NLRB Region 13 Openly Shares Investigation Info with Chicago and Illinois Agencies

Region 13, the region of the National Labor Relations Board that covers Chicago, entered into agreements with the Illinois Department of Labor and the Chicago Commission of Human Relations to collaborate and share information during investigations. The agreements provide that whenever one agency is processing a case and discovers information that may show a violation of the laws enforced by either of the other agencies they may share information with and refer the matter to the other agency. In other words, if the Commission is investigating an employment discrimination charge, and thinks the employee may have been terminated for engaging in protected concerted activity, it may refer the case to the Board. Additional NLRB Regional Offices will probably follow suit resulting in an exponentially greater likelihood that companies will have to defend additional alleged unfair labor practice charges.