Labor
Republicans Put the Screws to Labor Board
NEWS
The new Republican majority in the Senate is turning up the pressure on the National Labor Relations Board, with a series of hearings and legislative attacks against policies that make it easier for workers to unionize, reports The Hill.
Union Says U.S. Refinery Strike Widened; Cites Unfair Labor Practices
NEWS
The United Steelworkers union said Feb. 7 the strike by U.S. refinery workers is expanding to two more plants early on Sunday due to unfair labor practices by oil companies, reports Reuters.
Union Asks Refinery Workers to Strike After Talks Break Down
NEWS
The United Steelworkers Union called for its refinery workers to stage their largest walkout in more 30 years Sunday, saying its negotiations with Shell Oil Co. broke down less than two weeks after they began, the Associated Press reports.
Ruling May Help Employers Reduce Union Retiree Health Benefits
NEWS
Courts weighing whether union retirees have vested lifetime health-care benefits should apply ordinary contract principles, rather than special inferences or presumptions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, Bloomberg BNA reports.
Supreme Court May Dilute EEOC’s Aggressive Legal Strategy
NEWS
The U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to review whether the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must seek conciliation with employers before suing them for violating federal law, reports Business Insurance.
Franchisors Beware: NLRB Seeking to Super-Size Joint Employer Liability
NEWS
The National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel’s Office has again signaled its commitment to expanding the scope of the current test for joint employment, reports Orrick’s Employment Law and Litigation Blog.
NLRB May Be Preparing Onslaught of Law-Changing Decisions
NEWS
The National Labor Relations Board is getting ready to issue an onslaught of law-changing decisions as we head into the holiday season, predicts The National Law Review.
Employees Can Use Work Email for Union Organizing, Board Rules
NEWS
The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Thursday that employers could not prohibit employees from using their company’s email to communicate and engage in union organizing on their own time.
California Peach Farmer, Union Slug It Out at Hearing
NEWS
An administrative law hearing that could determine whether more than 3,000 workers at the nation’s biggest peach farm are unionized got heated when a lawyer for Gerawan Farming accused the chief prosecutor in the case of playing “hide and seek” with evidence and witnesses.
National Basketball Players Association Names New General Counsel
The National Basketball Association players association has hired Gary Kohlman as its new general counsel, according to a report in The New York Times.
