The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Acting General Counsel recently concluded that surreptitious recordings of collective bargaining sessions is a per se violation of the National Labor Relations Act (the Act). In the memo issued to NLRB regional offices on June 25, 2025, Acting General Counsel William B. Cowen instructed regions to issue a complaint, alleging bad faith bargaining, if an investigation reveals surreptitious recording occurred. … Continue Reading
New Philadelphia Ordinance Aims to EmPOWER Employees
On May 27, 2025, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed the Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights Act (POWER Act). The ordinance, found here, aims to enhance protections related to paid sick leave, wage theft, and domestic worker rights. The POWER Act also provides for anti-retaliation protections, and it authorizes the Office of Work Protection (OWP) to investigate and enforce all provisions.… Continue Reading
Keynote Speaker Announced for SEPA SHRM and Ballard Spahr 2025 HR Legal Summit
Participating in SEPA SHRM’s premier legal conference, co-hosted with Ballard Spahr’s Labor & Employment Group, is essential for HR professionals and in-house counsel to stay informed about legal trends and developments, ensuring compliance and effective management of workplace issues.
Ballard Spahr LLP and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of SHRM (SEPA SHRM) are hosting our 13th Annual HR Legal Summit, where over 200 HR professionals will gain practical insights into Labor and Employment compliance for 2025 and beyond.… Continue Reading
President Trump’s Budget Goes To Work Against Enforcement Agencies with Significant Cuts to DOL and NLRB
President Trump’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 includes substantial reductions to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) budget and staff. The proposed discretionary budget is slashed from $13.5 billion to $9 billion, reducing it by one third. The number of employees is reduced by nearly 4,000 from 14,855 to 10,879—or a more than 25% cut. … Continue Reading
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Urges US Attorney General to Unilaterally Override Biden-Era NLRB Decisions
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) – an association of several hundred employers and employer associations – sent letters to US Attorney General Pam Bondi to direct the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to ignore a swatch of Biden-era decisions pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order asserting that the President and the AG have the power to interpret the law for all agencies. … Continue Reading
New Leadership at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Signals Potential Overhaul of Affirmative Action Compliance Framework
On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the appointment of Catherine Eschbach as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the agency charged with overseeing regulation and enforcement of affirmative action laws for government contractors and subcontractors. Eschbach signaled a shift in the agency’s mission, stating the OFCCP “will restore a merit-based system to provide all workers with equal opportunity.”… Continue Reading
Trump Rescinds Additional Biden-Era Executive Orders, Rolling Back Minimum Wage and Labor-Friendly Provisions for Federal Contractors
Following President Trump’s issuance of Executive Order 14148 on January 20, 2025, which rescinded 78 executive actions taken by Former President Biden, the President rescinded an additional slew of Biden-era executive actions on March 14. Among the 18 executive actions revoked is a duo of Executive Orders which applied to federal contractors and subcontractors and will impact labor and employment issues:
- Executive Order 14026 of April 27, 2021 (Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors); and
- Executive Order 14126 of September 6, 2024 (Investing in America and Investing in American Workers).
Senate Confirms Chavez-DeRemer as 30th Secretary of Labor and Sonderling as Deputy Secretary
On March 10, 2025, in a 67-32 vote, the Senate confirmed the appointment of one-term Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the 30th Secretary of Labor and former EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling as Deputy Secretary.
Formally nominated by President Trump on January 20, 2025, Chavez-DeRemer (R) represented Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District from 2022-2024, sitting on House Committees for Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure.… Continue Reading
NLRB Acting General Counsel Rescinds Numerous Biden-Era Guidance Memoranda
The National Labor Relations Board’s Acting General Counsel has moved quickly to undo the work of his predecessor, a Biden appointee, who President Trump recently removed from office. On February 14, 2025, Acting General Counsel William B. Cowen rescinded more than a dozen guidance memoranda that many employers considered to be significantly favorable to unions. … Continue Reading
President Trump Appoints NLRB Acting General Counsel
Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has been making changes to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) almost every day.
New NLRB Acting General Counsel
On February 3, 2025, President Donald Trump appointed William B. Cowen as Acting General Counsel of the NLRB. This comes on the heels of the President firing former NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, Board Member Gwynne Wilcox, and Acting General Counsel Jessica Rutter.… Continue Reading