Former NLRB Member Joins Ogletree Deakins
Former National Labor Relations Board member Brian Hayes, whose term with the Board ended last month, is now a shareholder of Ogletree Deakins, a law firm that often represents management in labor disputes. Hayes has been named co-chair of the Traditional Labor Relations Practice Group.
Hayes said about the move: “This is a very dynamic time in the traditional labor law arena. The NLRB’s rulings have created many challenges for employers in recent years. While I will miss my days as a policymaker, I look forward to returning to the practice of law and helping employers manage these risks—and those that are likely to come from the NLRB in the future.” He would know something about the risks the NLRB poses to employers: he had a front row seat in one of the Board’s most anti-business years.
Union Trustee Sentenced For Stealing From Pension Fund
Ava L. Ramey, a trustee for the United Government Security Officers of America Local 21 in Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for embezzling at least $379,000 in union funds. Ramey accomplished this feat by writing checks to herself and family members and using her union credit and debit cards for her personal use. She has been ordered to pay restitution for the amount she stole.
One other interesting note: Ramey was caught under the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which was originally established by President Obama “to hold accountable those who helped bring about the last financial crisis as well as those who would attempt to take advantage of the efforts at economic recovery.”
Media Matters Criticizes WSJ Editors Over NLRB Criticism
Media Matters, a progressive “watchdog” group run by David Brock, takes exception with the recent Wall Street Journal editorial that was critical of the National Labor Relations Board’s stance on what constitutes “concerted activity.” Media Matters claims that the Journal “misleads” in regards to social media policy. It explains: “In fact, both the NLRB’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and the Board itself have explicitly stated that employers may set certain limits on their employees’ social media activities as long as they do not prohibit activities protected under the National Labor Relations Act.” [emphasis added]. But that’s exactly what the WSJ editors’ point: The Board is finding much more to be in violation of the NLRA than is appropriate.
Their nonsensical argument aside, Media Matters has good reason to be upset with anyone who might speak ill of organized labor and its allies in the NLRB. In 2012 alone, Media Matters received $100,000 from the National Education Association and $5,000 from AFSCME.
