Stabley v. Bank of America, N.A.

**What Happened** Stabley, a Bank of America employee, was fired and believed the termination was wrongful. He filed a lawsuit against the bank seeking to get his job back or receive compensation for the firing. The case involved questions about timing requirements under federal labor law. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled against Stabley and dismissed his case. The judge found that Stabley waited too long to file his lawsuit. Under the National Labor Relations Act, workers have only six months to file certain claims after they're fired. The court determined that this six-month deadline had passed, even though Stabley had been trying to resolve the issue through his union first. The court said pursuing union remedies wouldn't have helped anyway, so the clock kept ticking during that time. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling highlights a crucial timing issue for unionized workers who face wrongful termination. Workers cannot assume that pursuing grievances through their union will pause legal deadlines for filing lawsuits. If you believe you were wrongfully fired, it's important to understand that you may have only six months to take legal action, regardless of what other remedies you're pursuing simultaneously.