In a little publicized letter of interpretation, dated April 5, 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced for the first time that during an OSHA inspection of non-union worksites, employees can be represented by anyone selected by the employees including outside union agents. In so doing, the letter, issued to the Steelworkers Union

By:  James Kachmar

Those of you who attended our November 15, 2012 seminar, “Risks and Benefits of Social Media and Computers in the Workplace,” heard us discuss recent actions taken by the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) regarding Social Media Use Policies adopted by employers to address the many issues that may arise with the increased use of social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) by their employees. As we mentioned, the NLRB was slow to address the issue of social media in the workplace. However, the NLRB has recently become much more active and more critical in how it views social media policies and their impact on the rights of employees to organize.Continue Reading NLRB Continues Crackdown on Company Social Media Policies

It is 6am and I am on my way to the San Francisco Bay Area for a deposition. I stop at my favorite Starbucks for a boost. The barista’s are always helpful and courteous. However, do I really need to be faced with the modern day equivalent of the 1980s TGI Friday’s server? According to one Court I may have to endure that and be the unwitting target of union propaganda at the same time. The good news at least is that a recent federal appeals court held that there will not be more than one pro-union pin on the uniform. So at least my favorite coffee house won’t begin to resemble anyone of a dozen state office buildings, full of workers that look like they are headed to a pin trading convention at Disneyland, rather than another day’s work on behalf of the State’s citizens.
Continue Reading Employee Flare: I Will Have a Venti, Half-Caf., Cappuccino – Hold the Union Propaganda

By:   Lizbeth V. West, Esq.

On September 7, 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued an opinion in Costco Wholesale Corp. v. NLRB. The case is an important one for all employers (regardless of whether their employees are union or non-union). It deals with the NLRB’s continuing focus on what it believes to be over-reaching employment policies that violate Section 7 and/or 8 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). In fact, in the last 12 months, the NLRB’s Acting General Counsel has issued three reports on the issue. Continue Reading DO YOUR EMPLOYMENT POLICIES VIOLATE THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT? You’d Be Surprised – But They Very Likely Do!

By:     Chelcey E. Lieber

On March 2, 2012, United States District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson invalidated portions of the National Labor Relations Board’s recent “Notification of Employee Rights” rule, which, as previously discussed in our posts, requires private employers to post a notice to employees explaining their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (the “NLRA”) by April 30, 2012.Continue Reading Court Invalidates Portions of Recent NLRB Posting Rule