August 2024 Newsletter

STAY INFORMED

The Supreme Court Weighs in on Starbucks Union Organizing Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court recently addressed how federal courts should evaluate requests for injunctions in union-related cases. The case, Starbucks v. McKinney, arose from a unionization effort at a Starbucks store and has significant implications for private sector employers and employees involved in labor disputes.
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NLRB’s Fair Choice-Employee Voice Rule Restores Employees’ Free Choice of Representatives

At the end of July, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) adopted the Fair Choice-Employee Voice Rule to overturn three Trump-era policies. The new rule has restored longstanding policies designed to protect employee choice of representatives.
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SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT

New York Times Covers WNBA Labor Talks, Including Counsel from Deborah Willig

WNBA players, led by a talented rookie class, are breaking attendance and viewership records. Despite their popularity, players’ salaries still lag behind, prompting union talks to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement early. Managing partner Deborah R. Willig is advising on this decision, drawing from her success in securing improved agreements for players’ unions, such as the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association in 2022.

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ATTORNEY NEWS

Laurence M. Goodman Elected a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

We are thrilled to announce that Laurence M. Goodman has been elected a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, recognizing his 35-year career as a trusted advisor to labor unions and employees in various industries. Congratulations to Larry on this well-deserved honor!
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17 Attorneys Named Among 2025 ‘Best Lawyers in America,’ Deborah Willig and Irwin Aronson Named ‘Lawyers of the Year’

Seventeen of our attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, one of the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publications. Managing partner Deborah R. Willig was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Philadelphia labor law – union, while Irwin W. Aronson was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Harrisburg in litigation – labor and employment. Congratulations to all!

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Attorney Ryan Hancock Speaks with The Inquirer About UArts Employees’ Lawsuit

UArts employees were left without 60 days of pay and benefits after the abrupt shutdown in June 2024. The school claims to be working on generating revenue to settle the owed amounts. Attorneys Ryan A. Hancock, Jordan Konell, and Samuel H. Datlof are representing UArts union members in a lawsuit against the school. Hancock expressed concerns about the university’s plans to pay employees through August, emphasizing the need to proceed with the case.

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Experienced Labor Attorney Joins Willig, Williams & Davidson

Please join us in welcoming attorney Erica Askin to the firm’s labor law practice group. With more than 15 years of experience in the courtroom and at the negotiating table, Erica was the first woman business manager elected by the public employee members of a trades’ union local. She also served as the sole in-house counsel to a large private sector union local in Oregon, and as a representative of a nurses’ union in right-to-work Florida during the height of the pandemic.

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Joseph Richardson Discusses NLRB Protections for Workers’ Protests

In 2023, the National Labor Relations Board restored protections for workers that shield them from punishment for outbursts during protests. The board recently applied these protections to a dispute between Intertape Polymer Corp. and two workers who were suspended for a heated discussion about safety issues. Firm partner Joseph Richardson recently told Law360 that the NLRB made the right decision because the workers’ behavior took place during protected union activity.’

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