Federal court halts 'persuader' reporting rule

A federal judge in Texas today issued a permanent national injunction blocking the Department of Labor’s persuader rule. The court previously issued a temporary injunction pending a decision on the merits of the underlying challenge to the rule, bought by National Federation of Independent Business, Texas Association of Business, Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Home, and Texas Association of Builders. The rule would have expanded the circumstances obligating employers and labor consultants to report activities undertaken to encourage employees to vote for or against union representation, or take a certain position with respect to collective bargaining proposals. The rule also is subject to several other pending court challenges, including one brought by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, whose members include the AHA.