Publisher's Synopsis
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency vested with the power to safeguard employees' rights to organize and to determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative. The agency also acts to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices committed by private sector employers and unions.
When complaints of Unfair Labor Practices issued by regional directors do not lead to settlement, they typically result in a hearing before an NLRB Administrative Law Judge. As in any court proceeding, both parties prepare arguments and present evidence, witnesses, and experts. After evaluating the evidence, the judges issue initial decisions. ALJ decisions are subject to review by the Board in Washington D.C., composed of five Members nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Any or all parties can appeal by filing exceptions.
In considering an appeal, the Board reviews the case record, including all all documents produced by the regional investigation. Often a panel of three Board Members will decide a case, but the full Board usually considers novel or potentially precedent changing cases. The Board issues several hundred decisions per year.
Within this timeframe, some of the Board decisions included the following:
Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. (7/29/2005)
Service Employees Local 1 (7/13/2005)
Chinese Daily News (6/30/2005)
Maryland State Teachers Associaiton (06/09/2005)
Teamsters Local 15 Kurz-Hasting (05/16/2005)
Smithfield Packing Company (12/16/2004)
and many more.
