On May 19, 2025, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (“SAG-AFTRA”)—the union representing actors, voice artists, and other media professionals—filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions, a subsidiary of Epic Games, over the use of an AI-generated voice for Darth Vader in Fortnite. The
Oregon’s Cannabis Labor Peace Law Struck Down
On May 20, 2025, a federal district court in Oregon issued a landmark decision invalidating Measure 119, also known as the United for Cannabis Workers Act. This law, approved by Oregon voters in November 2024 and effective as of December 2024, required all state-licensed cannabis businesses to enter into labor
NLRB Releases FY 2026 Budget: Proposed Staffing Cuts and Focus on Efficiency and IT Modernization
Amidst ongoing transitions—with the Board operating with a quorum and the President’s nominee for General Counsel pending Senate confirmation—the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) released its Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2026 Budget Justification on May 23, 2025. The proposed budget requests $285.2 million, a 4.7% ($14 million) decrease
NLRB Stalemate Continues: Supreme Court Keeps Wilcox Sidelined For Now
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision granting President Trump’s emergency application to stay D.C. Circuit Court orders that reinstated National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) member Gwynne A. Wilcox and Merit Systems Protection Board (“MSPB”) member Cathy A. Harris. This stay will remain in effect while
NLRB Pulls a U-Turn on Remedial Relief in Settlement Agreements: New GC Issues Guidance Encouraging Efforts at Settlement
On May 16, 2025, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) Acting General Counsel, William B. Cowen, issued Memorandum GC 25-06, titled “Seeking Remedial Relief in Settlement Agreements,” that significantly loosens the requirements before NLRB Regions to approve settlements of unfair labor practice charges.
The Memorandum comes on the heels
D.C. Circuit Erases NLRB Joint Employer Order After Google-Cognizant Contract Lapses
The D.C. Circuit’s April 22, 2025 decision offers an important lesson on joint-employer cases under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA” or “Act”): without an ongoing contractual relationship, the dispute can vanish in a puff of mootness.
Google contracted with Cognizant Technology Solutions (“Cognizant”) in 2019 to provide services through
On The Rise: Union Representation Petitions Increase by 27% Over the Last Year
On October 14, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) issued a press release confirming the continued increase in union organizing efforts. While the NLRB did not attribute any particular reason for the upward trajectory in petition filings, this trend, which has sharply risen over the last
NLRB GC Abruzzo Issues Memo Calling for Harsher Remedies for Noncompetes and Stay or Pay Provisions That Violate the NLRA
On October 7, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB” or the “Board”) General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, released MEMORANDUM GC 25-01, titled “Remedying the Harmful Effects of Non-Compete and “Stay-or-Pay” Provisions that Violate the National Labor Relations Act.” GC Abruzzo states in the memo that she intends to urge