Big labor regulators plan to propose the anti-business rule tomorrow that beats down the democratic process of labor elections to as little as 10 to 21 days from the filing of a petition.
The current process of allowing labor elections to take place within 40 to 60 days after a union collects signatures to file a petition allows employers to facilitate solutions with employees’ concerns during the 40 to 60 day time frame.
The current 40 to 60 day window is necessary to ensure fair and democratic elections occur. Since it is the union that decides when the election will take place, employers are afforded 40 to 60 days to ensure that their side of the story is heard. Unions may spend months organizing workers—ensuring that all their ducks are in a row—and will only call an election once they are certain they have a good chance at success. Undeniably, employers cannot explain their position, dismantle myths put for by the union, and educate workers in a measly ten days.
The lone Republican, Brian Hayes, on the Democratic controlled board wrote in his dissent obtained by the Associated Press (AP) that the new rule proposal “effectively eviscerates an employer's legitimate opportunity to express its views."
On the labor side, according to the AP, Lynn Rhinehart, general counsel of the AFL-CIO, has stated the election process is "a very cumbersome process".
The “cumbersome process” that the mouthpiece for big labor is referring to allows an employer – the one who created the job in the first place – to find a middle ground with the employees. Closing the window to as little 10 to 21 days discourages and essentially eliminates a personal, pragmatic relationship employers have with their employees.
Big labor’s move to cut the employer out of the picture is not hard to figure out: unions will be able to organize more uninformed workers to join which will increase the declining membership numbers nationwide.
This move is a raw deal for employers, employees, and every working American.
Employers and employees have 75 days to submit comments to the NLRB before the agency makes its decisions on whether the rule will go into affect.
You can help ensure employers and employees can operate hand in hand.
Pick up the phone and call NLRB’s board members and tell them closing the window on union elections is a raw deal for employers, employees, and every working American.
o Wilma B. Liebman, Chairman – 202-273-1700
o Craig Becker – 202-273-1740
o Mark G. Pearce – 202-273-1070
o Brian Hayes – 202-273-1770