A union recently tried to organize a bakery and café operator’s stores at Philadelphia International Airport. The employer promptly responded to the union organizing effort through employee meetings and a letter from the company’s CEO. In his letter, the CEO asked whether employees “really want a union to be your spokesperson instead of having a…

A nursing home informed geriatric nursing assistants that they would receive wage increases via letters that were sent one day before the union filed its petition for an election. The employees voted 28-33 against union representation – a company victory that would be short-lived. Though the letters were sent before the election petition was filed,…

We have reported on the SEIU’s campaign for $15-an-hour wages for fast food workers. Seeking to have franchisees pay nearly twice the minimum wage for historically minimum wage work is not the way to befriend fast food franchisees. Now, the SEIU is extending a proverbial french fry to franchisees in hopes of forming an alliance…

Three performers employed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando caused a stir when they refused to wear their unitards for the Festival of the Lion King show. The employees said the unitards had been tainted by other sweaty garments that had accidentally touched theirs. The dirty costume pieces had been on a rack that was…

Since arbitration helps companies avoid the high costs associated with litigation, companies often have employees enter into agreements to arbitrate disputes rather than take them to court. Workers at Applebee’s restaurants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware typically sign an arbitration agreement that includes a term prohibiting employees from becoming members of a class…

The Railway Labor Act (RLA) governs labor disputes at airlines, railroads, and some contractors. The contractors covered by the RLA must be under the control of, and performing the same functions as, an airline or railroad. The National Labor Relations Act governs disputes in other industries, including airline and railroad contracts that are not subject…