Labor

Expert Analysis

• Employer Lessons After 2023's Successful Labor Strikes

  

  Following recent historic strikes in the automotive, entertainment and health care industries, employers of all types can learn key insights about how unions may approach negotiations and strikes going forward, and nonunionized workplaces should anticipate a drive for increased union membership, say Lenny Feigel and Mark Neuberger at Foley & Lardner.

• Employer Takeaways From 2nd Circ. Equal Pay Ruling

  

  The Second Circuit 's recent decision in Eisenhauer v. Culinary Institute of America reversed a long-held understanding of the Equal Pay Act, ultimately making it easier for employers to defend against equal pay claims brought under federal law, but it is not a clear escape hatch for employers, say Thelma Akpan and Katelyn McCombs at Littler.

• Employers Should Review Training Repayment Tactics

  

  State and federal examination of employee training repayment agreements has intensified, and with the potential for this tool to soon be severely limited, employers should review their options, including pivoting to other retention strategies, says Aaron Vance at Barnes & Thornburg.

• Extra NLRB Risks To Consider From Joint Employer Rule Edit

  

  The National Labor Relations Board’s return to a broad definition of “joint employer” will expose companies — even those with only theoretical control of their outside consultants, contractors or franchise workers — to increased labor obligations and risks, further escalating their already expanding National Labor Relations Act liabilities, says William Kishman at Squire Patton.

• AI At Work: Safety And NLRA Best Practices For Employers

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  There are many possible legal ramifications associated with integrating artificial intelligence tools and solutions into workplaces, including unionized workplaces' employer obligations under the National Labor Relations Act, and health and safety issues concerning robots and AI, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• How Employers Can Navigate NLRB's Pro-Employee Shift

  

  The National Labor Relations Board's recent decisions and general counsel memos mark the strong beginning of a trend toward greater pro-employee protections, so employers should proactively engage in risk management by revisiting their handbook policies accordingly, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

• Justices' Coming Fisheries Ruling May Foster NLRA Certainty

  

  If the U.S. Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision in the Loper Bright v. Raimondi commercial fisheries' case overrules judicial deference to federal agencies' legal interpretations, it could carry over to the National Labor Relations Board's vacillating interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act, bringing a measure of predictability to the board’s administration of the law, says Corey Franklin at FordHarrison.

• Aviation Watch: When Are Pilots Too Old To Fly?

  

  A recent move by the U.S. House of Representatives to raise the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67 has reignited a decades-long debate — but this issue is best addressed through collective bargaining between carriers and pilots, rather than through legislation, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

• 2 NLRB Rulings On Unilateral Changes Are Bad News For Cos.

  

  The National Labor Relations Board's recent rulings in Wendt and Tecnocap on unilateral changes to employment terms shift bargaining leverage away from companies, but certain considerations can help employers navigate a contractual hiatus and negotiations for a first union contract, says Henry Morris Jr. at ArentFox Schiff.

• NY Co-Ops Must Avoid Pitfalls When Navigating Insurance

  

  In light of skyrocketing premiums, tricky exclusions and dwindling options, New York cooperative corporations must carefully review potential contractors' insurance policies in order to secure full protection, as even seemingly minor contractor jobs can carry significant risk due to New York labor laws, says Eliot Zuckerman at Smith Gambrell.

• What Employers Face As NLRB Protects More Solo Protests

  

  Given the National Labor Relations Board’s recent decision in Miller Plastics to implement a broader standard for when it will protect individual protests, employers must be careful to not open themselves to unfair labor practice claims when disciplining employees with personal gripes, says Mohamed Barry at Fisher Phillips.

• USW Ruling Highlights Successor Liability In Bankruptcy Sale

  

  A Delaware federal court's recent decision in United Steelworkers v. Braeburn is important for potential asset purchasers in Section 363 bankruptcy sales as it found the purchaser was subject to obligations under the National Labor Relations Act notwithstanding language in the sale approval order transferring the debtor's assets free and clear of successor liability, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• Starbucks 'Memphis 7' Ruling Shows Retaliation Is A Bad Idea

  

  Starbucks’ unsuccessful attempts to quash unionization by retaliating against organizing employees — illustrated by the Sixth Circuit's recent backing of an order that forced the company to rehire seven pro-union workers in Memphis, Tennessee — demonstrates why employers should eschew hard-line tactics and instead foster genuine dialogue with their workforce, says Janette Levey at Levey Law.