In the complaint filed last week, Labor Secretary Julie Su asked the court to order UMR to bring its procedures for handling claims in line with the law and re-adjudicate claims denied since 2015.

"Unions are on a playing field that has never been more favorable for them, at least not in the last decade," says one legal expert.

"It's critical to have executive buy-in and sponsors for each of the ERGs so that members' voices can be heard, carried, and championed," says Sona Khosla