Lawyers Weigh In On High Court's Recess Appointment Ruling

 

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down President Barack Obama's three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, but took a broad view of the president's appointment power."

For employers, the short-term significance is that hundreds of NLRB decisions issued between January 2012 and August 2013 are nullified, including key decisions limiting employer rights in the areas of social media, confidentiality during internal investigations, off-duty employee access to an employer's property, continuation of dues-checkoff even after expiration of a collective bargaining agreement, and the obligation to bargain with a newly certified union before imposing serious discipline. However, that impact is likely to be short lived. As was the case after the 2010 decision in New Process Steel, the board is likely to reaffirm most, if not all, of these decisions in the next six to 12 months. The broader impact is a greater likelihood that the NLRB will experience more episodes of paralysis where it cannot act because of lack of a quorum. Under the court's ruling, it appears either the House or the Senate now can prevent a recess of sufficient length to permit the president to make a recess appointment to fill vacancies at the NLRB - and elsewhere - and so unless one party controls the White House, the Senate and the House, the potential for gridlock on this issue appears greater than ever.

 

--Jonathan Nadler 

Lawyers Weigh In on High Court's Recess Appointment Ruling 

NLRB v. Noel Canning in Plain English from Scotusblog

NLRB v. Noel Canning in plain English from scotusblog.
--Jonathan Nadler
http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/06/court-strikes-down-recess-appointments-in-plain-english/

Philadelphia-based labor relations and employment law attorney Jonathan Nadler applies more than 15 years of experience in his position as a Member of the national law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. At Eckert Seamans, he represents and counsels clients in a wide range of employment law and labor relation matters. Jonathan Nadler joined the firm after serving as an Associate and then a Partner with Reed Smith LLP in Philadelphia for over ten years.

Jon Nadler’s current practice involves defending clients against claims made under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other employment and labor laws before state and federal courts and before regulatory bodies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. Jonathan Nadler also represents employers in cases involving union organization, and negotiates collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, he conducts internal investigations and provides counseling on labor and employment matters.

Jon Nadler earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Mr. Nadler also speaks at seminars and conferences on labor and employment law issues, and writes for national publications such as Forbes, as well as trade publications on US labor laws and their implications for business practices.