MCPc v. NLRB — labor — vacate in part and remand — Krause

A company employee named Galanter was having lunch with a few co-workers, and they discussed how shorthanded and busy they were. Galanter commented that the company could have hired several workers with the $400,000 a year it was paying a new executive. Galanter was canned 8 days later; the company alleged that Galanter lied when confronted about the disclosure. NLRB counsel issued a complaint alleging that the company illegally fired Galanter for complaining about working conditions. The NLRB ruled for the employee and the company appealed.

Today, the Third Circuit reversed in part. It ruled that the employee’s lunchtime disclosure was protected activity as concerted conduct, but remanded for reconsideration of whether that protected activity was the reason for the firing. The opinion is a tour de force.

Joining Krause were Fuentes and Fisher. Arguing counsel were Dean Falavolito of Margolis Edelstein for the employer and Gregory Lauro for the NLRB.