Members of Congress recently returned to Washington D.C. with a substantial list of immediate issues, most pressing being the potential of a government shutdown due to mounting appropriations at the month’s end, as reported by Cozen O’Connor. As lawmakers dive into this issue, the upcoming 2024 elections cast a looming shadow, blurring the line between…
A bipartisan group of senators announced Tuesday they have reintroduced legislation aimed at alleviating the burden on overworked courts by creating 66 new district judgeships after the next two presidential elections. The Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved, or JUDGES, Act is a response to a recommendation from the Judicial Conference of the United States…
The Dominican Republic suspended the issuance of visas to citizens of Haiti as of Monday, and is considering closing its border following a conflict over water access. The dispute centers on Haiti’s construction of a canal, leading to concerns about diverting water from the Dajabón River. Recognized for its paramount importance within the Dominican Republic’s…
In a recent upheaval, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) made a shift in its historical alignment towards secret ballot elections for workers’ union representation. The move was made in the decision for the case of Cemex Construction which poses notable implications for employers and will inevitably call for a reassessment of labor relations risks…
The recent dispute concerning Alabama’s electoral map has gained significant attention, as allegations of “racial gerrymandering” have led the case to the US Supreme Court. Originating from the case of Allen v. Milligan which began in November 2021, the spotlight has been on the way Alabama’s legislature drew their congressional districts. The denial of the…
As the United States gears up for upcoming elections, both the Democratic and Republican National Committees have reportedly shelled out millions for legal fees and disbursements to a number of high-profile law firms. Top amongst the paid firms for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the first half of the year were Wilmer Cutler Pickering…
Alabama is once again under the spotlight of the Supreme Court. The state is contesting that it does not need to create two majority-Black congressional districts to comply with the Voting Rights Act. This issue arose after the rejection of the state’s second map and subsequent instruction by the lower court for experts to redraft…
The Council of Europe condemned the recent elections held in four regions of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia as per a joint statement released on Sunday. The elections took place over the course of one week in four parts of Ukraine that Russia does not have full control over – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson….
A federal district court in the United States rejected the request of Mark Meadows, former Chief of Staff in the Trump White House, to move two Georgia state criminal charges against him to federal court on Friday. The court’s decision came after Meadows asked for his charges to be transferred under the 28 U.S.C. §…
In what appears to be a pivotal scenario for nonunion employers, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of the United States has introduced significant alterations to the rules dictating how a workplace becomes unionised, revealed by a report on JD Supra. Under the newly instated regulations, employers may be required to negotiate based solely on…
The Canadian government recently announced that Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue will be heading a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections. Justice Hogue’s role will involve leading an independent examination into infiltration in the 2019 and 2021 elections by foreign states including China and Russia, along with other non-state…
In a recent decision that diverges from a half-century of precedent, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) has altered the landscape of union certification elections. The NLRB’s Cemex decision on August 25, 2023 marks a significant shift away from secret-ballot elections as the preferred method of union certification. In the Cemex decision, the…
On August 25, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released its long anticipated decision in the Cemex Construction Materials Pacific case (See NLRB Case No. 28-CA-230115). Central to the Cemex case was the question of managing election procedures amidst allegations of unfair labor practices committed by an employer during the “critical period” – the…
A three-judge panel from the US District Court Northern District of Alabama has once more overturned the Alabama legislature’s proposed congressional map. This decision maintains that the existing map continues to exhibit signs of racial gerrymandering and likely infringes upon Section Two of the Voting Rights Act. Interestingly, this recall represents the second instance where…
In a significant development, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has overturned a longstanding precedent favoring secret-ballot elections over union authorization cards. Prior to this, it was permissible for an employer to not recognize a union claiming to represent their workforce. The union had to then petition the Board for conducting a secret-ballot election, a…
Professional legal commentators have noted significant changes enacted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), suggesting an alteration in the legal landscape that currently favors labor unions over employers. Such a shift has been observed in a series of moves by the NLRB. The first significant transformation was a return to the “quickie elections” process…
On July 21, Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey, signed off on controversial district maps, which, according to a panel of federal judges, failed to provide fair opportunities for Black Alabamian voters. Governor Ivey’s decision echoed her belief that the state legislature, rather than federal courts or activist groups, had a better understanding of Alabama’s demographics and…
Legal professionals should take note of a significant shift occurring in the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) union recognition practices. Last week, the NLRB signaled a clear preference for employers to voluntarily recognize unions based on a “card check” system, rather than utilizing the traditional secret ballot election. This has significant implications for corporations and…
In a significant policy shift with potential wide-ranging implications, the National Labor Relations Board (Board) reversed nearly half a century of precedence in the case involving Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC (Cemex). As was established August 25, 2023, if an employer commits an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) during the very decisive “critical period” before a…
On August 25, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published a final rule with important revisions to election proceedings. Having reprised its 2014 strategy, the NLRB is set to expedite union elections and certification processes, a move which some critics view as a reinstatement of “ambush” elections. According to a report by Bond Schoeneck…
Last week saw the National Labor Relations Board (“Board”) introduce impactful changes that may alter the landscape for Unions seeking recognition of most private sector employees in the U.S. These newly implemented rules, as reported by JDSupra, carry notable implications for employers, largely favoring unions and facilitating their attempts to gain a certified bargaining representative…
The legitimacy of the United States Supreme Court has been called into question, rendering state supreme courts more crucial than ever. In many states, it is the constitution that acts as the sole defender of historically recognized rights. One only needs to look at Wisconsin, where recent state supreme court elections triggered a significant dispute,…
On August 25th, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) revealed a rather dynamic change of pace. In a published Final Rule, the board has decided to resurrect so-called ‘Quickie Election’ rules, signifying quite a shift on the labor law landscape. This newly enacted rule is set on considerably reducing the time between the filing of…
President Joe Biden’s recent judicial nominations, while diverse in terms of racial and gender representation, show a decrease in the variety of legal experience within candidates – a point of concern for progressive advocates. According to a recent analysis by Bloomberg Law, Biden’s nominations this year showed a significant downturn in judges with career experiences…
Recent amendments by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) indicate that significant changes are around the corner for the conduct of elections within organizations. These changes, which took effect August 24, 2023, are partly a reversal of several Trump-era rules and partly a re-implementation of rules dating back to the Obama administration. The crux…