United Automobile Workers (UAW) union employees filed a petition December 6 (here) with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to form their own union. A union for the union. That seems almost poetic.

Bloomberg has reported after an exclusive interview with Peter Robb, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel, that Robb looks poised to reverse many Obama-era rulings. Robb instructed his staff in a December 1 memo to prepare talking points for all policy changes over the last eight years, as well as any rulings with dissenting opinions.

Robb stated, “Basically, you’re looking at a list of things that I think we need to be prepared to talk about and provide a position to the board.”

Robb was confirmed as general counsel on November 8. Read Bloomberg’s full article here.

Peter B. Robb was sworn in as General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) today for a four year term. He was nominated by President Trump in September and was confirmed by the Senate on November 8.

Mr. Robb stated, “I have always believed in the core values expressed in the National Labor Relations Act, which, in essence, is to protect the rights of employees to engage in union or other protected, concerted activity with respect to wages, hours and working conditions, as well as the rights of employees to refrain from such activities.  And, once employees have freely chosen a labor organization to represent them, the Act promotes collective bargaining.  These principles are part of the foundation of our successful economic system.”

Prior to his nomination, Mr. Robb worked as a Director for the law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC. He also served on the American Bar Association’s Practice and Procedures Committee for the NLRB.

Read the full press release here.

During a recent oversight hearing before the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Labor Secretary Acosta hinted that his department may revise its interpretation of laws that govern work centers and how they disclose finances.

Conservative think tanks and lobby groups  have proposed that organizations like the Fight for $15, OUR Walmart, and Restaurant Opportunities Centers United to be classified as traditional labor organizations under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), making them subject to the same financial disclosure rules as unions.

The Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards, which enforces the LMRDA, has set policy directions to prioritize robust oversight of large union headquarters in the past, but saw their funding cut during the Obama-era. Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx asked Acosta for a detailed response on what his department plans to do to restore the OLMS to its previous capacity.

Read more about the ongoing changes under Acosta and further discussion about this issue here.

United Autoworkers Union (UAW) lost a unionization vote in an Ohio-based Fuyao Glass Group Industries plant this past week after attempting underhanded maneuvers to win by discriminating against employees. In their request for an election, UAW petitioned to exclude nonimmigrant visa employees from casting ballots. The majority of these employees are Chinese, and less likely to vote for unionization.

UAW did not succeed in their attempt, but they did succeed in excluding temporary nonimmigrant employees from voting, despite the fact these employees are not hired with a definite end date for employment and may be employed at the factory long-term. Although nonimmigrant visa employees only comprise about 80 people in the plant, votes have been won or lost by fewer numbers.

Read more about UAW’s discrimination here.

Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander has announced that Peter Robb has been confirmed as the National Labor Relation Board’s General Counsel. Chairman Alexander also released the following statement: 

“As General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, Peter Robb will have an opportunity to help restore the labor board to the role of a neutral umpire in labor disputes after years of the board acting more like an advocate for organized labor under the previous administration. Mr. Robb will have the important role of protecting workers’ rights and assisting employers if some of their employees want to form a union. I’m hopeful that he will help bring stability to our nation’s workplaces.”

The Senate labor committee held Mr. Robb’s hearing on October 4 (link here). Read more about Mr. Robb here, and the full press release on Mr. Robb’s confirmation here.