On May 9, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint alleging that Hispanics United, a Buffalo non-profit that provides social services to low-income clients, violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it fired five employees after they used Facebook to criticize working conditions. This complaint comes on the heels of two
Employee’s post-termination blog postings do not preclude reinstatement.
Last month, employers’ attention was focused on the settlement of a matter in which the NLRB originally had announced plans to prosecute a complaint brought by its Connecticut regional office regarding the termination of a union member/employee who had posted negative remarks about her supervisor and her employer on her personal Facebook page. The employee…
NLRB complaint based upon Facebook posts as “concerted activity” is settled prior to hearing.
In November 2010, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced its plans to prosecute a complaint issued by a Connecticut regional office regarding the termination of a union member/employee who posted negative remarks about her supervisor on her personal Facebook page. The complaint alleged that the employer, an ambulance service, maintained and enforced overly broad…
Supervisor has a viable claim under the NLRA when terminated or disciplined for refusing to commit unfair labor practices.
Although supervisors generally are not covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which protects “employees” from unfair labor practices, that Act is deemed to have been violated if a supervisor’s discharge results from his refusal to commit an unfair labor practice. Recently, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a…
Under proposed NLRB rule, all employers must post a notice of employees’ right to unionize and to strike.
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is one of the few federal employment/labor laws which does not include a specific provision requiring employers to post a notice related to employee rights under that law. That may be about to change. On December 21, 2010, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a Notice of Proposed…
Firing of non-union healthcare workers for joining union picketing violated NLRA, even though union’s picketing was illegal.
The National Labor Relations Board has issued an order accepting as “the law of the case” a 2009 decision by the 2d U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in which, drawing a distinction between picketing and striking, that Court held that a New York health clinic unlawfully fired five employees for joining a picket line, even…
Facebook posts might be viewed by NLRB as “concerted activity”
Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) restricts employers’ attempts to interfere with employees’ efforts to work together to improve the terms and conditions of their workplace and employment. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regularly has held that an employer’s actions violate Section 7 if those actions would “reasonably tend to chill…
Firing of non-union healthcare workers for picketing was illegal.
Drawing a distinction between picketing and striking, the 2d U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a New York health clinic unlawfully fired five employees for joining a picket line, even though the picketing itself was an unfair labor practice by the union. Civil Serv. Employees Assn. Local 1000 v. NLRB, 2d Circ., No.
Employer cannot withdraw recognition of union during protected certification year
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals has held a Washington state medical center in violation of federal labor law for withdrawing recognition of a union during a protected certification period. Virginia Mason Medical Center v. NLRB, 9th Circ., No. 07-73851, Feb. 25, 2009.
Once a labor union is certified as the exclusive bargaining…

