Legal News

About Robein, Urann, Spencer, Picard & Cangemi, APLC.

RUSPC was established in 1984 to represent employees, labor unions and employee benefit funds in all areas of labor and employment law. RUSPC has represented affected classes of employees as plaintiffs in ERISA litigation and other employment litigation. RUSPC has also represented employees in collective actions for payment of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

RUSPC is recognized for its dedication to providing excellent service to our clients. RUSPC lawyers are former law clerks to state and federal judges, are active in the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, the Louisiana Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association and the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee and are frequent speakers on various labor and employment issues. Our lawyers have been recognized for their work in The Best Lawyers in America®. RUSPC lawyers have been peer rated as "AV" -- the highest rating for legal proficiency and ethical standards -- in reviews conducted by Martindale-Hubbell®.

Legal News:

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) March 29 introduced legislation (S. 1041) that would give workers the option to form a union through a National Labor Relations Board check of authorization cards signed by employees. read more . . . .

A newspaper company that barred employees from using the corporate e-mail system to discuss union matters but did not prevent other non-business uses of the system violated the National Labor Relations Act, the Fourth Circuit rules when it barred union related discussion on the e-mail system. read more . . . .

A federal appeals court rules that "emotional distress" damages are not taxable in employment cases. read more

Employees who receive "draws" and commissions are entitled to overtime under the FLSA. read more. . .

The Pension Protection Act was passed by Congress on August 3. This law addresses underfunding of defined benefit pension plans and may have a dramatic impact on those plans. read more . . .

. The Supreme Court rules in favor of employees by broadening the definition of retaliation under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. read more. . .

Time spent traveling and changing clothes may be work time for which wages and overtime must be paid. read more. . .

RUSPC News:

In recent cases handled by RUSPC lawyers:

– RUSPC is representing workers laid off with-out receiving 60 days advance notice as required by the federal WARN Act, and has filed suit on their behalf. read more . . . .

— the federal Fifth Circuit finds an arbitrator properly found a contract violation for subcontracting all bargaining unit work. read more. . .

— a judge finds that the City of New Orleans has improperly implemented and calculated a pay raise for firefighter . read more. , , ,

— an arbitrator has held that a refinery violated its labor contract by unilaterally adjusting its contributions for post-retirement medical care for certain employees. read more . . . .

— RUSPC has settled FLSA litigation with a CEO personally paying the amounts due to workers. read more. . . .

— RUSPC has joined with other firms to bring lawsuits against Katrina contractors to remedy violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. read more. . . .

— a judge has ruled that the City of Lafayette, Louisiana has unlawfully unilaterally reduced firefighter pay, in an attempt to limit overtime pay. read more. . . .

— a judge finds that firefighter forfeiture of sick or vacation leave during a pay period when an employee has a scheduled day off during a pay period is a violation of Louisiana law. read more . . . .

— an arbitrator reduces a discharge to a suspension, rejecting employer arguments that a knife used in connection with work was a weapon. read more. . .

— an arbitrator finds that an employer's job bidding process and award of a job was done in bad faith and violated the contract. read more. . .

— The NLRB finds that a New Orleans stevedore unlawfully implemented the terms of its last contract offer, using Hurricane Katrina as a means to try to undermine the union, in a case handled by RUSPC . read more. . .