Back to News

NLRB: Bosses Shouldn’t be Anti-Union Tweeting

Published on

April 5, 2021

A recent National Labor Relations Board ruling – one that has garnered backlash from some celebrities – gives further proof that social media posts are not to be taken lightly, even if they have humorous intent.

The November ruling from the NLRB ordered Ben Domenech, the publisher of the conservative online magazine The Federalist, to remove a Tweet in which he warned the magazine’s employees that if they unionized, he would send them “back to the salt mines.”

FDRLST Media, The Federalist’s parent company, appealed the decision and it now sits in the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Last week, libertarian think tank the Cato Institute filed a brief with the court in support of FDRLST, saying the NLRB needs to learn “to take a joke.” Celebrity comedians and magicians Penn Jillette and Teller are listed as supporting authors of the brief.

Cato’s filing comes days after the NLRB ordered billionaire Elon Musk to delete a 2018 Tweet that the board found threatening to workers at his Tesla plants.

Whether the Tweets from either person were threatening workers or not, or whether there was a humorous intent or not, it’s a clear warning from the NLRB for employers to watch what they say on social media. The Cato Institute’s brief even says that the NLRB ignored statements from Federalist employees that said they took the Tweet as a joke, a clear signal that intent won’t be the biggest factor for future NLRB decisions.

Employers should have a clear social media policy for employees, and should include regular training for all employees. In our current labor environment, senior management should be informed about the labor impact of their statements and be careful what they say. Senior management should especially avoid using social media for any kind of union-busting talk, because it’s obvious the NLRB is watching.

If you have any questions on these recent cases, or if you have questions about your company’s social media policies, please contact me or any member of the Barley Snyder Employment Practice Group.


Related News

View More News
News Alert
March 13, 2024

Federal Court Strikes Down NLRB’s “Joint Employer” Rule

Late Friday, a U.S. federal district judge vacated the National Labor Relat...

Learn More
News Alert
March 6, 2024

National Labor Relations Board Rules Altering a Work Uniform With a “BLM” Insignia Can Be Protected, Concerted Activity

Two weeks ago, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) told Home Depot th...

Learn More
Newsletter
February 23, 2024

Barley Snyder 2023 Year In Review

Check out what the professionals of Barley Snyder have been up to in 2023 a...

Learn More

Other Upcoming Events

View All Upcoming Events
May
02
8:00 am
-
10:30 am
event
Location

Wake Up With Barley – A Morning on Real Estate 2024

Learn More
May
10
12:00 pm
-
5:00 pm
event
Location

Title IX Training: New Regulations & Updates – An Extension of the Employment Law Seminar

Learn More
Apr
10
12:00 pm
-
6:00 pm
event
Location

LendiCon 2024

Learn More

Get in Touch

Our attorneys, paralegals and staff look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out to let us know how we can help.

Get In Touch
RECOGNIZED IN
Super Lawyers
Best Law Firms US News
Best Lawyers