U.S. Labor Law Pitted Against Tribal Sovereignty In Union Suits

Three separate lawsuits have pitted the National Labor Relations Board’s authority against the sovereignty of Native American tribes. The cases concern workers for tribal casinos who attempted to organize unions and were dismissed as a result. The NLRB has demanded workers be reinstated, invoking the right to organize under the National Labor Relations Act, while the tribes have asserted tribal sovereignty. If the court sides with the NLRB, tribes contend they would suffer devastating economic and political damage.