Proposed NLRB Rules Would Shorten Union Elections

On June 22, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register proposing rules that, if adopted, would make it significantly easier for unions to organize new members. More specifically, the proposed rules are designed to expedite the representation election process by:

• Allowing election petitions, election notices and voter lists to be transmitted electronically, thus streamlining the election process for unions;
• Requiring the Regional Director to set a pre-election hearing to begin seven days after a hearing notice is served, thus posing a burden on businesses who might not have immediate access to counsel;