Seyfarth Synopsis: In a split decision, the NLRB ruled that off-duty employees of an acute care hospital had the right to picket the hospital's main lobby entrance.
After the collective bargaining agreement between acute care hospital Capital Medical Center ("the Hospital") and UFCW Local 21 ("the Union") expired on September 30, 2012 and the parties engaged in negotiations for months, the Union and some bargaining unit employees decided to engage in picketing and handbilling at the Hospital. During this union activity, off-duty employees distributed handbills at the main lobby entrance of the hospital and the physicians' pavilion entrance. In addition, a group of employees distributed handbills and carried picket signs along the public sidewalk next to the hospital driveway. The Hospital did not interfere with these activities. Later in the day, at least two off-duty employees went to the main lobby entrance of the Hospital with their picket signs, and one of the employees also distributed leaflets at the lobby entrance for a short period of time while holding her picket sign. The Hospital informed the picketing employees that they were welcome to remain at the doorway and hand out leaflets, but that they were not allowed on Hospital property with their picket signs. The picketers disregarded their employer's instruction and remained at the lobby entrance with their picket signs. The Hospital contacted the police, who said he would not force the picketers to leave because they were not being disruptive or blocking doors or ingress and egress.
In Capital Medical Center, 364 NLRB No. 69 (August 12, 2016), a split panel of the NLRB decided that the Hospital violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") by attempting to prevent the off-duty employees from picketing, threatening the employees with discipline and arrest for engaging in picketing, and contacting the police in an effort to have the picketing ended. The majority did not rule that off-duty employees have an absolute right to picket a hospital's lobby entrance, but cited the standard enunciated by the Supreme Court in Republic Aviation Corp. v. NLRB, 324 U.S. 793 (1945) that employee rights under Section 7 of the NLRA must be balanced against employer property rights and business interests. Accordingly, picketing could be restricted if an employer shows that the restriction is required to maintain discipline and production. Recognizing that acute care hospitals involve special considerations, the majority noted that hospitals may prohibit picketing in non-patient care areas if necessary to prevent patient disturbance or disruption of health care operations. However, the majority decided that the Hospital did not show that the picketing in this case created any such disturbance or disruption or that restricting picketing was required to maintain discipline and production. The majority felt that the presence of individuals peacefully holding picket signs near the main entrance to the Hospital was not likely to be any more disruptive or disturbing than the handbilling that the Hospital allowed.
The dissent, Member Miscimarra, felt that the majority improperly applied standards governing on-premises solicitation and distribution and applied them to on-premises picketing, noting that picketing is very different than other modes of communication and that the very presence of picketers on hospital property could disturb patients entering and exiting the facility. Member Miscimarra opined that the Hospital should have been allowed to restrict the on-premises picketing in this case.
Employer Takeaway: Be prepared to allow off-duty employees to come onto employer property and even position themselves at entrances while holding picket signs. Before restricting off-duty employees from such picketing, make sure there is evidence of real potential patient disturbance or disruption. Conclusory statements that picketers could deter patients (or customers) from entering or, the acute care context, impact the healing environment will be insufficient. In the case the a hospital, the NLRB will likely want to see evidence of the following types of behavior for a hospital to be able to lawfully restrict picketing: patrolling the doorway, marching in formation, chanting and making noise, creating a barrier to entrances/exits, or other behavior that actually disturbed patients or disrupted hospital operations.
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