Labor

  • June 09, 2025

    2nd Circ. Nixes Doc's Power Of Atty Deal In Patient ERISA Suit

    The Second Circuit ruled Monday that a doctor couldn't use a power-of-attorney arrangement to sue on behalf of a patient who said their union's health plan illegally stuck them with a $150,000 medical bill, but directed a trial court to determine if the patient can pursue the case.

  • June 09, 2025

    WaPo Unlawfully Fired Reporter For Tweets, NLRB GC Says

    National Labor Relations Board prosecutors are seeking reinstatement for a Washington Post reporter who spoke up about a coworker's retweet that she found offensive, arguing the journalist's complaints on Slack and social media were protected under federal labor law.

  • June 09, 2025

    Janitorial Contractor Fights Portland Labor Peace Policy

    A nonprofit that supplies janitors to the city of Portland, Oregon, is challenging the city's requirement for certain city contractors to enter into labor peace agreements with unions, claiming in a new lawsuit in federal court that the rule is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act.

  • June 06, 2025

    Trump Cuts To Federal Library Agency Can Resume, For Now

    Employees of the federal agency that provides grants and resources to public libraries cannot immediately get blocked President Donald Trump's executive order dismantling the agency, a Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled Friday, saying there is a likelihood the case belongs in the Court of Federal Claims.

  • June 06, 2025

    Union, NYC Opera Notch Tentative Deal For 1-Year Contract

    The American Guild of Musical Artists and the Metropolitan Opera announced Friday that the parties saw eye-to-eye on a tentative agreement for a one-year collective bargaining agreement, saying the deal includes wage hikes.

  • June 06, 2025

    Calif. Says Nonprofit Can't Challenge Captive Meeting Law

    California's labor commissioner asked a federal court Friday to toss a lawsuit challenging the state's law prohibiting so-called captive audience meetings, arguing that the nonprofit that sued to block the law lacks standing because it hasn't sufficiently alleged an injury or "a credible threat of prosecution."

  • June 06, 2025

    Unions Say Agencies Can't Handle Resignation Offer Dispute

    Three federal worker unions urged a Massachusetts federal judge not to toss their challenge to the president's deferred resignation offer, saying the personnel agencies the government wants to send their suit to can't decide their claims or give them a fair shake.

  • June 06, 2025

    Energy Co. Must Give Wage Info To IBEW, NLRB Judge Says

    A nuclear plant operator unlawfully refused to give an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local information about wages for workers the union didn't represent, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled, finding the company must still hand over the information even though the parties notched a labor contract.

  • June 06, 2025

    DOGE Can Access Social Security Data For Now, Justices Say

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Friday that the Department of Government Efficiency could obtain unlimited access to Social Security Administration data on millions of Americans while a legal dispute over privacy concerns plays out.

  • June 06, 2025

    Trump Seeks High Court's OK On Education Dept. Job Cuts

    The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order halting massive job cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that the judge's finding that almost 1,400 employees must be reinstated to ensure the department's continued operation "has no basis in reality."

  • June 06, 2025

    What To Expect As 8th Circ. Hears 'BLM' Firing Appeal

    An Eighth Circuit panel will mull how federal labor law applies to workers' support for social causes Wednesday as it hears Home Depot's challenge to the National Labor Relations Board's ruling that it illegally forced out a worker who wrote "BLM" on their apron. Here, Law360 breaks down what to expect from the case.

  • June 06, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Hear Labor Preemption Arguments

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for oral arguments at the Ninth Circuit regarding the extent to which federal labor law preempts employment law claims, in a case involving UPS. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • June 06, 2025

    Teamsters Member Wants Film Hiring Bias Claims Kept Alive

    A longtime Teamsters member in Pittsburgh urged a federal judge not to dismiss his allegations accusing the union of age discrimination and breaching its duty of fair representation when he wasn't hired to work on a Tom Hanks film, saying the claims must head to discovery.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Hears SUNY Dean's Retaliation Suit

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider an attempt from a former dean at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University to revive his suit claiming he was demoted in retaliation for advocating against widespread discrimination against students and faculty. Here, Law360 looks at this and other cases on the docket in New York.

  • June 05, 2025

    'Sparse' OPM Record On Mass Firings Backs Win, Unions Say

    A "sparse and self-serving" record provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management still shows the agency unlawfully directed federal agencies to fire probationary employees en masse, so a California federal court can reach a final decision now and "unwind" those terminations, a coalition including unions and advocacy groups said Thursday.

  • June 05, 2025

    Nurses Union, Hospital Settle Row Over Mandatory OT Work

    An American Federation of Teachers affiliate settled a federal court case aiming to stop a Connecticut hospital from requiring nurses to work overtime, with the parties telling the judge on Thursday that they agree to dismiss the union's allegations.

  • June 05, 2025

    Starbucks Union Lands 600th Store Amid Labor Battle

    Starbucks Workers United celebrated after workers at a 600th Starbucks store voted to be represented by the union, the latest milestone in the four-year effort to organize the coffee giant.

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Won't Rethink Order On Air Marshal Union's Suit

    A trio of federal agencies can't nix the remaining claims brought by a federal air marshal union, a Pennsylvania federal judge concluded, denying the government's bid for reconsideration of a prior ruling that allowed the union's allegations about retaliation and interference to go forward.

  • June 05, 2025

    Actors Ask 9th Circ. To Revive SAG Vax Mandate Fight

    SAG-AFTRA members urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive their claims that the union betrayed them by allowing studios to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates against members with medical and religious objections, arguing that the state claims aren't preempted and "not everything that involves these guilds is a federal matter."

  • June 05, 2025

    NLRB Judge Notes 'Censorship Creep' In Nix Of ULP Claims

    A National Labor Relations Board judge cleared two Las Vegas hospitals of most of the unfair labor practice claims filed against them by two unions in a decision raising concerns about the NLRB guarding "against censorship creep" when agency attorneys make claims over the legality of an employer's statements.

  • June 05, 2025

    DOL Head Vows To Fight Wage Theft With Fewer Investigators

    The U.S. labor secretary told a U.S. House committee Thursday that the Department of Labor will continue to combat wage theft even with fewer resources after President Donald Trump's administration proposed cutting the number of wage and hour investigators.

  • June 04, 2025

    1st Circ. Upholds Block On Trump's Education Dept. Job Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by President Donald Trump to greenlight massive job cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, finding that the administration had not provided enough evidence to overturn a block put in place by a Massachusetts federal judge.

  • June 04, 2025

    NJ Contractor Tells 3rd Circ. One-Man Rule Voids CBA

    A New Jersey contractor told a Third Circuit panel Wednesday that it isn't obliged to negotiate over a successor collective bargaining agreement with union-represented sheet metal workers, arguing it no longer employs any workers represented by the union.

  • June 04, 2025

    3 Ways DOL Benefits Chief Nominee May Affect ERISA Cases

    A key committee will decide Thursday whether to send President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Labor’s employee benefits arm ahead for a full Senate vote, setting the stage for what attorneys expect will be an employer-friendly shift in policies. Here are three ways Daniel Aronowitz could change benefits litigation if confirmed.

  • June 04, 2025

    FTC Fights Attys Who Want State Bar Input On Ethics Worries

    The Federal Trade Commission doesn't want staff attorneys to be able to seek state bar association guidance if they dispute the legality of an instruction, arguing in a fight with the FTC's union that seeking such guidance would gum up the gears of commission work.

Expert Analysis

  • Memo Shows NLRB Intends To Protect Race Talk At Work

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    A newly released memo from the National Labor Relations Board advising that discussions of racism at work count as protected concerted activity should alert employers that worker retaliation claims may now face serious scrutiny not only from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but also the NLRB, says Mark Fijman at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Cannabis Co. Considerations For Handling A Union Campaign

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    As employees in Connecticut and across the country increasingly unionize, cannabis employers must understand the meaning of neutrality and the provisions of labor peace agreements to steer clear of possible unfair labor charges, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.

  • Handling Severance Pact Language After NLRB Decision

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    Following the National Labor Relations Board’s recent ruling that severance agreements with broad confidentiality or nondisparagement provisions violate federal labor law, employers may want to consider whether such terms must be stripped from agreements altogether, or if there may be a middle-ground approach, says Daniel Pasternak at Squire Patton.

  • Eye On Compliance: Service Animal Accommodations

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    A Michigan federal court's recent ruling in Bennett v. Hurley Medical Center provides guidance on when employee service animals must be permitted in the workplace — a question otherwise lacking clarity under the Americans with Disabilities Act that has emerged as people return to the office post-pandemic, says Lauren Stadler at Wilson Elser.

  • Joint Employment Mediation Sessions Are Worth The Work

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    Despite the recent trend away from joint mediation in employment disputes, and the prevailing belief that putting both parties in the same room is only a recipe for lost ground, face-to-face sessions can be valuable tools for moving toward win-win resolutions when planned with certain considerations in mind, says Jonathan Andrews at Signature Resolution.

  • A Look At NLRB GC's Memos On Misleading Employees

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    The National Labor Relations Board's general counsel recently confirmed her plan to limit what she considers coercive and misleading statements by employers during union organizing drives, and provided some guidance for employers that, if recognized and followed, may keep a company out of legal trouble with the NLRB, says Rebecca Leaf at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Termination Lessons From 'WeCrashed'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Fulton Bank’s Allison Snyder about how the show “WeCrashed” highlights pitfalls companies should avoid when terminating workers, even when the employment is at will.

  • Labor Law Reform Is Needed For Unions To Succeed

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    Though support for unions is at an unprecedented high, declining union membership levels expose the massive disconnect between what Americans want from unionizing and what they are actually able to achieve, primarily due to the disastrous state of U.S. labor law, say Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs at Harvard Law School.

  • How Cos. Can Avoid Sinking In The Union Organizing Storm

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    Faced with a new NLRB administration and pandemic-fueled employee unrest, employers must deal with the perfect storm for union organizing by keeping policies up-to-date and making sure employees’ voices are heard, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Eye On Compliance: Employee Biometric Data Privacy

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    Following recent high-profile developments in Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act lawsuits and an increase in related legislation proposed by other states, employers should anticipate an uptick in litigation on this issue — and several best practices can help bolster compliance, say Lisa Ackerman and Laura Stutz at Wilson Elser.

  • Examining Employer Best Practices For Reserved Gates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Joshua Fox at Proskauer discusses the legal implications of employers establishing a reserved gate system for union picketing — which creates a separate worksite entrance for employers not involved in the dispute — with a focus on rights and obligations under the National Labor Relations Act, and preventing disruptions toward secondary employers.

  • 6 Antitrust Compliance Tips For Employers From MLB Probe

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    Major League Baseball's recent investigation into possible collusion between the Mets and Yankees — involving then-free agent Aaron Judge — can teach employers of all types antitrust lessons in a time when competition for top talent is fierce, says Mohamed Barry at Fisher & Phillips.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Trade Secret Lessons From 'Severance'

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    In light of the recently enacted Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, attorneys at Troutman Pepper chat with Tangibly CEO Tim Londergan about trade secret protection as it relates to the show “Severance,” which involves employees whose minds are surgically divided between their home and work lives.

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