National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo yesterday issued a memorandum advising regional NLRB offices that she will be asking the Board to find that mandatory employee meetings held by some companies to persuade their workers to reject unionizing is a violation of federal labor law. In her 3-page memorandum, Abruzzo contends that such mandatory meetings are in violation of the National Labor Relations Act specifically in two circumstances: “when employees are (1) forced to convene on paid time or (2) cornered by management while performing their job duties.” She goes on to state that “In both cases, employees constitute a captive audience deprived of their statutory right to refrain, and instead are compelled to listen by threat of discipline, discharge, or other reprisal . . . “ Calling the Board’s existing (and long-held) position allowing for mandatory employee meetings a “license to coerce” and “an anomaly in labor law”, Abruzzo announced she will soon submit a brief to the Board articulating her argument and urging the Board to outlaw “captive audience meetings” in order to ensure full protection of employees’ statutory labor rights. The NLRB currently consists of 2 republican members and 3 democratic members.