News

Seventh Circuit Affirms Enforcement Of Union Membership Agreement In Latest Post-Janus Decision

January 11, 2023

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that an Illinois teacher union was entitled to enforce the terms of a union membership agreement. In so holding, the court soundly rejected an argument that a teacher had a First Amendment right under the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, 138 S. Ct. 2448 (2018), to avoid paying dues under that agreement.

Equal Pay Achieved for Women's and Men's Soccer

May 18, 2022

The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) entered into a landmark collective-bargaining agreement with the United States Soccer Federation that guarantees that players on the U.S. Women’s National team will be paid equal to their counterparts on the U.S. Men’s National Team. The CBA, which was ratified by USWNTPA members alongside a corresponding CBA entered into by the USMNT Players’ union, will run through 2028.

Welcome to Our New Website

April 11, 2022

Coinciding with our 70th anniversary as a law firm, we are launching this major revision of our website. In addition to giving the site a fresh look, we also have updated the content to better reflect our current mix of work. We hope the new site makes it easy to find the information you are looking for.

Seventh Circuit enforces NLRB order for Mondelez’s unlawful discharge of union leaders

July 21, 2021

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit enforced an order of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), upholding in all respects the NLRB’s finding that three vocal union leaders had been unlawfully fired in retaliation for their union activity at a plant operated by Mondelez Global, LLC, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Third and Seventh Circuits uphold pre-Janus membership agreements

January 15, 2021

The United States Courts of Appeals for the Third and Seventh Circuits, respectively, upheld the constitutionality of union membership and dues-deduction authorization agreements signed before the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, 138 S. Ct. 2448 (2018).

First Circuit is the latest appellate court to recognize the good-faith defense in post-Janus litigation

November 30, 2020

In Doughty v. State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984, 981 F.3d 128 (1st Cir. 2020), the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that a public-sector union could not be compelled to refund mandatory fair-share fees from nonmembers where the union had collected those fees in compliance with then-binding Supreme Court precedent.

AFL-CIO petitions D.C. Circuit to compel OSHA to mandate that employers protect workers from COVID-19

May 18, 2020

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (“AFL-CIO”) filed an emergency petition with the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for a writ of mandamus that would compel the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) to issue an emergency temporary standard for infectious disease to protect workers from the dangers posed by COVID-19.

District of Alaska rejects employer’s claim for union indemnification for withdrawal liability

April 3, 2020

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska rejected Chicago Bridge & Iron Company’s claim to indemnification for withdrawal liability under the terms of a multi-union collective-bargaining agreement it had negotiated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 and the Fairbanks Joint Crafts Council, as well as several other unions.

Courts throw out lawsuits contesting the legality of longstanding union-time agreements

March 31, 2020

The United States District Courts for the Northern District of Mississippi and the Western District of Virginia threw out claims that longstanding union-time provisions in collective-bargaining agreements violate Section 302 of the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947.