Labor Relations Update

Category Archives: Section 7

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Are Charter Schools Covered by the National Labor Relations Act? NLRB to Reconsider Its Jurisdiction over Charter Schools

By Mark Theodore, Joshua Fox and Austin McLeod on Posted in Bargaining units, Decertification elections, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7
On February 4, the NLRB granted United Federation of Teachers, Local 2, AFT, AFL-CIO’s (the “Union”) request for review of the Regional Director’s Decision and Direction of Election concerning a decertification petition filed by several teachers at a charter school.  In so doing, the Board invited filing of briefs regarding whether the Board should decline … Continue Reading

Employee’s Complaint About Low Tippers Not Protected Concerted Activity, NLRB Majority Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The right of employees to band together for purposes of bringing grievances to their employer is at the very core of the National Labor Relations Act, as embodied in Section 7. This right is called protected concerted activity.  In order to determine whether an employee is, in fact, engaged in protected concerted activity, it is necessary to … Continue Reading

Another Obama-Board Decision Overturned: NLRB Reverts to Traditional Common-Law Agency Independent-Contractor Test and Foreshadows Potential Rulemaking

By Joshua Fox, Meika Freeman and Michael Lebowich on Posted in Collective Bargaining, NLRA, NLRB, Rulemaking, Section 7
On January 25, 2019, in a long-anticipated decision, the NLRB overturned another Obama-Board decision, FedEx Home Delivery, 361 NLRB 610 (2014), which modified the test for whether an individual is an “employee” or an independent contractor under the NLRA (read about that decision here).  The Board, in a 3-1 decision (Chairman Ring and Members Kaplan … Continue Reading

Employer’s Litigation Hold Not Unlawful, NLRB Division of Advice Concludes

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Employer policies, Handbook, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized
Last year about this time, the NLRB changed the standard for reviewing handbook rules.  The new standard takes into consideration the fact  there are many other interests other than the NLRA at play in a workplace, and seems to have quieted the frenzied scrutiny of employer policies. Over the years, the heightened scrutiny of employer policies has resulted in … Continue Reading

NLRB Finds Employer Effectively Repudiated Unlawful Handbook Rule…and RecusalGate Continues

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Employer policies, Handbook, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Solicitation, Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The Board issued an interesting decision discussing an employer’s successful efforts to repudiate unlawful conduct, which we’ll get to in a minute.  In our last post, we discussed a simmering dispute over the circumstances which an NLRB member must recuse himself or herself.  This issue, we’ll call it Recusalgate,  has taken an interesting turn.  In ADI … Continue Reading

You’ve Got Mail: NLRB Requests Briefing on Standard for Employee Use of Employer Owned Electronic Communication Systems

By Michael Lebowich and Jordan Simon on Posted in Confidentiality, Email, Employer policies, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Social Media
In what could signify the beginning of the end for Purple Communications, Inc., 361 NLRB 1050 (2014) and guaranteed employee access to Employer computer systems for union organizing purposes, the NLRB issued a notice on August 1 inviting the filing of briefs on whether the Board should uphold, modify or overrule the decision.  Under Purple … Continue Reading

NLRB General Counsel Issues Handbook on Handbook Rules

By Michael Lebowich, Joshua Fox and Jay M. Cohen on Posted in Advice, General Counsel, Handbook, NLRA, NLRB, Non-Union employers, Section 7, Uncategorized
Following up on the NLRB’s decision in The Boeing Company, 365 NLRB No. 154 (Dec. 14, 2017), on June 6, NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb issued a new Guidance Memorandum (18-04) detailing how NLRB Regional Offices receiving claims of improper employment policies are to interpret employer workplace rules. As we reported this past December (here), … Continue Reading

Thorough Employer Investigation Helps Establish Employer’s “Honest Belief” of Employees’ Picket Line Misconduct

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Collective Bargaining, General Counsel, Investigations, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Strikes, Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The Board is now operating at a full complement and is issuing decisions on a fairly regular basis.  Nothing earth shattering in terms of law (which is kind of a relief) but there are some interesting issues worth discussing.  A frequent topic of discussion here is the often blurry line between what constitutes “protected” versus … Continue Reading

Here We Go: The Full Board Finally Starts to Make Its Mark

By Michael Lebowich and Joshua Fox on Posted in Employer policies, Handbook, Joint Employer, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Unfair Labor Practices
 NLRB Reverses Precedent on Joint Employer Liability and Standard Governing Employee Handbooks This afternoon, just two days prior to the end of Chairman Philip Miscimarra’s term, the NLRB issued a pair of 3-2 decisions overruling significant precedent regarding joint-employer status and the legal standard governing whether workplace rules violate the exercise of Section 7 rights … Continue Reading

Pair of NLRB ALJ Decisions Find Unions Violated NLRA

By Mark Theodore on Posted in NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Right To Work Laws, Section 7, Section 8(b)(1)(A), Uncategorized
It is mid-November, and the Board is at a full complement, and even has a new General Counsel.  While we haven’t seen anything significant (or really, anything at all) come out of the newly constituted Board we know the new members are feverishly working on getting some decisions out.  The full complement of the Board will last only a few … Continue Reading

NLRB’s Attempt To Incrementally Expand Weingarten Rights Rebuffed By Federal Appeals Court

By Mark Theodore on Posted in General Counsel, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices, Workplace Investigations
The NLRB suffered a setback this week when its interpretation of Weingarten rights was rebuffed by the D.C. Court of Appeals.  This is the same court that recently declared the agency was acting more as an “advocate than adjudicator” in a case involving access to an employer’s premises. Weingarten, which derives its name from the United … Continue Reading

Divided NLRB Rules Employer Policy Protecting Customer Information Is Lawful

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Confidentiality, Employer policies, General Counsel, Handbook, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized
Employers can prohibit the use by employees of the names, social security numbers and credit card numbers of customers in furtherance of organizational activities.  If this seems like it should have been a foregone conclusion, a recent case from the NLRB shows how the agency’s continued parsing of employer policies could easily have turned this notion on its … Continue Reading

Two Employees, Social Media, An Unlawful Policy. . .What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

By Mark Theodore on Posted in General Counsel, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Unfair Labor Practices
The advent of social media resulted in a feverish effort by the NLRB to keep up with new technology.  In reality, the legal standard for evaluating whether conduct is protected concerted activity did not change.  Rather, all the excitement was over the fact employees were being punished for things they said on social media, which was … Continue Reading

Employer’s Asking Employee “How Things Are Going?,” Prelude to Unlawful Solicitation of Grievances, Board Majority Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
We are on the verge of the Board majority changing for the first time in approximately a decade. The President’s two appointees, if confirmed, will bring the Board up to a full five members.  After the new members are seated we likely will see big changes to the law.  In the meantime, the Board continues to … Continue Reading

NLRB Settlements Can Be Tricky, Especially If You Don’t Inform The Agency

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Email, General Counsel, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The last few decisions issued by the NLRB have addressed a wide spectrum of rather unique situations.  Just in the last several days we saw decisions involving a combative registered nurse and a human resources representative threatening unionization.  So, perhaps, one of the Board’s most recent decisions is not all that unusual….it simply involves a case … Continue Reading

Union Adherent’s Antics Not Protected By Act, NLRB Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Bargaining units, Collective Bargaining, General Counsel, Healthcare Employers, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Section 8(a)(5), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The NLRB recently issued a rare decision completely dismissing all allegations against an employer; rarer still because it was unanimous.  In Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital, 365 NLRB No. 79 (May 15, 2017) the NLRB was confronted with a situation where an employee-union adherent engaged in behavior ultimately found to be inappropriate and unprotected. The employer, a … Continue Reading

NLRB GC’s Attempt At Summary Judgment In Handbook Case Rejected By NLRB Majority

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Due Process, Employer policies, General Counsel, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The change in a presidential administration always brings changes to government agencies, including the NLRB, as new appointments are made reflecting the policy preferences of the administration.  The NLRB is not immune to this change and it has been historical practice for the president to appoint three members from the party of the administration and … Continue Reading

Employer’s Interview Of Employees During Defense Of Unfair Labor Practice Violates Act, NLRB Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in General Counsel, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Unfair Labor Practices
We already know that when it comes to the NLRB there already are several actions an employer can take that violate the NLRA, even though such actions would be perfectly acceptable under any other employment law.  And sometimes the actions are deemed unlawful even when they are not directly related to the NLRA.  Thus, we’ve … Continue Reading

Non-Compete Agreement A Mandatory Subject of Bargaining, NLRB Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Collective Bargaining, Confidentiality, Employer policies, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Section 8(a)(5), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
The first day of employment is often chaotic.  New employees must learn their way around the jobsite, meet (and remember the names of) many new people and otherwise familiarize themselves with working at a new job.  Oh, and there’s the paperwork.  Seemingly endless mounds of paperwork.  New employees are asked to sign a multitude of documents … Continue Reading

Recent NLRB Decision A Reminder That NLRA Can Protect Actions Of A Single Employee

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Collective Bargaining, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices
So far, it has been a long quiet Summer with little NLRB activity, – with the exception of the recent ruling that temporary agency employees can be part of a bargaining unit with the principal employer’s employees, of course.  More change may be coming, though.  The end of the NLRB’s fiscal year is September 30 and … Continue Reading

NLRB Refuses to Approve Withdrawal of Charges Despite Settlement of Class Action Case

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Arbitration, Employer policies, Handbook, NLRA, NLRB, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized
We know that, among many other common employer policies, the NLRB considers many mandatory arbitration agreements to be unlawful, particularly where they prohibit class or collective actions.  See Murphy Oil USA, Inc., 361 NLRB No. 72 (2014).  Unlike a more run of the mill handbook violation where the government seeks removal or modification of the policy, an … Continue Reading

Union Represented Employee Not Entitled To Co-Worker Witness During Investigatory Interview, NLRB Rules

By Mark Theodore on Posted in General Counsel, Investigations, Mandatory submissions, NLRA, NLRB, Non-Union employers, Protected activity, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices, Workplace Investigations
The last few months at the NLRB have been relatively quiet, save of course for the ambush election rules which went into effect on April 15; the true impact of these rules has yet to be revealed.  Many of the recent Board cases involve correcting decisions that were  invalidated by the Supreme Court in its Noel Canning recess appointment decision. … Continue Reading

Search Of Company Vehicle Not Employee Interview Triggering Weingarten Rights, NLRB Division of Advice

By Mark Theodore on Posted in Advice, Investigations, Investigations, NLRA, NLRB, Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Uncategorized, Unfair Labor Practices, Workplace Investigations
The scope of a union-represented employee’s right to have a union representative present during an investigatory interview is one of the more interesting areas of labor law.  Even though most people who practice labor relations know the basics of the so-called Weingarten rights, the same types of questions continue to arise because there are an … Continue Reading

NLRB Divides Sharply on Employee Concerted Activity for “Mutual Aid or Protection”

By Ronald Meisburg on Posted in NLRA, Protected activity, Section 7, Uncategorized, Workplace Investigations
In a complex, twenty-eight page opinion, a sharply divided NLRB has ruled that when an individual employee seeks assistance from fellow employees with respect to a violation under Title VII (or other workplace laws), the action is not only concerted but also presumptively for the purpose of mutual aid or protection, and thereby also covered … Continue Reading
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