Leslie is joined by Doug Bloch, Political Director for Teamster Joint Council 7 (in Northern California).

The two discuss the District of Columbia Court hearing oral arguments in the landmark
Browning-Ferries Industries (BFI) case in which the National Labor Relations Board ruled on joint employer status, protecting workers’ collective
bargaining rights on the job.

Republic Services, the country’s second-largest waste company and owner of BFI, appealed the NLRB’s joint employer decision. The NLRB maintained in court that its decision concerning joint employer status should be upheld.

This case originates with Teamsters Local 350 in California and its efforts to organize workers at BFI’s recycling facility in Milpitas, Calif., serving the city of San Jose. The union maintained BFI had control over wages and working conditions as a joint employer with a contractor company called Leadpoint.

A joint employer standard ensures companies claim responsibility for their employees, protecting health, safety and fairness in the workplace.