The National Labor Relations Board will reconsider its Trump-era legal test for determining whether a worker is an employee protected by federal labor law or an independent contractor who is not.
The NLRB on Monday invited public briefing on the issue. Unions, employers, and other interested parties have until Feb. 10 to weigh in on the NLRB potentially overruling its 2019 decision in SuperShuttle DFW, which made it easier for companies to prove that their workers are independent contractors.
The legal test for employment status is a crucial issue for gig economy companies and other businesses that rely on contract labor to avoid the costs associated with employing workers, which include providing job benefits and potentially negotiating with their unions.
The issue stems from a case involving makeup artists, wig artists, and hair stylists at the Atlanta Opera Inc. who are trying to unionize with an affiliate of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
The NLRB, which is controlled by a 3-2 Democratic majority, divided on partisan lines on the invitation for public input in the case. The two Republican members dissented, saying there’s no need to reconsider the SuperShuttle ruling, which was issued when Republicans controlled the board.
“We reject our dissenting colleagues’ position that it is inappropriate for the Board to reexamine its recent precedent in this...
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday announced charges against 15 people, including six medical professionals, for allegedly participating in schemes that collectively submitted $2 billion i...