Ruling creates circuit split that could reshape how employers respond to union complaints
Federal court blocks Amazon from halting labor board proceedings, closing off a strategy employers hoped would stop union complaints.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered the decision on December 29, 2025 in Amazon.com Services, LLC v. National Labor Relations Board, affirming that companies facing unfair labor practice charges must work through the National Labor Relations Board's administrative process even when challenging the agency's constitutional authority.
The case centers on Amazon's conflict with the Teamsters union over delivery drivers who worked for Battle Tested Strategies (BTS), a contractor Amazon terminated in April 2023. Shortly after Amazon canceled the contract, BTS recognized the Teamsters as the bargaining representative for its drivers and signed a union agreement.
The Teamsters claimed Amazon and BTS were joint employers, meaning Amazon had an obligation to bargain with the union. Amazon refused and ended the BTS relationship as planned.
That refusal triggered unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB. The union alleged Amazon threatened workers to discourage organizing, punished those who joined the union, and illegally refused to recognize the Teamsters as the drivers' representative.
Instead of defending itself through the labor board's proceedings, Amazon took a different route. The company sued the NLRB in federal court, arguing the restrictions...
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