NLRB Ruling Lets Employers Limit Use of E-mail Systems

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers have the right to prohibit workers from using the company's e-mail system to send out union-related messages, a decision that could hamper communications between labor unions and their membership. In a 3-to-2 ruling, the board held that it was legal for employers to prohibit union-related e-mail so long as employers had a policy barring employees from sending e-mail for "non-job-related solicitations" for outside organizations.