Last Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published an anticipated Proposed Rule on joint employer status. The Proposed Rule, which is designed to apply for all purposes under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), including both union representation and unfair labor practice contexts, is important to businesses that rely on labor supplied by a

Union efforts to organize workers are on the rise. Most notably, several high-profile employers are at the forefront of recent union campaigns, including Amazon, Starbucks and now Apple.

Amazon

Employees at Amazon’s Staten Island, New York warehouse voted in favor of union representation two weeks ago: 2,654 for and 2,131 against representation.  Now, the union

President Biden Proclaims His Administration’s Policy to Encourage Worker Organizing and Collective BargainingPresident Biden issued his executive order on “Worker Organizing and Empowerment” on April 26, 2021. In it, he stated that “it is the policy of my Administration to encourage worker organizing and collective bargaining.” In the EO, President Biden noted that while the National Labor Relations Act states that it is the policy of the

Weeding Out Claims by Agricultural Workers – The NLRA, the Agricultural Exemption, and the Cannabis IndustryIn a recent Advice Response Memo, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) indicated that employees of a cannabis growing operation were exempt from the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), meaning that the employees were not entitled to the NLRA’s protections. The employees had alleged that the cannabis operation interfered with their attempts to unionize,

Put ‘Em All Back in There: Federal Court Injunction Halts an Alleged Runaway ShopAlthough most employers don’t want a union in their workplace, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is clear: You cannot interfere with union organizing efforts. A federal district court in Kentucky recently followed this rule and ordered a company to reopen a shuttered facility and rehire the workers affected by the closure. In NLRB v.

Absolute Freedom to Tweet? Employers (and the NLRA) May Have Something to Say About ItDo you need a social media policy or are the legal obstacles just too much? Now more than ever, people are exercising their First Amendment right to free speech, which, not surprisingly, can cause heartburn at the workplace. In times of contention, stress, and uncertainty, speech often multiplies, and, in an era where someone’s speech

Happy Thanksgiving! 7 Things for Which We Are Thankful – 2020 EditionMany of us are understandably anxious to put the year 2020 behind us and move onward and upward! But before we all sit down at the table and fill our plates and bellies to overflowing as we start the holiday season, we can all find some bright shining blessings in what has otherwise been a

Political Speech, Conduct & Activity in the Workplace Amid A Social Justice MovementTraditionally, it has been taboo to discuss religion, politics, or divisive matters of public concern in the workplace. Most employers want the worksite to be about work and want to avoid controversial and potentially offensive discourse. However, in the current political climate, amid a global health pandemic, and the movement for social justice gaining unprecedented