In following up from this post, Leo Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers union praised President Trump for making it clear he is going to “tackle trade deficits.” Gerard said Trump was able to “see the steelworker agenda” and “he’s going to have a major impact on our members” with what he has done. According…

President Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on imported steel and a 10% tariff on imported aluminum. Canada and Mexico are exempt from the taxes. The tariffs will likely impact Northeast Ohio, home to several steel facilities, including ArcelorMittal in Cleveland, Republic Steel in Lorain and Canton, TimkenSteel in Canton and U.S. Steel in Lorain,…

In PCC Structurals, Inc., the Board reinstated the traditional community of interest standard to be used when determining whether unions have included all necessary employees on a petition for union representation. The Board’s reversal is a welcomed relief to employers who have been forced to bargain with several small units of employees in one workplace,…

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overruled Browning-Ferris Industries and returned to the pre-BFI standard that governed joint employer liability. The BFI decision set forth a broad definition of “joint employer” imposing liability and requiring bargaining in situations where a business posses only potential and indirect control over the employees in question. The BFI test…

Many employers (and this management-side labor lawyer in particular) were surprised by the Obama Board’s inability to overturn IBM Corp., 341 NLRB 1288 (2004), and extend Weingarten rights to non-union employees. The Obama Board, nevertheless, expanded the scope of Weingarten rights in a few areas. Manhattan Beer: The Obama Board ruled that a beer distributor…

National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judges have regained the power to approve partial settlements of Unfair Labor Practice charges (ULPs) even if the NLRB’s General Counsel, and the charging parties themselves, disagree. This practice, known as the “reasonableness” settlement standard was restored when the NLRB’s five-member Board affirmed an ALJ order that had applied…