Businesses brace for game-changing labor decision
Business leaders in Washington are bracing for a labor ruling that they warn would redefine what constitutes an employer in the United States, exposing thousands of companies to new liabilities and potentially upending entire industries.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is widely expected to rule by months end that Browning-Ferris Industries, a Houston-based waste-disposal company, is a joint employer of workers provided to the firm by a staffing agency, experts say. As a result, the company would be forced to collectively bargain with those employees and could be held liable for any labor violations committed against them.
Such a decision could hit companies from a host of industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, construction, financial service providers, cleaning services and security.
The expected action would be the latest in a string of major wins for labor groups under the Obama administration, which has already issued several sweeping executive actions on worker protections and wages.
http://thehill.com/regulation/labor/250880-businesses-brace-for-game-changing-labor-decision