NLRB General Counsel Issues Case Handling Guidance

NLRB News Releases

Published February 27th, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The NLRB General Counsel has issued new case handling guidance (GC Memorandum 26-03) instructing Regional Offices to prioritize certain cases and protect the right of free association. This guidance aims to provide clear direction for securing the rights of American workers.

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What changed

NLRB General Counsel Crystal S. Carey has issued GC Memorandum 26-03, directing Regional Offices to focus on investigating priority cases and safeguarding the right of free association for employees. This guidance is intended to provide clear and actionable direction for the investigation of unfair labor practice charges and the protection of employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

Compliance officers for employers should review this guidance to understand the NLRB's current enforcement priorities. While this is internal guidance for NLRB offices, it signals an increased focus on specific types of cases, potentially leading to more investigations and charges related to free association rights and other priority matters. Understanding these priorities can help companies proactively assess their labor practices and prepare for potential NLRB scrutiny.

What to do next

Review GC Memorandum 26-03 for case handling priorities
Assess internal policies related to employee rights and free association

Source document (simplified)

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NLRB General Counsel Issues Case Handling Guidance

Office of Public Affairs

202-273-1991

publicinfo@nlrb.gov

www.nlrb.gov

February 27, 2026 Today, NLRB General Counsel Crystal S. Carey issued GC Memorandum 26-03.

The memorandum instructs the Regional Offices to focus their efforts on investigating priority cases and protecting the right of free association.

“As we move forward with this new guidance, my office is committed to providing clear and actionable direction for Regional offices to judiciously securing the rights of all American workers,” said General Counsel Carey.

Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employees from unfair labor practices and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year.