NLRB Considering Legalizing the Use of Company Email for Organizing Purposes

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Labor.

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2014/05/07/nlrb-considering-legalizing-the-use-of-company-email-for-organizing-purposes/



The NLRB has issued a “Notice and Invitation to File Briefs” in the Purple Communications, Inc. case which could overturn the precedent concerning organizing activities on company email systems set by the board’s ruling in the Register-Guard case during the Bush Administration.

Using the Register-Guard decision as precedent, companies can currently enforce policies which prohibit company email from being used for anything but business purposes. But the current NLRB appears interested in reversing that decision partially due to the increased importance of email in organizing since the Bush era. Another goal is to align the ruling with other recent rulings that helped streamline the union election process.

The NLRB’s notice asks five questions of the involved parties to be answered in briefs by June 16th:

– Should the Board reconsider its conclusion in Register Guard that employees do not have a statutory right to use their employer’s email system (or other electronic communications systems) for Section 7 purposes?

FULL story at link.

[Starry Messenger]

1. Wow, that would be huge.