NLRB Does a U-Turn on Make-Whole Settlement Remedies, Part II

Host Tom Godar welcomes back to the show Husch Blackwell attorney Mary-Ann Czak for the second installment of a two-part discussion on a recently published memorandum from William Cowen, Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The memo sets forth guidelines for NLRB regions to use in approaching settlement agreements that urge NLRB personnel to “focus on pursuing foreseeable harms that are clearly caused by the unfair labor practice.” In Part I of our show, Tom and Mary-Ann explore how the memo could lead to a reduction of the board’s pursuit of expansive make-whole remedies that had created significant dissatisfaction among management-side counsel.In Part II, Tom and Mary-Ann discuss the possibility of seeing more non-admission clauses as part of settlement agreements under the current NLRB. The use of these clauses saw a sharp decline during the Biden administration as a matter of board policy; however, the Cowen memo seemingly rolls back this approach, providing the regions with ample latitude to incorporate non-admission clauses as they see fit.Tom and Mary-Ann then consider the issue of non-admission clauses from a more holistic standpoint vis-à-vis the Cowen memo. They contend that the memo restores a level of discretion to the regions, while attempting to strike a more practical-minded balance in the enforcement of labor law violations.The conversation then moves on to consider the NLRB’s 2022 Thryv case, which expanded available remedies under the National Labor Relations Act, and how Thryv might be approached by a newly constituted board.Don’t miss this episode covering how NLRB policy could be changing regarding settlements.Related MaterialsNational Labor Relations Board Office of the General Counsel. “Seeking Remedial Relief in Settlement Agreements,” Memorandum GC 25-06, May 16, 2025.National Labor Relations Board Office of the General Counsel, “Full Remedies in Settlement Agreements,” Memorandum GC 21-07, September 15, 2021.Thryv Inc. and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1269, case number 20-CA-250250, before the National Labor Relations Board.