Midwinter Meeting of the ABA’s Labor Law Committee

The Committee on Development of the Law Under the National Labor Relations Act of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor & Employment Law is holding its Midwinter Meeting in Rancho Mirage, California from February 26 to March 1, 2006. The meeting, entitled “A Trip Though Oz,” will include panel discussions on the following topics:

“If I Only Had the Nerve” . . . I Would Analyze the Impact of Section 7 Rights on National Security Issues. Guardsmark, LLC, 344 NLRB No. 97 (2005); Firstline Transportation Security, Inc., 344 NLRB No. 124 (2005); IBM Corp., 341 NLRB No. 148 (2004).

“We’re Off to See the Wizards”: A Panel Discussion on the Record of the Bush Board – Return to Longstanding Precedent or Decimation of Worker Rights?

“If I Only had a Heart” . . . How Many of My Employees Would I Lock Out? Bunting Bearing Corp., 343 NLRB No. 64 (2004); Midwest Generation, EME, LLC, 343 NLRB No. 12 (2004); Allen Storage & Moving Co., Inc., 342 NLRB No. 44 (2004); Sociedad Espanola de Auxilio Mutuo y Beneficencia de P.R., 342 NLRB No. 40 (2004).

“Ding Dong the [Clear and Unmistakable Waiver Test for 8(d) Violations] is Dead” . . . Or is It? Bath Iron Works, 345 NLRB No. 33 (2005).

“Follow The Yellow Brick Road” . . . to an Understanding of the Board’s Views on Supervisor Pro-Union Conduct. Harborside Healthcare, Inc., 343 NLRB No. 100 (2004); Chinese Daily News, 344 NLRB No. 132 (2004); Glen’s Market, 34 NLRB No. 25 (2005).

“If I Only Had a Brain” . . . I Could Figure Out the Contours of Concerted Activity Versus Other Competing Rights. Quietflex Mfg. Co. L.P., 344 NLRB No. 130 (2005).

These sound like very interesting topics. Also, Chairman Battista, Members Liebman and Schaumber, and Acting General Counsel Rosenfeld will speak at the meeting. I wonder what they will make of the Wizard-of-Oz metaphor.