Thus, it is an unfair labor practice under the NLRA if an employer dominates, interferes with or contributes financial or other support to any labor organization. Also, the NLRA very broadly defines a labor organization as any organization in which employees participate, including any employee representation committee, that exists to deal with employers on grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment of other conditions of work.
Many employers believe that employee committees foster more productive workplaces.
There are an estimated 30,000 employee committees and teams in existence today. To date, nearly 20 lawsuits have been filed, against both union and nonunion companies, challenging specific employee committees as constituting impermissible employer-dominated labor organizations and unfair labor practices. A recent case involving Polaroid Corporation illustrates how difficult it is for an employer to defend against such suits. The legal decisions A policy objective of the NLRA is to prevent intentional and unintentional employer interference with labor unions' right to organize and represent employees, even in situations where employees are not currently organized. Thus, it is an unfair labor practice under the NLRA if an employer dominates, interferes with or contributes financial or other support to any labor organization.