FINAL RULE IMPLEMENTING EXECUTIVE ORDER 13201

March 31, 2004

By Wendy Moore Shelton

On March 29, 2004, the Office of Labor-Management Standards published the final rule implementing Executive Order 13201. The effective date is April 28, 2004. Nonexempt government contracts, subcontracts and purchase orders entered after that date must contain a clause reflecting the language of the required posted notice that federal labor laws give workers certain rights regarding union membership and use of union dues and fees. The exact language for the notice and clause is set out in the rule, which is known as the Beck rule as it reflects the rights articulated in Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988).

You may contact a member of the WLW&S Labor and Employment Group for assistance with posting and/or notice obligations.

Wendy Moore Shelton is a shareholder in the Firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group and resides in the Firm's Jackson office. She may be contacted at (601) 949-4856 or you may e-mail her at wshelton@watkinsludlam.com.