Labor

  • September 04, 2026

    ERISA Recap: 5 Appellate Rulings To Know From August

    The Seventh Circuit kept an Arkansas pharmacy benefit manager rule in place as not preempted by federal benefits law, the Fourth Circuit revived an Altria ex-worker's dispute over benefit plan documents, and the Eleventh Circuit reversed a pretrial win for Royal Caribbean in cruise workers' suit challenging 401(k) funds. Here, Law360 looks at those and two other major appellate decisions from August involving ERISA that benefits attorneys may want to know.

  • September 04, 2026

    NLRB Judge Says UAW Unit Didn't Back Away From Deal

    A United Auto Workers local did not violate federal labor law by refusing to sign an agreement on production standards at a Florida Mack Trucks plant, a National Labor Relations Board judge held, saying the union never agreed to language the company added to the deal.

  • September 04, 2026

    NLRB GC Revives Claim Teamsters Blocked Amazon Facility

    The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board revived a charge claiming the Teamsters illegally blocked an Amazon facility during a picket after the company appealed a regional official's decision dismissing the allegation.

  • September 04, 2026

    GM, Ultium Can't End Worker's Firing Suit At Pleading Stage

    General Motors' battery cell manufacturer must face a worker's claim that his firing violated his union's collective bargaining agreement, a Tennessee federal judge has ruled, saying the worker has a solid case that his employer bypassed the union contract's disciplinary and termination procedures when discharging him last year.

  • September 04, 2026

    6th Circ. Backs NLRB Enforcement Order In Retaliation Row

    The National Labor Relations Board can enforce its order finding a nuclear waste cleanup company unlawfully fired an employee who reported allegations to his union that the company violated its collective bargaining agreement, the Sixth Circuit found, ruling that the board's findings are backed by substantial evidence.

  • September 04, 2026

    NLRB GC's Office Backs Cemex Reversal In Amazon Case

    The newly Republican-majority National Labor Relations Board should reverse a Biden-era ruling that made it easier for unions to win bargaining orders in unfair labor practice cases involving organizing drives, an agency attorney told the NLRB, asking it to use an Amazon-Teamsters dispute to overturn its 2023 Cemex ruling.

  • September 04, 2026

    Ex-Labor Secretary Acted Inappropriately, Watchdog Says

    Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer failed to prohibit harassment in the workplace, had an inappropriate and unprofessional relationship with a member of her protective detail and combined personal and official travel, the U.S. Labor Department's internal watchdog said in a report following the secretary's resignation.

  • September 03, 2026

    Teamsters Set To Shed Federal Monitors After Judge's OK

    The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is slated to ease decades of government oversight meant to ferret out ties to organized crime after a New York federal judge on Thursday approved a deal between the union and the Trump administration.

  • September 03, 2026

    Trump Commutes Ex-Union Leader Dougherty's Prison Term

    President Donald Trump has cut short ex-Philadelphia labor leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty's prison sentence for bribery and embezzlement, an attorney for the former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 business manager confirmed Thursday.

  • September 03, 2026

    Ex-Pardon Atty Says DOJ Fired Her Over Actor's Gun Rights

    Former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer sued the U.S. Department of Justice Thursday in Washington, D.C., federal court, alleging the department unlawfully fired her for not recommending Mel Gibson get his gun rights back — a request she said was based on the actor's relationship with President Donald Trump.

  • September 03, 2026

    8th Circ. Vacates DOL Penalty In BNSF Retaliation Row

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday vacated a $220,000 penalty imposed on BNSF Railway by the U.S. Department of Labor's whistleblower tribunal, ruling that the company is entitled to a jury trial in its retaliation dispute with a former employee.

  • September 03, 2026

    Pa. Opens Home Care Wage Probes Covering 100K Workers

    Pennsylvania is planning to step up enforcement of wage laws for home care employees, the state's labor secretary has announced, saying these workers are particularly vulnerable to wage theft.

  • September 03, 2026

    Restaurant Can't Dodge Bulk Of Black Workers' Bias Suit

    A New York federal judge narrowed but declined to fully toss a suit from four Black servers who claimed that they were racially discriminated against and sexually harassed by male managers at a Mexican restaurant, ruling they presented enough evidence to show that prejudice may have plagued the workplace.

  • September 03, 2026

    Nonprofit Asks Court To Nix Contempt Bid In Bargaining Row

    A homeless shelter operator asked a New York federal court to toss a bid from National Labor Relations Board prosecutors to hold the company in contempt for claims that it denied an order to bargain with an SEIU affiliate, saying the court no longer has jurisdiction.

  • September 03, 2026

    Fisher Phillips Adds Partner, 9 Attorneys In Mexico

    Fisher Phillips announced Thursday that it has hired a partner and nine associates from the small, full-service Mexican firm Ibarra del Paso y Gallego SC, making it one of the largest labor and employment firms in Mexico by headcount.

  • September 03, 2026

    Federal Union Can Probe Claims Of EEOC Class Action Freeze

    The American Federation of Government Employees can collect further evidence from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the union's suit claiming the agency illegally issued a blanket policy suspending all class actions from federal workers, a D.C. federal judge said, but she stopped short of offering immediate court intervention.

  • September 02, 2026

    NLRB Judge Tosses Case Over Firing At Mich. Investment Firm

    A Michigan investment firm didn't violate federal labor law by firing a worker who complained about what he saw as broken promises by management, a National Labor Relations Board judge has ruled, saying the worker's comments were "mere griping" and not an attempt to promote group action.

  • September 02, 2026

    Memo Shows Limited Labor Protections For Political Protest

    A memo detailing a National Labor Relations Board attorney's opinion that Microsoft lawfully fired workers who organized a protest over the war in Gaza illustrates the uphill battle workers have to show that federal labor law protects their advocacy for social and political causes, experts said.

  • September 02, 2026

    NLRB Official Says Supervisor Tainted Pot Union Petition

    A union drive at a Las Vegas pot dispensary was tainted by a supervisor's involvement, a National Labor Relations Board official has ruled, tossing a United Food and Commercial Workers local's petition to represent workers at the dispensary.

  • September 02, 2026

    Casino Urges High Court To Stay Bargaining Order Mandate

    A Las Vegas casino asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a D.C. Circuit mandate enforcing a bargaining order issued by the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the mandate should be stayed pending the casino's petition for high court review of the circuit court's recent decision in the case.

  • September 02, 2026

    2nd Circ. Faults NLRB's Dress Code Test In Starbucks Appeal

    The Second Circuit faulted the test the National Labor Relations Board applies to neutral dress codes that restrict workers' displays of union insignia, tossing Wednesday a ruling that Starbucks illegally barred workers at a Manhattan shop from wearing pro-union shirts. 

  • September 02, 2026

    NJ AG Seeks Expedited Discovery In Amazon Antitrust Suit

    New Jersey's attorney general has asked a federal court for leave to file a motion for expedited discovery in a federal antitrust suit claiming that Amazon has unlawfully maintained its dominant buying power in the delivery driver services market, claiming there is an "immediate need" for discovery in the case.

  • September 01, 2026

    Starbucks Says Fight Over Union Name, Logo Belongs In Iowa

    Starbucks Corp. has asked a Pennsylvania federal judge to toss Starbucks Workers United's request for permission to maintain its current name and logo, saying an Iowa federal judge should decide whether the union's name and logo infringe Starbucks' copyrights.

  • September 01, 2026

    Colo. Judge Tosses DirecTV Bid To Void Union Award

    A Colorado federal judge Tuesday following oral arguments dismissed a complaint from DirecTV seeking to vacate an arbitration award over layoffs of union technicians after the court found that its "narrow" ability to review arbitration decisions bars the litigation.

  • September 01, 2026

    Teachers Union Wants In On CDL Data Fight

    The American Federation of Teachers is seeking to enter a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's bid to obtain a database containing information on 17 million commercial driver's license holders, telling a Virginia federal court Tuesday that the 24 states bringing the suit don't adequately represent the interests of the union.

Expert Analysis

  • Water Cooler Talk: Immigration Insights From 'The Proposal'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with their colleague Robert Lee about how immigration challenges highlighted in the romantic comedy "The Proposal" — beyond a few farcical plot contrivances — relate to real-world visa processes and employer compliance.

  • Insuring Lender's Baseball Bet Leads To Major League Dispute

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    In RockFence v. Lloyd's, a California federal court seeks to define who qualifies as a professional baseball player for purposes of an insurance coverage payout, providing an illuminating case study of potential legal issues arising from baseball service loans, say Marshall Gilinsky and Seán McCabe at Anderson Kill.

  • Preparing For The NLRB's New Union Recognition Final Rule

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    The National Labor Relations Board's impending new final rule on union recognition puts the employer at a particular disadvantage in a decertification election, and best practices include conducting workplace assessments to identify and proactively address employee issues, say Louis Cannon and Gerald Bradner at Baker Donelson.

  • The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Key Steps To Employer Petitions For Union Elections

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Since the National Labor Relations Board shifted the burden of requesting formal union elections onto employers in its Cemex decision last year — and raised the stakes for employer missteps during the process — companies should be prepared to correctly file representation management election petitions and respond to union demands for recognition, says Adam Keating at Duane Morris.

  • Focus On Political Stances May Weaken Labor Unions

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    Recent lawsujits and a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives call attention to the practice of labor unions taking political stances with which their members disagree — an issue that may weaken unions, and that employers should stay abreast of, given its implications for labor organizing campaigns, workplace morale and collective bargaining, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • NLRB Ruling Highlights Rare Union Deauthorization Process

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board decision about a guard company's union authorization revocation presents a ripe opportunity for employees to review the particulars of this uncommon process, and employer compliance is critical as well, say Megann McManus and Trecia Moore at Husch Blackwell.

  • Latest 'Nuclear Verdict' Underscores Jury-Trial Employer Risk

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    A Los Angeles Superior Court jury's recent $900 million verdict in a high-profile sexual assault and harassment case illustrates the increase in so-called nuclear verdicts in employment cases, and the need for employers to explore alternative methods of resolving disputes, say Anthony Oncidi and Morgan Peterson at Proskauer.

  • After Chevron: What Loper Bright Portends For The NLRB

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court has a long history of deferring to the National Labor Relations Board's readings of federal labor law, the court's Loper Bright v. Raimondo decision forces courts to take a harder look at the judgment of an agency — and the NLRB will not be immune from such greater scrutiny, says Irving Geslewitz at Much Shelist.

  • What's Next After NLRB Ruling On Overbroad Noncompetes

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    If the National Labor Relations Board's recent ruling on noncompete provisions and its extension of Section 7 rights to limit noncompetes is adopted, this interpretation of the National Labor Relations Act will have to survive scrutiny by the courts without the deference previously afforded under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent overturning of Chevron, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Justices' Starbucks Ruling May Limit NLRB Injunction Wins

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Starbucks v. McKinney, adopting a more stringent test for National Labor Relations Board Section 10(j) injunctions, may lessen the frequency with which employers must defend against injunctions alongside parallel unfair labor practice charges, say David Pryzbylski and Colleen Schade at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • A Way Forward For The US Steel-Nippon Deal And Union Jobs

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    Parties involved in Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel should trust the Pennsylvania federal court overseeing a key environmental settlement to supervise a way of including future union jobs and cleaner air for the city of Pittsburgh as part of a transparent business marriage, says retired judge Susan Braden.

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