With the new Biden Administration and Democrats now controlling Congress, employers can expect President Biden to move as quickly as possible to appoint Democratic Members to the NLRB. Currently, the Board has three Republican members, one Democratic member, and one vacancy. President Biden is well positioned to flip the majority composition of the Board by
The End of an Era? NLRB Holds Lawful Employer’s Rules Restricting Employee Communications on Social Media, But This Pro-Employer Result May Be Short-Lived
By: Ashley K. Cano and John P. Phillips
Seyfarth Synopsis: Last week, the NLRB held in a 2-1 decision that an employer’s rules restricting certain types of employee communications on social media were lawful under the NLRA. However, the Board panel was sharply divided between its Republican majority and Lauren McFerran, its sole Democratic member.
Board Clarifies Which “Extraordinary Circumstances” Can Give Rise to Mail Ballot Elections During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Glenn J. Smith and Matthew A. Sloan
On April 1, 2020, after a temporary suspension of elections, the National Labor Relations Board announced that the processing of NLRB-conducted elections would resume again. Since about then, an unprecedented 90% of representation elections conducted have been ordered by Regional directors to be conducted by mail due
NLRB Issues Guidance Memorandum For Conducting Manual Elections Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic
By: Jason J. Silver and Glenn J. Smith
Seyfarth Synopsis: As the COVID-19 virus continues to surge throughout parts of the United States, the General Counsel’s office of the NLRB has issued certain “suggested” safety protocols to allow Regions to conduct manual elections in this unprecedented environment. The suggested safety protocols are likely to receive
NLRB Reinstates Decades-Long Precedent Allowing Employers to Discipline Newly Organized Employees Before a First Contract
By: Jennifer L. Mora
Seyfarth Synopsis: On June 23, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board reversed precedent and held in Care One at New Milford, 369 NLRB No. 109 (2020), that during negotiations for a first collective bargaining agreement, employers do not have a duty to bargain with a union over discipline for
Court Strikes Down Parts of NLRB Representation Election Rules in Eleventh-Hour Decision
Portions of the NLRB’s expansive new representation election rules–scheduled to go into effect on May 31, 2020 following a COVID-19 related delay–were struck down by court order one day prior to becoming effective. On May 30, 2020, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that
The Board Reinstates Dana Corp. Challenges to Voluntary Recognition
By: John P. Phillips
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a continuation of its push to protect employee free choice, the NLRB issued a final rule on April 1 that returns to the Board’s previous Dana Corp. rule. Under Dana Corp., employees may petition the Board for a secret-ballot election within 45 days of an employer’s voluntary
NLRB Issues Much Anticipated Joint Employer Rule Returning to its ”Substantial Direct and Immediate Control” Test and Providing Welcomed Clarity for Contracting Employers
By John Telford
On February 25, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board (the Board”) issued its final rule setting forth the standard for determining joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The new rule effectively overturned the overly-broad joint employer standard announced in the NLRB’s 2015 Browning-Ferris decision, where the Board ruled that
BLS Reports More Strikes in 2019
By: Seyfarth Synopsis: As the BLS reported more strikes in 2019, employers going into bargaining in 2020 should really consider preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its annual report of “major work stoppages” in 2019 and the data shows there were 25
NLRB Adopts “Contract Coverage” Standard, Making it Easier for Employers to Make Unilateral Changes Under their Collective Bargaining Agreements
By: Molly Clayton Mooney, Esq.
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 10, in a 3-1 decision, the NLRB in MV Transportation, Inc., 368 NLRB No. 66 (Sept. 10, 2019), adopted the “contract coverage” standard in replacement for its previous “clear and unmistakable waiver” standard for determining when a collective bargaining agreement allows an employer to take unilateral