NLRB returns to its historical standard for deferring to arbitration both before and after the arbitral award

The NLRB has reversed its 2014 Babcock & Wilcox standard for deciding when the Board will defer to arbitration, both before (“pre-arbitral” deferrals) and after (“post-“) the arbitration itself has occurred. Now the burden is on the party resisting deferral (typically a union) not the party urging deferral (typically an employer), and the question is only whether (simplifying a 4-part test) the arbitration has/will provide a fair and full opportunity to litigate the same facts, not whether the CBA expressly provides for arbitration of ULP’s (charges alleging violations of the NLRA, technically called “unfair labor practices”) or whether the parties actually have litigated (or will) litigate the ULP.

Source:  UPS, Inc., 369 NLRB No. 1 (12/23/19).

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