National Labor Relations Board v. Pier Sixty, LLC

**What Happened:** Hernan Perez worked at Pier Sixty, a catering company. He posted on Facebook criticizing his supervisor and encouraging his coworkers to join a union. The company fired him for this Facebook post, claiming it was inappropriate and insulting toward management. **What the Court Decided:** The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the National Labor Relations Board and against Pier Sixty. The court found that the company illegally fired Perez for union-related activities. Even though Perez's Facebook post was harsh and insulting toward his supervisor, the court determined it was still protected speech under federal labor law because it was connected to encouraging union organizing among his coworkers. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This ruling strengthens workers' rights to discuss unions and workplace issues on social media, even when those discussions include criticism of supervisors or management. Workers can't be fired simply for encouraging unionization online, even if their language is strong or unflattering toward their bosses. However, there are still limits – the speech must be related to legitimate workplace concerns or union activities to receive protection under federal labor law.