The Labor Law Insider

In this episode, Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar , and his special guest, Adam Doerr , continue to explore the momentum shift away from the extreme interpretations of the Biden-appointed National Labor Relation Board. In part 1, published earlier in April, the focus was on recent decisions of the Board, limiting the reach of the interpretation of authority imposed in decisions such as Thryv . Ada...

There seemed to be another type of madness going on this past month. NLRB called a foul on Jireh Plumbing as it tried to block imposition of a union without an election, ignoring historic precedent established by the Cemex decision. Join host Tom Godar and all-star guest Adam Doerr as they explore recent board decisions which continue NLRB’s shift back in favor of Team Employer. Part 1 leans into...

Join Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar and his special guest, Insider veteran Terry Potter , as they move into part 2 of their discussion of changes in people and policy at the National Labor Relations Board. This show highlights the new interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act (Act) that are emerging under the Trump era NLRB, and offers solid advice about crafting workplace policies and...

Now that the NLRB has reached a quorum and appointed a new General Counsel, Labor Law Insider host  Tom Godar sits down for a timely conversation with Insider veteran,  Terry Potter . Terry’s experience as a former NLRB attorney and his decades in private practice guiding employers make this a must-listen episode. The new Board will change the way it tackles issues of union elections, remedies for...

As we welcome the new year, host Tom Godar continues his discussion with Elizabeth Filter, CEO of VARC Inc., as she shares insights from her experience as a servant-leader. Her journey of successfully growing an enterprise that has focused on creating opportunities for people with disabilities while meeting the exacting demands of manufacturers is an inspiring story. Liz offers an overview of her...

Host  Tom Godar is delighted to welcome Elizabeth Filter, CEO of VARC, Inc., to the Labor Law Insider podcast for a two-part discussion on expanding a business in an increasingly challenging environment. In this special episode, Liz, best described as a servant leader, explains how creating a responsive, resilient, and respectful culture can drive organizational and individual success. She shines...

Host Tom Godar welcomes Husch Blackwell attorneys Tom O’Day and Tracey O’Brien to the podcast for the second part of a two-part discussion on employee restrictive covenants, including noncompete agreements. Tom begins this timely episode by highlighting the September 10 directive from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson. The FTC is still in the business of policing noncompete agre...

Host  Tom Godar welcomes Husch Blackwell attorneys  Tom O’Day and  Tracey O’Brien to the podcast for a two-part discussion on employee restrictive covenants, including noncompete agreements. Our conversation kicks off with a summary of what constitutes a restrictive covenant and federal agency stances toward noncompete agreements over time. Tom, Tom, and Tracey review how the Biden administration...

Host  Tom Godar welcomes to the show Husch Blackwell partner  Jon Anderson for the second installment of a two-part conversation with Howard Bellman , a fixture in the world of dispute resolution for many decades who has helped to shape the procedures and fora associated with mediation and arbitration in Wisconsin and nationally. In this episode, Tom and Jon build on their prior discussion with Ho...

Host  Tom Godar welcomes to the show Husch Blackwell partner  Jon Anderson to help him lead a two-part conversation with  Howard Bellman , a fixture in the world of dispute resolution for many decades who has helped to shape the procedures and fora associated with mediation and arbitration in Wisconsin and nationally.  In Part I, our conversation covers the broad contours of dispute resolution wit...

Host  Tom Godar welcomes back to the show Husch Blackwell attorney  Mary-Ann Czak for the second installment of a two-part discussion on a  recently published memorandum from William Cowen, Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The memo sets forth guidelines for NLRB regions to use in approaching settlement agreements that urge NLRB personnel to “focus on pursuing fo...

Host  Tom Godar welcomes back Husch Blackwell attorney  Mary-Ann Czak for a two-part discussion on a  recently published memorandum from William Cowen, acting general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The memo sets forth guidelines for NLRB regions to use in approaching settlement agreements that urge NLRB personnel to “focus on pursuing foreseeable harms that are clearly cause...

Host Tom Godar welcomes Husch Blackwell colleague Adam Doerr back to the show for the second and final part of a conversation exploring how organized labor has approached the early days of Trump 2.0. In this episode, Tom and Adam further consider trends in unfair labor practice filings with the National Labor Relations Board, including how allegations are framed up and presented to the Board for i...

Host Tom Godar welcomes Husch Blackwell colleague Adam Doerr to the show for a two-part episode to discuss how organized labor has approached the early days of Trump 2.0. Among other actions, the administration dismissed the National Labor Relations Board’s Chair and General Counsel in late-January 2025, establishing a change of direction for the board.  In Part I of the show, Tom and Adam discuss...

Husch Blackwell’s Tracy Wolf and Rufino Gaytán continue their engaging discussion with Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar regarding changes being initiated at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under the Trump administration. The conversation explores questions about the viability of mandates under the NRLB’s recent Cemex and Stericycle decisions. The discussion also tackles the impact of a m...

The firing of National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo—and the rescission of many of the policies initiated under the Biden administration—is just the start of the new administration’s overhaul of labor policy. Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar welcomes Husch Blackwell’s Rufino Gaytán and Tracy Wolf for this fascinating discussion that takes stock of where we are now and, mor...

Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar is joined by attorneys Tyler Paetkau and Jason Montgomery to discuss the ever-changing labor law implications for college athletes. We dive into the issue of whether student athletes have the ability to be recognized as employees for purposes of forming unions and to receive compensation for use of their name, image and likeness. This engaging conversation explores...

Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar is joined by Husch Blackwell attorneys Mary-Ann Czak and Rufino Gaytán in Part II of our post-election analysis of labor law and policy.  The Insiders discuss anticipated Trump administration changes that will likely reverse some of the policies and decisions of the current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and its General Counsel. Our guests review seminal cas...

Husch Blackwell attorneys Mary-Ann Czak and Rufino Gaytán join Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar in a post-election analysis of anticipated policy changes in connection with the incoming Trump administration.  The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) became stridently pro-union under the leadership of its General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and the majority of the board members appointed by President...

Husch Blackwell partner Tyler Paetkau joins Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar to discuss the latest assault on non-compete agreements and their various iterations. While an August 2024 district court order enjoined the Federal Trade Commission’s recent action to ban virtually all non-compete agreements, and the FTC has since withdrawn its noncompete opinion, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB...

In Part II of this exclusive Labor Law Insider podcast, former National Labor Relations Board Assistant Regional Director Rebecca Dormon continues to share her story of becoming a whistleblower against the federal agency she served for 25 years. Husch Blackwell’s Tom Godar and Megann McManus —and now you—are the first to hear the details of this transformative journey that shines a light on irregu...

The Labor Law Insider is excited to share this episode, an exclusive interview with Rebecca Dormon, former assistant regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 15, as she shares her story for the first time of election abuse in ballot elections conducted over the last year and a half. Rebecca tells host Tom Godar and Husch Blackwell attorney Megann McManus how she became...

In part two of this thought-provoking podcast episode on the tricky business of collective bargaining, Husch Blackwell attorneys Jon Anderson and Adam Doerr share war stories and real-life advice with host Tom Godar . Their discussion covers, among other items, how to deal with theatrics at the bargaining table, what to do when it looks like negotiations are getting stuck, and how do you bring bar...

Our Labor Law Insiders tackle the tricky business of collective bargaining in parts one and two of this Labor Law Insider. Host Tom Godar shares the microphone with Husch Blackwell attorneys Jon Anderson and Adam Doerr who have spent countless hours with scores of unions locked into the process of collective bargaining. Listen to their insights on bargaining preparation, agreements between the par...

Labor Law Insiders Trecia Moore , Megann McManus , and Terry Potter continue their discussion with Labor Law Insider host Tom Godar regarding remedies the National Labor Relations Board is trying to impose for unfair labor practices. The Fifth Circuit overturned the Board’s Thryv  decision and described the Board proposed remedies as “Draconian” and containing a “novel, consequential-damages-like...