NLRB Bans Employers From Holding Mandatory Anti-Union Meetings

Decision overturns a 75-year precedent and prohibits employers from requiring attendance at captive-audience meetings.

File photos shows workers standing in line to cast ballots for a union election at Amazon's distribution center in Staten Island, New York City, on March 25, 2022. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled on Nov. 13 that employers cannot require workers to attend meetings that outline the company’s views on unionization, overturning a 75-year precedent and redefining the legal boundaries for companies during union organizing campaigns.

The ruling stems from a complaint over Amazon’s conduct at its Staten Island, New York facilities, where the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) was engaged in such a campaign. The ALU alleged that Amazon held multiple mandatory meetings during work hours to discourage union support among employees. The NLRB agreed, ruling that Amazon’s actions constituted an unfair labor practice under Section 8(a)(1) of the NLRA.