Labor Relations / Unions

Supreme Court deadlocks in union dues case

04/01/2016

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued, at least temporarily, a reprieve from a potential death sentence for public employee unions.

How to comply with new DOL rules on anti-union ‘persuaders’

03/29/2016

A new Department of Labor rule will limit employers’ ability to use “persuaders” to convince workers to resist union organizing efforts, critics say.

Know the fine line between talking about unions and real union organizing

03/11/2016

The rules that govern employee efforts to better their working conditions are complex.

Scalia’s death could turn union dues case

02/16/2016

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 13 could affect the outcome of close cases that have already been argued but not yet decided, including one that could determine the future of government employees’ unions.

Labor relations sour at American Crystal Sugar

02/12/2016

American Crystal Sugar in Moorehead fired a warning shot across the bow of the union that represents employees when it announced in November that it wanted to begin contract negotiations early.

Court upholds union for personal care assistants

02/12/2016

A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Minnesota law that allows personal care assistants to unionize. A business group representing for-profit companies that provide in-home care filed the lawsuit.

11.1% of workers belong to a union, membership rate held steady in 2015

02/10/2016

The union membership rate—the percent of hourly and salaried workers who were union members—was 11.1% in 2015, unchanged from 2014, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Supreme Court skeptical about required union dues

02/01/2016

Organized labor had what appeared to be a bad day in court Jan. 11 when the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that asked whether government employees can be required to pay union dues if they object to the union’s political activities.

Hourly pay for temps could create ’employees’

01/04/2016

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania employers, has ruled that paying an hourly rate for temporary employees coming from an outside agency may mean those workers are your “employees” under anti-discrimination laws.

Labor issues looming from new TPP trade agreement

11/23/2015

The recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will go before Congress for ratification next year. Organized labor has been one of the most vocal critics of the pact and certainly labor leaders will be scrutinizing the agreement’s Chapter 19.