A recent D.C. Circuit decision has nullified an NLRB order requiring Google and Cognizant to bargain with unionized YouTube Music workers after their contract ended. The court ruled the case was moot since the companies' contract expired in February 2024, ending the employment relationship that grounded the joint-employer dispute. The NLRB had previously found both firms violated labor law by refusing to bargain, but the court said no relief was possible once the contract lapsed. The ruling underscores how contract timelines can directly impact joint-employer cases under the NLRA.
See "D.C. Circuit Erases NLRB Joint Employer Order After Google-Cognizant Contract Lapses", Joshua S. Fox, The National Law Review, April 29, 2025