At a gathering of the National Restaurant Association’s legal arm, lawyers and executives grappled with a worker uprising.
by Julia Rock, The Lever
“Comrades,” said Chappell Phillips, as he grabbed the microphone, “please do not leave the conference. It’s all better from here.”

Phillips, an executive at the buffet restaurant chain Golden Corral, stood at a podium in the front of a hotel ballroom in Atlanta, before some one hundred restaurant executives and managers and union avoidance lawyers mingling and sipping weak coffee.
Minutes earlier, the government’s top labor watchdog had been standing at the same podium delivering the keynote speech here at the October 2022 summit of the Restaurant Law Center, the legal arm of the National Restaurant Association.
Lobbying groups often invite government officials to their conferences to curry favor or gain insight into regulatory developments. But America’s chief enforcer of federal labor law at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had not stuck to the proverbial script.
Recent Posts
Another U.S. Soldier Is Dead as Iran War Casualties Rise
September 23, 2026
Take Action Now An additional 66 U.S. personnel were wounded in action this month, pushing the official count of Iran war casualties above 850.By…
ICE “Disappears” Thousands Ordered to Be Deported From Detainee Locator
September 23, 2026
Take Action Now This could make it “nearly impossible” for some people to challenge their deportation orders, an attorney said.By Sharon Zhang,…
Austin Man Shot by ICE Facing Paralysis After Being Refused Medical Care
September 22, 2026
Take Action Now “This isn’t law enforcement,” said U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. “It’s lawlessness.”By Julia Conley, Common Dreams…
Oregon Data Centers by the Numbers: 111 Facilities Consume Nearly One-Quarter of State’s Power, According to New Report
September 22, 2026
Take Action Now A first-of-its-kind report details the footprint of the controversial facilities.By Kyra Buckley, Oregon Public Broadcasting For…




