NLRB Sues California in Bid to Preempt New State Labor Law (1)

A California labor law asserting broad state authority over private-sector union elections and disputes should be blocked in US court in Sacramento as it is preempted by federal law, the National Labor Relations Board said in a new lawsuit.

The measure (AB 288) purports to give the state’s Public Employment Relations Board authority to certify union elections and adjudicate unfair labor practice charges in instances where the NLRB is impaired or when the state determines that the board has ceded its authority.

The law, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Sept. 30, largely mirrors a recently enacted ...