Vencare Ancillary Services, Inc., Petitioner/cross-Respondent v. National Labor Relations Board, Respondent/cross-Petitioner

**What Happened** Five healthcare workers at Vencare Ancillary Services protested their working conditions by refusing to see patients while continuing to do their paperwork duties. The company fired them for insubordination. The workers filed complaints, claiming they were illegally retaliated against for engaging in protected workplace activity. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sided with the workers and ordered the company to reinstate them. **What the Court Decided** The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the NLRB's decision. The court ruled that the workers were not engaged in protected strike activity because they only performed part of their job duties while refusing others. This type of "partial strike" is not protected under federal labor law, so the company was legally allowed to fire them for insubordination. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that workers cannot selectively perform only parts of their job as a form of protest while expecting legal protection. If employees want to strike or protest working conditions, they generally need to either work normally or stop working entirely. Partial work stoppages may leave workers vulnerable to discipline or termination without legal recourse.