NLRB v. Cook County School

**What Happened:** Cook County School Bus, Inc. tried to end its union contract and stop recognizing the workers' union in November 1999. The company claimed the contract allowed them to do this, but there was a problem: the contract contained a typo. While the company thought the contract could be terminated in 1999, the actual written termination date was November 30, 2001. During this time, labor law prevented the company from canceling the agreement or withdrawing recognition from the union. **What the Court Decided:** The Court of Appeals sided with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the school bus company. The court ruled that the company illegally terminated the union contract and wrongfully refused to recognize the union. The judges determined that the written contract terms controlled, not what the company believed the terms should be, and federal labor law protected the union agreement during the contract period. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This ruling reinforces that employers cannot simply walk away from union contracts based on their own interpretation when the written terms say otherwise. It shows that workers have legal protection during contract periods, and employers must honor their agreements even when they contain errors that favor workers.