National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) News

Companies May Be Employers of Contract, Franchise Workers Under US Labor Rule

A U.S. labor board on Oct. 26 issued a final rule making it easier for workers and unions to hold companies liable for labor law violations by their franchisees and contractors, reviving an Obama-era standard heavily criticized by trade groups. …

College Athletes Are Fighting for a Cut of Billions Generated in Media Rights Deals

At a reception attended by several university presidents in Manhattan, Arizona State President Michael Crowe was asked to ponder a not-too-distant future where Sun Devils football and basketball players get a cut from the billions of dollars their sports generate …

Its Basketball Players Are Not Employees, Dartmouth College Argues

Dartmouth College lawyers argued last Thursday that the Ivy League school’s basketball players should not be considered employees because they are unpaid members of a money-losing program whose need-based scholarships don’t depend on their participation or talent. In a National …

Twitter Settles Retaliation Claim Over Return to Office Protest

Twitter has settled with a former employee who US labor board prosecutors concluded was illegally punished for protesting its return-to-office mandate. Software engineer Alexis Camacho claimed the company put them on administrative leave in retaliation for posting a message urging …

Opera Workers’ Ruling Offers Path for Uber, Lyft Drivers to Unionize

A US labor board ruling on Tuesday laid the groundwork for drivers from Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. and other gig workers to formally unionize – a still difficult but potentially transformative task. In a ruling concerning workers at …

U.S. Employers Must Be Careful in Drafting Severance Agreements, Labor Board Warns

A recent U.S. labor board ruling limiting what employers can include in severance agreements is a reminder that companies must be careful not to ask workers to sign away their rights, the agency’s top prosecutor said on Wednesday. National Labor …

Michigan Judge Rejects Agency’s Bid to Shield Pro-Union Starbucks Workers From Firing

A federal judge in Detroit on Thursday dealt a blow to a U.S. labor agency by drastically narrowing his recent order that had barred Starbucks Corp SBUX.O from retaliating against pro-union workers nationwide to cover only one Michigan store. U.S. …

U.S. Appeals Court to Weigh NCAA Case Over Pay for Athletes

The NCAA will ask a federal appeals court next month to block a lawsuit that seeks to have athletes treated as employees who are paid for their time, the latest high-profile challenge to amateurism in college sports. The Division I …

Starbucks Illegally Terminated Union Leader, U.S. Officials Say

US labor board prosecutors have concluded that Starbucks Corp. illegally forced out a New York barista who has been a key architect of the union campaign that swept through hundreds of its cafes this year. The union leader, Jaz Brisack, …

Key Biden Administration Labor Policies Will Face Legal Challenges in 2023

The Biden administration and a Democrat-led U.S. labor board will implement a series of major employment policies in 2023 but could be stymied by challenges from business groups and Republican-led states that have criticized the measures. The following rules are …