First Healthcare Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board

**What happened:** First Healthcare Corporation, which operates multiple healthcare facilities, had a policy that prevented off-duty employees from entering non-working areas at facilities other than where they normally worked. Employees wanted to use these areas to talk to coworkers about joining a union and to hand out union materials. The company said no, arguing they could restrict access to their facilities. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigated and ruled that the company's policy violated workers' rights under federal labor law. **What the court decided:** The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the NLRB against First Healthcare Corporation. The court denied the company's appeal and upheld the NLRB's order, confirming that the company had illegally violated the National Labor Relations Act by blocking off-duty employees from accessing non-working areas at other company locations for union activities. **Why this matters for workers:** This decision protects workers' rights to organize unions across multiple workplace locations owned by the same employer. Employees can now visit non-working areas at their company's other facilities during off-duty time to discuss unions with coworkers and distribute union information, as long as it doesn't interfere with business operations.