The Protection on the Picket Line Act would amend federal labor law to allow employers to discipline employees for harassment or abuse that occurs during strike activities and other protected labor actions, a change from current law that generally prevents such discipline. Under the bill, employers could take disciplinary action against employees for this conduct only if the National Labor Relations Board's General Counsel first shows the employee was engaged in protected activity, the employer knew about it, and the employer was motivated by opposition to that activity. Even then, the employer must prove it would have taken the same disciplinary action anyway if the protected activity hadn't occurred. The bill essentially makes it easier for companies to punish workers for aggressive or abusive behavior on picket lines while still requiring proof that the discipline wasn't simply retaliation for union organizing or striking. The legislation contains no specific funding allocations or implementation timelines.
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