Construction Firm Illegally Locked Out Union Workers, NLRB Rules

A road construction firm violated federal labor law by demanding that a union bargain with the company through a multi-employer association and locking out more than 125 workers to further that condition, the National Labor Relations Board ruled.

The NLRB on Monday ordered Rieth-Riley Construction Co. to negotiate with an International Union of Operating Engineers affiliate. That enhanced remedy fosters meaningful bargaining by removing the company’s incentive to delay in the hope of further discouraging support for the union, the board said.

The decision is the second this month stemming from the breakdown in the company and union’s relationship. That ...