Federal judge in Texas blocks US labor board rule that would make it easier for workers to unionize

By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer

A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule by the National Labor Relations Board that would have made it easier for millions of workers to form unions at big companies. The rule, which was due to go into effect Monday, would have set new standards for determining when two companies should be considered “joint employers” in labor negotiations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups sued in November to block the rule. U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a summary judgement Friday after concluding that the NLRB’s new rule exceeds “the bounds of the common law.”