-Changing Decisions Call For New Rules At The NCAA

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    From a newly formed college players union to coaches transferring at the drop of a hat, the National College Athletic Association needs an overhaul, including federal supervision, says Frank Darras at DarrasLaw.

  • What Makes Unionization In Financial Services Unique

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    Only around 1% of financial services employees are part of a union, but that number is on the rise, presenting both unique opportunities and challenges for the employers and employees that make up a sector typically devoid of union activity, say Amanda Fugazy and Steven Nevolis at Ellenoff Grossman.

  • Assessing Work Rules After NLRB Handbook Ruling

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    The National Labor Relations Board's Stericycle decision last year sparked uncertainty surrounding whether historically acceptable work rules remain lawful — but employers can use a two-step analysis to assess whether to implement a given rule and how to do so in a compliant manner, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • A Look At Global Employee Disconnect Laws For US Counsel

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    As countries worldwide adopt employee right to disconnect laws, U.S. in-house counsel at corporations with a global workforce must develop a comprehensive understanding of the laws' legal and cultural implications, ensuring their companies can safeguard employee welfare while maintaining legal compliance, say Emma Corcoran and Ute Krudewagen at DLA Piper.

  • Employers Beware Of NLRB Changes On Bad Faith Bargaining

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    Recent National Labor Relations Board decisions show a trend of the agency imposing harsher remedies on employers for bad faith bargaining over union contracts, a position upheld in the Ninth Circuit's recent NLRB v. Grill Concepts Services decision, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • What A Post-Chevron Landscape Could Mean For Labor Law

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    With the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Chevron deference expected by the end of June, it’s not too soon to consider how National Labor Relations Act interpretations could be affected if federal courts no longer defer to administrative agencies’ statutory interpretation and regulatory actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Eye On Compliance: Employee Social Media Privacy In NY

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    A New York law that recently took effect restricts employers' ability to access the personal social media accounts of employees and job applicants, signifying an increasing awareness of the need to balance employers' interests with worker privacy and free speech rights, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.