Labor

Expert Analysis

• Novel NLRB Action Highlights Aggressive Noncompete Stance

  

  While a first-of-its-kind noncompete complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board general counsel against a Michigan cannabis processor recently resulted in a private settlement, the action shows how broadly the general counsel views her authority over such covenants and how vigorously she intends to exercise it, say Erik Weibust and Erin Schaefer at Epstein Becker.

• New NLRB Bench Book Is An Important Read For Practitioners

  

  Though the National Labor Relations Board's Bench Book is aimed at administrative law judges who adjudicate unfair labor practice hearings, key updates in its 2023 edition offer crucial reading for anyone who handles charges before the agency, say David Pryzbylski and Thomas Payne at Barnes & Thornburg.

• Eye On Compliance: An NLRB Primer For Private Employers

  

  Many employers, especially those with nonunionized workforces, may not realize they are subject to federal labor law, but with a recent flurry of precedent-changing rulings from the National Labor Relations, understanding how to comply with the National Labor Relations Act may now be more important than ever, says Bruno Katz at Wilson Elser.

• NBA Players Must Avoid Legal Fouls In CBD Deals

  

  The NBA’s recently ratified collective bargaining agreement allows athletes to promote CBD brands and products, but athletes and the companies they promote must be cautious of a complex patchwork of applicable state laws and federal regulators’ approach to advertising claims, says Airina Rodrigues at Brownstein Hyatt.

• Labor Law Lessons From NLRB Judge's Bargaining Order

  

  A National Labor Relations Board judge’s recent decision to issue a so-called Gissel bargaining order against IBN Construction is a reminder that a company’s unfair labor practices may not just result in traditional remedies, but could also lead to union certification, says Andrew MacDonald at Fox Rothschild.

• PGA, LIV Tie-Up Might Foreshadow Future Of Women's Soccer

  

  The pending merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf is entirely consistent with the history of American professional sports leagues that faced upstart competitors, and is a warning about the forthcoming competition between the National Women's Soccer League and the USL Super League, says Christopher Deubert at Constangy Brooks.

• NLRB's Stricter Contractor Test May Bring Organizing Risks

  

  The National Labor Relations Board’s recent Atlanta Opera decision adds another layer of complexity to the legal tests for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee, and could create new risks of union organizing and unfair labor practice charges for companies, say Robert Lian and James Crowley at Akin.

• Water Cooler Talk: Office Drug Abuse Insights From 'Industry'

  

  Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Squarespace general counsel Larissa Boz about how employees in the Max TV show "Industry" abuse drugs and alcohol to cope with their high-pressure jobs, and discuss managerial and drug testing best practices for addressing suspected substance use at work.

• A Look At 2023's Major NLRB Developments Thus Far

  

  Over the last six months, the National Labor Relations Board has broadened its interpretation and enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act, including increasing penalties and efforts to prohibit restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements, say Eve Klein and Elizabeth Mincer at Duane Morris.

• What 3rd Circ. Niaspan Decision Means For Class Cert.

  

  The Third Circuit's recent denial of class certification in the Niaspan antitrust case underscores its particularly stringent understanding of the implicit ascertainability requirement, which further fuels confusion in the courts, threatens uneven results and increases the risk of forum shopping, says Michael Lazaroff at Rimon Law.

• 2 Steps To Improve Arbitrator Diversity In Employment Cases

  

  There are prevalent obstacles in improving diversity among arbitrator ranks, but in the realm of employment-related disputes, there are two action items practitioners should consider to close the race and gender gap, say Todd Lyon and Carola Murguia at Fisher Phillips.

• Cos. Should Consider Virtual Bargaining To Show Good Faith

  

  Though the National Labor Relations Board recently determined that a Starbucks union's insistence on hybrid meetings was not an attempt to stall negotiations, the board’s lack of a formal decision on when virtual bargaining might be warranted should warn employers to stay flexible about how they come to the table, says Brandon Shemtob at Stevens & Lee.

• Employers Must Beware NLRB Noncompete Stance

  

  The National Labor Relations Board general counsel’s position that overly broad noncompete agreements could violate federal labor means employers should weigh the potential risks before offering such agreements, even though this issue has yet to come before the board for decision, says Samantha Buddig at Laner Muchin.