Posts tagged National Labor Relations Board
Labor Watch: St. John’s Sues New York, Suit Against Rutgers Unions Dismissed
July 6, 2026 // The bargaining rights of faculty at religious colleges have fluctuated in recent years. The Trump-appointed National Labor Relations Board decided in 2020 that religious institutions are exempt from its jurisdiction, reversing an Obama-era precedent that determined employees who do not perform religious work at religious institutions, like faculty members, can unionize. However, religious institutions have always been able to voluntarily recognize and bargain with faculty unions, as St. John’s did in 1970 when both its American Association of University Professors chapter and Faculty Association union were formed.
Op-ed: Labor Board Must Fix Blocking Charges to Protect Employee Choice
June 17, 2026 // When employees sought representation, the NLRB emphasized speed to capture employee sentiment before it dissipated. But when employees sought to remove or test support for an incumbent union, blocking charges made by the union could postpone a vote for years while allegations, valid or not, are investigated, tried, appealed, or supplemented by new charges. That asymmetry is difficult to square with the act’s protection of a two-way street. Changes in neither 2020 nor 2024 produced a system that reliably safeguards employee free choice. The current NLRB can fix this long-standing problem by closing loopholes, ensuring employees can vote promptly, and taking responsibility for decisions that prevent ballots from being counted.
Grand Canyon National Park employees move to unionize
November 26, 2025 // Employees at Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton national parks also planned to file to unionize Monday, along with workers at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the National Park Service’s Denver Regional Office. Over the summer, staff at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings national parks moved forward with their own unions.
Production Assistants Working on Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’ File For Union Election
November 21, 2025 // This is the latest organizing move from Production Assistants United, which has organized six productions in three months, including The Pitt and Abbott Elementary. The Pitt voted to unionize in September, becoming the first major TV production where production assistants and assistants had done so. With the reopening of the federal government, Production Assistants United plans on refiling with the NLRB for union elections across several shows and eyeing an upcoming filing for a Universal show.
Teamsters turn their back on Kamala Harris
September 22, 2024 // For the first time in decades, the American union has not endorsed the Democrats.
Is It Really About Employee Voices? The National Labor Relations Board Continues its Union-Friendly Trend
August 7, 2024 // The new regulations also contain a revision that will affect construction companies. Under the NLRA, an employer cannot recognize and bargain with a union lest the union has demonstrated that it represents a majority of the employees (through cards or an election, as noted above). Section 8(f) of the NLRA provides a limited exception to this rule, and it applies solely to the construction industry. Under Section 8(f), a construction industry employer can enter into a "pre-hire" agreement with a union and negotiate employment terms regardless of whether the employees support the union. Prior to 2020, the Board allowed an employer and union to convert an "8(f) agreement" into a normal collective bargaining agreement simply by stating that the union had demonstrated majority support to the employer. That language was sufficient to block a decertification petition or petition from a rival union during the so-called "contract bar" period (the term of the labor agreement, up to three years). No evidence would be examined to attack the contract language – this provision was enough.
Op-Ed: Rep. Tim Walberg and Vinnie Vernuccio: Republicans must give workers a voice
August 2, 2024 // Union organizers can easily abuse this system, focusing on a small number of workers who can ensure a union victory. Trader Joe’s employee Michael Alcorn testified before Congress in May that “after an organizer realized I wasn’t on board, they told me that they couldn’t answer any more questions and were going to devote their attention to those who would help them ‘win.’” Alcorn also said an NLRB agent told him that “it makes sense that the organizers would only talk to people who already support the union.” Under current law, that smaller number of workers can ensure a union victory if they’re the only ones who vote.
Eureka Walmart denies union busting in response to labor board complaint
February 20, 2024 // The NLRB and Walmart — the nation’s largest private employer — are scheduled for a hearing before an administrative law judge on May 14, but they could discuss a possible settlement prior to the hearing. “The Complaint fails, in whole or in part, because even if any of the alleged conduct is found to be violation of the Act, which it is not, Walmart effectively repudiated any such conduct,” Walmart’s answer said.
Dartmouth Basketball Players can now Unionize
February 8, 2024 // The players were ruled to be employees of the school, meaning they can unionize. Not only will the players be able to negotiate their salaries, but also their practice hours and when they will travel to and from games. However, this would go against the NCAA’s amateurism rule, which states that athletes can not be compensated for competing in college athletics unless the money they receive is from scholarships and expenses. The problem is that Ivy League schools do not award scholarships for athletics meaning the Dartmouth men’s basketball team are essentially playing for free. Another problem is that these athletes are being overworked. According to the players, they testified that they were spending over 40 hours a week playing basketball. The NCAA only allows teams to practice 20 hours a week.
NLRB seeks to force Trader Joe’s to reopen New York wine store
January 25, 2024 // The NLRB said its general counsel is seeking remedies including compelling Trader Joe’s to reopen the store, which was located in New York City’s Union Square neighborhood and closed in 2022, and “make-whole relief” for its workers. The NLRB intends to encourage the union and Trader Joe’s to reach a settlement and has scheduled a hearing before an administrative law judge starting on May 7. Either party could appeal the judge’s decision to the board and ultimately to a federal appeals court. The UFCW hailed the NLRB’s decision to file the complaint as a victory for Trader Joe’s workers in their effort to gain leverage against Trader Joe’s.