Region 14 Obtains Settlement For Teacher

On October 21, 2014, Subregion 17 approved a settlement agreement to resolve a complaint issued by the Regional Director on behalf of Michelle Emmons. Following an investigation of a charge filed by Ms. Emmons, the NLRB subregional office issued a complaint alleging that Imagine Ventures, Inc. d/b/a The Goddard School fired Ms. Emmons on May 6, 2014, because she engaged in discussions with other employees about the Company’s imposition of a wage freeze and other benefit reductions. The complaint also alleged that the Company told employees not to discuss their wages, implied that it was monitoring employees’ protected activities, and maintained policies in its employee manual that prohibited employees from discussing their wages and other terms and conditions of employment. As a result of the settlement, the Company agreed to revise its employee manual to remove the unlawful policies, to post a notice informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, and to read the notice to employees during a staff meeting. Although Emmons waived her right to reinstatement, she received an undisclosed financial settlement to resolve her discharge claim.

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act gives employees the right to form, join, or assist a union; the right to act together with other employees for their benefit and protection by protesting or seeking to improve their wages, benefits or other terms and conditions of employment; the right to speak, write or communicate with fellow employees or others about their wages, benefits or other terms and conditions of employment; and the right to refrain from any or all of these activities. Employees are encouraged to contact their local NLRB office with questions about their rights under the Act.