--- title: "Other NLRB Reversals of Obama-Era Policies" description: "" url: "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/february-2018/other-nlrb-reversals-of-obama-era-policies" date: "2026-06-03T09:22:16+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # Other NLRB Reversals of Obama-Era Policies Written on March 27, 2020. While the above three cases involving a return to pre-Obama NLRB precedents are perhaps the most heavily publicized, there are other less publicized but also important reversals. Thus, the new majority has returned to earlier cases giving NLRB administrative law judges the discretion to approve settlement terms proposed by a respondent (usually the employer) over the objection of the NLRB General Counsel and the charging party (usually the union). *UPMC Shadyside Hospital*, 365 NLRB No. 153 (2017). Further, the new NLRB majority has given employers more leeway to make changes based on past practices such as changes in healthcare benefits without bargaining to impasse with the union. The new majority rule is that such actions do not constitute a change if they are similar in kind and agree with an established past practice consisting of comparable unilateral action. *Raytheon Network Centric Systems*, 365 NLRB No. 161 (2017). In still another ruling, the new Board members indicated in a footnote that the policy allowing for the halting of a union election if a union files unfair labor practice charges against the employer might soon be changed by a Republican-majority NLRB. *ADT Security Services*, a case involving a union decertification election. Further, on December 15, 2017, the Board voted to issue a request for comments on revising or rescinding the NLRB "quickie election" rule, which has resulted in the reduction of the time period from the filing of a union petition for an election to the election day itself, from about 40 days to about 21 days. Many likely changes in Board policy can be predicted from a memo to field offices sent out by the new NLRB General Counsel Robb, on November 8, 2017, which directs the NLRB regional officers to consult his office on cases involving precedent set on workers’ rights in the last eight years and others involving "significant legal issues." This directive also rescinded seven agency guidance memos issues by his predecessor. It should be noted, however, that since Republican-appointed member Miscimarra left the Board on December 16, 2017, no reversals of Obama-era precedent are likely to occur until a new Republican-appointed member is confirmed. - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ffebruary-2018%2Fother-nlrb-reversals-of-obama-era-policies.md&text=) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ffebruary-2018%2Fother-nlrb-reversals-of-obama-era-policies.md) - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Ffebruary-2018%2Fother-nlrb-reversals-of-obama-era-policies.md) - [](mailto:?subject=Other%20NLRB%20Reversals%20of%20Obama-Era%20Policies) ## Related Content ## Get Email Updates Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below. ## Recent Content [ February 2018 ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=164) [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)### [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53) [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)### [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53) [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)### [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53) [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)### [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53) [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)### [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53) [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)### [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) [Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221) The webinar will cover how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221) ### Additional Legal Resources [### Newsletter Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters) [### Books Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books) [### Alerts Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts) [### Articles Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/articles) [### Audits Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/audits) [### Events Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/events) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Publications", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Newsletters", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "February 2018", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/february-2018" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Other NLRB Reversals of Obama-Era Policies", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/february-2018/other-nlrb-reversals-of-obama-era-policies" } ] } ```