Labor

  • June 02, 2026

    DOL Alternative Investing Pitch Draws Nearly 50K Comments

    A U.S. Department of Labor proposal to expand retirement plans' access to alternative investments, such as private equity and digital assets, garnered over 47,000 comments, with investment industry groups seeking minor changes while Democratic attorneys general, unions and other critics warned that protections for savers could be weakened.

  • June 02, 2026

    Union Seeks To Enforce Space Needle Worker's Rehire Win

    A UNITE HERE local has asked a Washington federal court to enforce an arbitration award ordering the operator of Seattle's Space Needle to reinstate a fired worker, arguing that the company has failed to establish a basis for vacating the award.

  • June 02, 2026

    Feds Argue NASA Union Local Can't Halt Library Shutdown

    The union local representing workers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland shouldn't be allowed to join its parent union's lawsuit against the Trump administration, the administration is arguing, asking a D.C. federal judge to deny the local's attempt to intervene to save a NASA library.

  • June 02, 2026

    Biz Bribed Workers Ahead Of Union Rebuke, GC Argues

    A military communications contractor dangled schedule changes to entice workers to dissolve their union before relying on their tainted petition to call off contract talks, National Labor Relations Board prosecutors told an agency judge.

  • June 02, 2026

    Chicago Eatery Closure Case Can Continue, NLRB Says

    The owner of a shuttered Chicago restaurant responded to an unfair labor practice complaint against the restaurant, so the case against the establishment can continue even though the restaurant itself didn't respond, the National Labor Relations Board said, denying agency prosecutors' motion for default judgment.

  • June 02, 2026

    USC Fights Union Vote For Faculty Without Tenure

    The University of Southern California has urged the National Labor Relations Board to review a decision approving a representation election for faculty members who aren't on track for tenure, arguing that the more than 2,750 workers in the proposed bargaining unit are managers under federal labor law.

  • June 01, 2026

    NLRB Judge Axes Challenge To Starbucks' Seattle Cafe Merger

    Starbucks merged three cafes at Seattle's Pike Place Market into one entity to keep up with changes at the market, not because the company wanted to thwart a union drive, a National Labor Relations Board judge has ruled, dismissing an unfair labor practice complaint against the company.

  • June 01, 2026

    NLRB Upholds Texas Dental Office's Loss In Firing Case

    A Texas dental office must rehire a front desk employee whom it fired after she raised workplace concerns, but it doesn't have to apologize to the worker or verbally notify its staff that it lost its National Labor Relations Board case, the NLRB ruled Monday.

  • June 01, 2026

    Waste Co. Could Withhold Bargaining Notes, Split NLRB Says

    The National Labor Relations Board on Monday stood by its view that collective bargaining partners may generally refuse demands for their notes of negotiations, rejecting a lingering initiative of the former general counsel.

  • June 01, 2026

    H-2A Farmworker Seeks To Block NY Union Contract

    A farmworker has asked a New York federal judge to block the state from imposing a union contract on him and his co-workers, saying the contract adopted under a state agricultural labor law violates his constitutional rights and is preempted by federal immigration law.

  • June 01, 2026

    DOL Finalizes Union Financial Disclosure Rule With New Form

    The U.S. Department of Labor has finalized a rule that makes changes to its financial reporting requirements for labor unions, including adopting a new form imposing more specific disclosures on large unions.

  • June 01, 2026

    5th Circ. Judge Asks Starbucks Why Co. Doesn't Want Unions

    A Fifth Circuit judge probed Starbucks' labor philosophy Monday in its appeal of a National Labor Relations Board ruling that it stifled workers' rights in a smothering response to an organizing explosion in upstate New York five years ago, asking the company's attorney why it doesn't want unions.

  • June 01, 2026

    Amazon Illegally Fired Union Backer, NLRB Judge Says

    Amazon unlawfully interrogated employees and fired a union supporter at a San Francisco warehouse after the workers began organizing with the Teamsters, a National Labor Relations Board judge has ruled, but tossed other claims alleging the company ran afoul of federal labor law.

  • May 29, 2026

    Clock Ticking On NLRB's Thryv Standard Amid Circuit Split

    Federal appeals courts have split on the legality of the National Labor Relations Board's 2022 precedent change expanding the payments it will order employers to make to victims of unfair labor practices, though it is unclear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in before the board's Republican majority reverses the change.

  • May 29, 2026

    Hospital Already Satisfied SEIU Drug Test Award, Judge Says

    An Ohio federal judge tossed a Service Employees International Union affiliate's bid to confirm an arbitration award against a Cleveland hospital Friday, saying the hospital already complied with the award by expunging discipline from a worker's record.

  • May 29, 2026

    7th Circ. Backs Pension Fund's Power To Expel Penske Unit

    The Seventh Circuit ruled Friday that a Teamsters pension fund didn't overstep when it tried to kick out a Penske bargaining unit in Dallas, finding it was reasonable for plan trustees to conclude the agreement with the company allowed it to expel the unit.

  • May 29, 2026

    USW Can't Block Retiree Healthcare Shift, Pa. Judge Says

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has rejected the United Steelworkers' bid to block materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain from changing union retirees' healthcare benefits, ruling that the union fell short in proving its members would suffer irreparable harm if the changes are made before the parties have finished arbitrating them.

  • May 29, 2026

    Mich. Plumbing Co. Hit With Overtime, Retaliation Suit

    Three plumbers have sued a Michigan plumbing company and its owner, claiming they were wrongly denied overtime pay and fired after one worker contacted the U.S. Department of Labor about the company's pay practices. 

  • May 29, 2026

    Feds Say New Yorkers Lack Standing In ICE Arrest Suit

    The Trump administration urged a New York federal court to dismiss a proposed class action accusing it of making unlawful warrantless immigration arrests, arguing Friday the plaintiffs lack standing because they haven't been detained again, nor shown they will be.

  • May 29, 2026

    Md. Clinic Can't Stop Union Vote Over Adventist Affiliation

    The National Labor Relations Board declined on Friday to hear a Maryland behavorial health clinic's religious exemption challenge to a union election, with NLRB member David Prouty writing in a concurrence that there is a "compelling governmental interest" in applying federal labor law to the religiously affiliated facility.

  • May 29, 2026

    UAW, Auto Parts Maker Escape Race Discrimination Suit

    The United Auto Workers and an auto parts manufacturer defeated a Black former forklift driver's lawsuit alleging his union failed to adequately represent him when he was fired for complaining that a white colleague used a racial slur, with an Ohio federal judge ruling he filed his claims too late.

  • May 29, 2026

    Teamsters Decry Amazon's 'Sweetheart Deal' In NLRB Appeal

    The Teamsters urged the National Labor Relations Board to reverse a judge's decision to let prosecutors end a case asserting Amazon jointly employed the workers of a unionized delivery contractor, calling the deal an "affront to the National Labor Relations Act."

  • May 29, 2026

    Calif. Forecast: Phillips 66 Seeks Toss Of Standby Shifts Suit

    In the week ahead, attorneys should watch for a motion to dismiss hearing in a proposed wage and hour class action against oil refinery company Phillips 66. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • May 29, 2026

    NLRB Upholds Ruling Against W.Va. Co. Over Worker Layoffs

    A National Labor Relations Board judge correctly held a West Virginia construction company responsible for a labor law violation for laying off an electrician who complained about his paycheck and another who confronted a superintendent who came to work with COVID-19, the board ruled, affirming the judge's order.

  • May 28, 2026

    Mass. Gig Union Approval Tees Up First-Of-Its-Kind Campaign

    Massachusetts' landmark certification of a bargaining unit comprising the state's nearly 70,000 rideshare drivers has set the stage for a closely watched contract campaign without direct precedent in U.S. labor history.

Expert Analysis

  • Timing Of An NLRB Power Shift Hinges On Biden Nominees

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    President-elect Donald Trump seems certain to shake up the National Labor Relations Board's prounion Democrat majority, but the incoming president's timing depends on whether the current Senate confirms two pending nominees to board positions, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.

  • 5 Tips For Complying With NLRB Captive Audience Ban

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recently ruled that so-called captive audience meetings violate federal labor law, representing a radical shift in precedent and creating new standards for employers to follow when holding workplace meetings where union representation will be discussed, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • Expect More State-Level Scrutiny Of Noncompetes Ahead

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    Despite the nationwide injunction against the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete ban, and the incoming Republican administration, employers should anticipate that state legislatures will continue to focus on laws that limit or ban noncompetes, including those that target certain salary thresholds or industries, says Benjamin Fryer at FordHarrison.

  • NYC Hotel Licensing Law's Costs May Outweigh Its Benefits

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    A hotel licensing bill recently approved by New York's City Council could lead to the loss of many nonunionized hotels that cannot afford to comply, says Stuart Saft at Holland & Knight.

  • How The Presidential Election Will Affect Workplace AI Regs

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    The U.S. has so far adopted a light-handed approach to regulating artificial intelligence in the labor and employment area, but the presidential election is unlikely to have as dramatic of an effect on AI regulations as it may on other labor and employment matters, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 8 Phrases Employers May Hear This Election Season

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    From sentiments about the First Amendment to questions about political paraphernalia, attorneys at Venable discuss several scenarios related to politics and voting that may arise in the workplace as election season comes to a head, and share guidance for handling each.

  • Inside FTC's Decision To Exit Key Merger Review Labor Memo

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    Despite the Federal Trade Commission's recent withdrawal from a multiagency memorandum of understanding to step up enforcement of labor issues in merger investigations, the antitrust agencies aren't likely to give up their labor market focus, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Insights From Calif. Public Labor Board's Strike Rights Ruling

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    The California Public Employment Relations Board's recent rejection of a school district's claim that public employees have no right to conduct unfair labor practice strikes signals its interest in fortifying this central labor right — and warns employers to approach potentially protected behavior with caution, say attorneys at Atkinson Andelson.

  • Insurance Considerations For Cos. That May Face Strikes

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    The recent surge in major work stoppages in the U.S. highlights the growing importance of strike preparedness for businesses, which includes understanding strike insurance coverage options, say Chris D’Amour and Brooke Duncan at Adams and Reese.

  • It's Time To Sound The Alarm About Lost Labor Rights

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    In the Fifth Circuit, recent rulings from judges appointed by former President Donald Trump have dismantled workers’ core labor rights, a troubling trend that we cannot risk extending under another Trump administration, say Sharon Block and Raj Nayak at the Center for Labor and a Just Economy.

  • Insights On NLRB General Counsel's New 'Stay-Or-Pay' Memo

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    Attorneys at Davis Wright discuss the National Labor Relations Board general counsel's new memorandum on employer “stay-or-pay” policies and noncompete agreements, and explain key takeaways concerning the proposed financial remedies, prosecution framework and more.

  • Review Shipping Terms In Light Of These 3 Global Challenges

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    Given tensions in the Middle East, labor unrest at U.S. ports and the ongoing consequences of climate change, parties involved in maritime shipping must understand the relevant contract provisions and laws that may be implicated during supply chain disruptions in order to mitigate risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Politics In California Workplaces: What Employers Must Know

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    As the election looms, it is critical that California employers ensure their compliance with state laws providing robust protections for employees' political activity — including antidiscrimination laws, off-duty conduct laws, employee voting leave laws and more, say Bradford Kelley and Britney Torres at Littler.

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