Engelhard Corp v. NLRB

**Engelhard Corp v. NLRB: Workers Win Right to Peaceful Protest** This case involved 38 employees of Engelhard Corporation who participated in a peaceful demonstration at the company's shareholders' meeting. The company suspended these workers, claiming their protest violated a clause in their union contract that prohibited strikes and lockouts. The workers filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), arguing that their suspension was illegal retaliation. The NLRB agreed with the workers and ordered the company to reinstate them. When Engelhard Corporation challenged this decision in federal court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the workers and the NLRB in February 2006. The court ruled that the peaceful demonstration did not violate the contract's no-strike provision because it wasn't a traditional work stoppage. The company could not legally suspend workers for this type of peaceful protest activity. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling protects employees' rights to engage in peaceful demonstrations and protests related to their workplace, even at company events like shareholders' meetings. Employers cannot automatically claim that such activities violate no-strike clauses in union contracts. Workers have broader protection to express their concerns publicly without fear of suspension or termination.