Union Raises Free Speech Defense to Boycott Charge

An Iron Workers local plans to continue challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Act’s ban on secondary boycotts after an NLRB administrative law judge ruled the union illegally urged employees to go on strike at a California construction site (Int’l Ass’n of Bridge, Structural and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 229 (Commercial Metals Co.), 2017 BL 149187, NLRB ALJ, No. 21-CC-183510, 5/4/17).

ALJ Mary Miller Cracraft held May 4 that Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 229 encouraged employees of Commercial Metals Co. to stop work to pressure CMC or its general contractor to stop ...