Federal Bill Would Expand NLRA Liability, Ban Class Action Waivers

Democrats on Capitol Hill have re-introduced legislation to expand employer National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) liability and bar collective action waivers under the law. According to this report by HR Dive, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act would codify Browning-Ferris, an Obama-era National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that interpreted the law’s “joint employer” definition to include those businesses that have only indirect control over workers, rendering such an employer liable for NLRA violations.

The bill also would effectively undo the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Epic Systems in the NLRA context, which determined that employers can require workers to waive their rights to class or collective actions and to arbitrate disputes individually. The U.S. Chamber has called the bill “a threat to America’s workers, employers, and our economy.” 2/16/2021