Labor Law Seminar

Several recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions and the 2012 elections have changed the labor law landscape for union and non-union employers. Unionized employers will need deeper labor contract understanding to protect their contractual rights. Non-Union employers will need to know how the NLRB's recent rulings will have an unprecedented effect on how they manage their workforce and how reinvigorated unions make them more vulnerable to organizing.

Topics to be discussed:

Labor Law 101 in a New Era: Understanding and Applying the NLRB's Recent Decisions on Employee Handbooks, Work Rules and Policies

This session gives both union and non-union employers practical guidance on how to bring their work rules and policies into compliance with the NLRB's recent decisions, including:

• Language the NLRB has found to violate or "chill" employees' right to engage in protected concerted activity
• The NLRB's expansion of protected concerted activity
• The NLRB's invalidation of the use of certain types of at-will employment clauses and social media policies Limitations on employers' ability to restrict employees' access to the employer's property after work hours
• NLRB decisions related to whether employers can keep internal investigations
  confidential
• We will also cover the recent Noel Canning decision in which the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that President Obama unconstitutionally appointed three NLRB members.

Unions Revitalized: Maintaining Non-Union Status Following the 2012 Election

The results of the 2012 election have rejuvenated unions, and many predict that the NLRB's actions will make employers more vulnerable to union organizing than ever before. Add to that the recent surge in anti-employer NLRB decisions and it is not surprising that employers are experiencing unprecedented challenges in managing their workforces. This session gives employers information on steps they can take to avoid appearing on a union's radar and better position their organization to fend off a union organizing drive.

A Practical Guide for Unionized Employers to Effectively Handle Union Contract Administration, Grievances and Information Requests

For unionized employers, successful labor relations requires a thorough understanding of your labor contracts' provisions and the rights those contracts grant and restrict. This session covers a variety of topics related to effective contract administration, including a discussion of employee discipline, tips on effective grievance handling and management duty to provide information to the union.