Labor

  • August 21, 2025

    John Deere Dinged For Withholding Emails From UAW Local

    John Deere violated federal labor law by withholding emails about a worker's discipline from a United Auto Workers local, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled Thursday, saying the company can't deny the union access to the emails because a union committeeman didn't take a virtual confidentiality training course.

  • August 21, 2025

    Pa. Court Revives Fired County Worker's Whistleblower Claim

    A Pennsylvania appeals court on Thursday sent back a dispute to a lower court over a fired county employee's whistleblower allegation tied to her reporting that a union representative secretly taped meetings, determining the union official acted as a county employee when she made the recordings.

  • August 21, 2025

    Challenge To Fed Layoffs Is 'Fishing Expedition,' 9th Circ. Told

    A federal government attorney told a Ninth Circuit panel Thursday that a group of unions, nonprofits and cities challenging President Donald Trump's massive layoffs of federal workers have no right to communications and documents showing what went into the layoff decisions, saying it's a "fishing expedition in search of a viable legal theory."

  • August 21, 2025

    Fired Pepsi Driver Accuses Union Of Deficient Representation

    PepsiCo Inc. fired a truck driver without just cause and the driver's union didn't fight hard enough for his reinstatement, the former driver alleged in a new lawsuit against the company and a Teamsters local in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • August 21, 2025

    Minor Leaguers Ask Justices To Kill MLB Antitrust Exemption

    Former players accusing Major League Baseball and its teams of colluding to pay minor leaguers "poverty level" wages are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case and overturn baseball's century-old exemption from antitrust law.

  • August 21, 2025

    HHS Wants Out Of Unions' Suit Over Layoffs, Agency Cuts

    The Department of Health and Human Services fought back against amended claims from several unions over layoff notices and the alleged dismantling of an agency focused on worker safety, telling a D.C. federal judge that the unions are pursuing "judicial overreach" in their suit.

  • August 21, 2025

    Union Says Tribal Ordinance Can't Stop Casino Workers Strike

    A UNITE HERE local asked a California federal judge to deny a Native American casino's bid for an injunction to stop casino workers from striking, saying the tribal ordinance that the casino seeks to invoke doesn't apply.

  • August 20, 2025

    Bakery Wants 11th Circ. To Rehear $15.6M Union Pension Row

    An Eleventh Circuit panel should rethink its split decision to hold a wholesale bakery liable for up to $15.6 million in payments to the union pension fund it withdrew from, the bakery argued Wednesday, saying the case is of great consequence for pension law interpretation and deserves a second look.

  • August 20, 2025

    NAACP, Unions Lose Bid To Stop Education Dept. Closure

    The NAACP and several unions can't halt the Trump administration from shuttering the U.S. Department of Education, a Maryland federal judge ruled, finding the U.S. Supreme Court's stays of lower court orders related to the agency's dismantling indicate the plaintiffs aren't likely to win on their claims.

  • August 20, 2025

    Jury Properly Instructed In AFGE Officer Feud, DC Circ. Says

    An ousted American Federation of Government Employees officer must accept a jury's conclusion that the union lawfully removed him from his position as national secretary-treasurer in 2018, a D.C. Circuit panel said, denying his bid for a new trial.

  • August 20, 2025

    Construction Co. Asks 6th Circ. To Ax NLRB's Contempt Bid

    A construction company challenged the National Labor Relations Board's claim that the business hasn't fully complied with a Sixth Circuit enforcement ruling regarding a union's information request, arguing the board's decision lacked specifics to warrant contempt proceedings.

  • August 20, 2025

    ​​​​​​​Farmworkers Union Can't Halt Latest Prevailing Wages Survey

    A farmworkers union cannot halt the U.S. Department of Labor from replacing 2020 prevailing wages with 2022 wage-survey results, a Washington federal judge ruled, saying the alleged harm is self-inflicted because the later wages were published following the union's actions.

  • August 19, 2025

    Nurses Say They Were Underpaid, Overworked At Hospital

    A Chicagoland hospital network pressured its nurses to work late and through their breaks without pay because it was so understaffed, a group of current and former nurses claimed in Illinois federal court, looking to recoup the pay they say they lost through a wage and hour lawsuit.

  • August 19, 2025

    Nonprofits, Union Fight Withholding Of AmeriCorps Funds

    A group of nonprofits and a union added claims to their suit in Maryland federal court aiming to stop the Trump administration from dismantling AmeriCorps, accusing the Office of Management and Budget of unlawfully withholding millions of dollars appropriated by Congress for grant programs.

  • August 19, 2025

    Mill Owner Must Face USW Arbitration Bid, But Not Parent Co.

    The parent company of a Wisconsin paper mill's owner has escaped the United Steelworkers' claim that it must arbitrate a subcontracting grievance filed against the mill's former owner, with a Wisconsin federal judge ruling that only the current owner needs to deal with the grievance.

  • August 19, 2025

    Alcoa Retirees Ask 7th Circ. To Back Lifetime Benefits Order

    A group of retirees and the United Steelworkers urged the Seventh Circuit not to pause a lower court's order requiring Alcoa USA Corp. to reinstate lifetime access to a healthcare plan, raising concerns about elderly retirees dying and not receiving benefits.

  • August 19, 2025

    Cannabis Store Defends NY Labor Peace Law Challenge

    A cannabis store challenging New York's requirement that marijuana businesses have labor peace agreements with employees asserted on Monday that the state's arguments in favor of the case's dismissal were unavailing.

  • August 19, 2025

    5th Circ. Says NLRB Structure Likely Unconstitutional

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday upheld injunctions barring the National Labor Relations Board from prosecuting unfair labor practice cases against SpaceX and two other companies, saying the removal protections that federal labor law gives board members and agency judges likely violate the U.S. Constitution.

  • August 18, 2025

    Unions Attack Gov't's Bid To Nix Federal Firings Dispute

    Four unions representing federal workers challenged the Trump administration's request to end an amended lawsuit fighting the efforts to downsize the federal workforce, telling a D.C. federal judge that the government is trying to send claims to administrative agencies that are nonfunctional.

  • August 18, 2025

    Respecting Picket Wasn't A Strike, Teamsters Local Tells Court

    Airgas' collective bargaining agreement with a Teamsters local in Allentown, Pennsylvania, protects its workers' right to respect picket lines, the local told a Pennsylvania federal judge Monday, asking him to toss the gas supplier's claim that the workers' refusal to cross a picket line was a strike that violated the contract.

  • August 18, 2025

    Amazon Surveilled Workers At Ky. Air Hub, NLRB Judge Says

    Amazon violated federal labor law by threatening workers and cracking down on union displays in response to an organizing campaign at its Kentucky air hub, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled Monday, saying the company did not have legitimate business reasons for taking the action.

  • August 18, 2025

    AmeriCorps Restores $400M In Slashed Grants, Judge Told

    AmeriCorps told a Maryland federal judge Monday that the agency restored around $400 million in funding to nonprofits canceled under the Trump administration in April, saying the government doesn't plan to ax grants before they end.

  • August 18, 2025

    NorCal Kaiser Health Tech Workers Can Vote On Union

    Six employees who oversee healthcare technology at Kaiser Permanente's Northern California facilities can vote on union representation, a National Labor Relations Board official has said, rejecting the healthcare giant's argument that the cybersecurity aspect of the workers' jobs makes them union-ineligible security guards.

  • August 18, 2025

    Illinois Court Reverses Labor Board In Tuition Waiver Dispute

    An Illinois appellate panel on Friday reversed a labor board's finding that Governors State University failed to bargain over a change to a policy that allowed its union-backed academic employees to complete some classes at participating universities with tuition and fees waived, saying the decision to discontinue those waivers was made by the other schools.

  • August 15, 2025

    NLRB Attys Add To Wells Fargo Case Seeking Cemex Order

    National Labor Relations Board prosecutors amended an unfair labor practice case seeking a Cemex bargaining order against Wells Fargo, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by Law360 on Friday, adding a claim that the bank illegally disciplined a union supporter.

Expert Analysis

  • Corp. Human Rights Regulatory Landscape Is Fragmented

    Author Photo

    Given the complexity of compliance with nations' overlapping human rights laws, multinational companies need to be cognizant of the evolving approaches to modern slavery transparency, and proposals that could reduce mandatory due diligence and reporting requirements, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Forced Labor Bans Hold Steady Amid Shifts In Global Trade

    Author Photo

    As businesses try to navigate shifting regulatory trends affecting human rights and sustainability, forced labor import bans present a zone of relative stability, notwithstanding outstanding questions about the future of enforcement, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Wash. Law Highlights Debate Over Unemployment For Strikers

    Author Photo

    A new Washington state law that will allow strikers to receive unemployment benefits during work stoppages raises questions about whether such laws subsidize disruptions to the economy or whether they are preempted by federal labor law, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Shifting Worker Accommodation Rules

    Author Photo

    Since President Donald Trump took office, many changes have directly affected how employers must address accommodation requests, particularly those concerning pregnancy-related medical conditions and religious beliefs, underscoring the importance of regularly reviewing and updating accommodation policies and procedures, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Performance Review Tips From 'Severance'

    Author Photo

    In the hit series "Severance," the eerie depiction of performance reviews, which drone on for hours and focus on frivolous issues, can instruct employers about best practices to follow and mistakes to avoid when conducting employee evaluations, say Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter at Troutman.

  • High Court Order On Board Firings Is Cold Comfort For Fed

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Trump v. Wilcox order, upholding the firings of two independent agency board members during appeal, raises concerns about the future of removal protections for Federal Reserve System members, and thus the broader politicization of U.S. monetary policy, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • SpaceX Labor Suit May Bring Cosmic Jurisdictional Shifts

    Author Photo

    The National Mediation Board's upcoming decision about whether SpaceX falls under the purview of the National Labor Relations Act or the Railway Labor Act could establish how jurisdictional boundaries are determined for employers that toe the line, with tangible consequences for decades to come, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

    Author Photo

    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Relying On FLSA Regs Amid Repeals

    Author Photo

    Because handbook policies often rely on federal regulations, President Donald Trump's recent actions directing agency heads to repeal "facially unlawful regulations" may leave employers wondering what may change, but they should be mindful that even a repealed regulation may have accurately stated the law, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Deregulation Memo Presents Risks, Opportunities For Cos.

    Author Photo

    A recent Trump administration memo providing direction to agencies tasked with rescinding regulations under an earlier executive order — without undergoing the typical notice-and-review process — will likely create much uncertainty for businesses, though they may be able to engage with agencies to shape the regulatory agenda, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Understanding Compliance Concerns With NY Severance Bill

    Author Photo

    New York's No Severance Ultimatums Act, if enacted, could overhaul how employers manage employee separations, but employers should be mindful that the bill's language introduces ambiguities and raises compliance concerns, say attorneys at Norris McLaughlin.

  • Trump's 1st 100 Days Show That Employers Must Stay Nimble

    Author Photo

    Despite the aggressive pace of the Trump administration, employers must stay abreast of developments, including changes in equal employment opportunity law, while balancing state law considerations where employment regulations are at odds with the evolving federal laws, says Susan Sholinsky at Epstein Becker.