Author: Ryan Funk

At a Glance

• Because the Fifth and Ninth Circuits reached opposite conclusions, an employer’s ability to challenge the NLRB’s structure or authority now depends on geography. Employers in states under the Fifth Circuit’s jurisdiction (like Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi) may have stronger grounds to contest NLRB proceedings than those in the Ninth Circuit (which covers much of the West Coast). 

• A clear circuit split on a constitutional question often sets the stage for Supreme Court intervention. Businesses and counsel should monitor this issue closely; a future ruling could reshape how independent agencies like the NLRB operate. 

To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website. 

On the heels of firing NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, Pres. Trump’s decision to remove Board Member Gwynne Wilcox is an unprecedented move that could hamper the National Labor Relations Board and draw swift legal challenges to test the longstanding removal protections recognized by the Supreme Court for independent federal agency heads. Removing Wilcox also leaves the Board with only two members, and the Supreme Court has held that absent its three-member quorum, the NLRB cannot execute its duties. These developments are sure to have a direct and immediate impact on federal labor law and labor-management relations, to which employers should pay close attention in this rapidly changing landscape.

To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.

Now that the NLRB has withdrawn its bid to keep the 2023 rule alive, what does this mean for employers? Likely, the NLRB is already looking at alternative methods to implement a similar standard either through new rule making or adjudications. In the interim, the standard now reverts to the 2020 rule, which requires an entity to actually exercise direct and immediate control over the terms and conditions of employment for a group of employees in order to be considered a joint employer.

To view the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.

On October 19, 2023, Faegre Drinker Partner Ryan Funk gave remarks at the 28^th Annual Bernard Gottfried Labor Law Symposium, which was sponsored by the National Labor Relations Board, the Wayne State Law School, and the State Bar of Michigan.  In his remarks, Funk critiqued three recent changes to the National Labor Relations Board’s remedial scheme.

Thryv, Inc.

Discussing Thryv, Inc., Funk voiced his concern that the labor law community was growing out of touch with workers, employers, and the public, and changing remedies in ways that hurt the overall mission of the agency.

Continue reading “Key Takeaways From the 28th Annual Bernard Gottfried Labor Law Symposium”