Workers rights being taken away

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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!

Member since 11/06

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Shawn

Workers rights being taken away

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-nlrb-labor-board-counsel-union-reforms_us_5a2440bce4b0a02abe91e2d3?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

During the Barack Obama years, the National Labor Relations Board took a broad view of worker rights, expanding protections for employees who try to join a union or come together to improve their working conditions.

Under the Trump administration, those rights are being reined in to help out employers.

In a memo dated Friday and obtained by HuffPost, the NLRB’s new general counsel, Peter B. Robb, orders board officials around the country to consult his office on cases that involve precedents set on worker rights during the last eight years. The move effectively strips away the discretion of regional board officers to pursue cases against employers based upon Obama-era rulings and policies.

Put simply, the rights that were expanded under Obama are pretty much on hold.

...
Many of the precedents Robb cites in his memo involve what’s known as Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. Those rights are at the heart of collective bargaining law, guaranteeing workers the ability to band together and engage in “mutual aid and protection.” Through their rulings and legal guidance, the board nominees under Obama took a relatively expansive view of what’s considered legally protected activity by workers.
...
Some of the precedents cited in his memo infuriated business groups, like the case known as Browning-Ferris. That board ruling made it easier for a big corporation to be deemed a “joint employer” alongside their subcontractors or franchisees. The change has helped workers and unions bring cases against a company like McDonald’s and not just against the individual franchisees who operate McDonald’s restaurants.

Other cases were lesser known but could affect workers around the country who end up in disputes with their employers. One Obama-era case clarified employees’ ability to use their work emails to try to organize a union or talk about working conditions. Another case outlined employees’ ability to record company meetings, including anti-union speeches made by bosses.

Yay, more "winning"... for the oligarchs.

Posted 12/3/17 8:27 PM