Stagehands Referral Service, LLC v. National Labor Relations Board

**What Happened** Stephen Foti applied for membership in a union that operated a referral service for stagehands (workers who set up equipment for concerts and events). When the union rejected his membership application, they also stopped referring him for jobs. Foti complained that the union was punishing him for being rejected, rather than making referral decisions based on his skills and qualifications. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the National Labor Relations Board, which had found the union violated federal labor law. The court ruled that the union illegally retaliated against Foti by cutting off his job referrals simply because his membership application was denied. The union should have based referral decisions on objective criteria like experience and qualifications, not on whether someone was accepted as a member. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling protects workers from union retaliation when they're denied membership. Even if a union rejects your application to join, they cannot punish you by blocking your access to job opportunities if they control hiring referrals. Unions must use fair, objective standards when deciding who gets referred for work, regardless of membership status.