Posts tagged National Football League Players Association
NFLPA lawyer Heather McPhee sues union for alleged retaliation
December 22, 2025 // Heather McPhee, the NFLPA's associate general counsel since 2009, accuses top union executives and former executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. of illegal misconduct, sex discrimination, breach of fiduciary duty and retaliation as she prepared to become the star witness in a yearlong criminal inquiry, according to the lawsuit. McPhee says she was placed on paid administrative leave for alleged workplace "misconduct" in August because she had repeatedly raised legal concerns about union leaders' decisions and to stop her from testifying before a federal grand jury investigating the NFLPA and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Starbucks, union in legal battle over pro-Palestinian social media post
October 19, 2023 // Starbucks sued Workers United in federal court in Iowa Wednesday, saying a pro-Palestinian social media post from a union account early in the Israel-Hamas war angered hundreds of customers and damaged its reputation. Starbucks is suing for trademark infringement, demanding that Workers United stop using the name "Starbucks Workers United" for the group that is organizing the coffee company's workers. Starbucks also wants the group to stop using a circular green logo that resembles Starbucks' logo. Workers United responded with its own filing, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue to use Starbucks' name and a similar logo. Workers United also said Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence.
Labor lobbies up
February 15, 2022 // Nicole Brener-Schmitz, the former Teamsters lobbyist and NARAL political director, has registered to lobby for the Communications Workers of America on a range of issues that includes Democrats’ landmark labor overhaul, the PRO Act; the bipartisan infrastructure bill; congressional Democrats’ voting rights bills; the offshoring of call center jobs; union rights for state and local government workers; and paid leave. CWA also retains Emmer Consulting.