Health care institution labor law: case law developments, 1974-78

This Article examines the key National Labor Relations Board and federal court interpretations of the much-heralded 1974 Health Care Institution Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act. It analyzes NLRB decisions that have resulted in a proliferation of separate employee bargaining units at health care facilities, and that have applied the strike notice provisions of the NLRA to labor disputes involving building trade employees engaged in construction at operating health care facilities. In addition, the Article examines the Board's decision to decline jurisdiction over employee unions representing interns and residents, and summarizes both the special NLRB rules designed to apply to union solicitation of employees at health care facilities and the conflicting circuit court decisions that have modified the Board's specialized solicitation rules.