After A Long Wait, the NLRB Has Finalized the "Quickie Election" Rules

The NLRB has finalized the amendments to its quickie election rules and will publish these rules in Thursday's Federal Register. The new rules eliminate avenues for employers to challenge union activity prior to an election and also shorten time periods during which employers can campaign against unionization. This departure from the historical norm comes just days before controversial Democratic Board Member Craig Becker's term is set to expire. Without Becker, the Board will be reduced to two members and will be unable to act.

Barnes & Thornburg has obtained an advance copy of the new rules which can be found here. The Board has also posted a short, technical summary on its website which can be found here.

I n response, the National Chamber Litigation Center and the Coalition for a Demo cratic Workplace filed a lawsuit Tuesday evening in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the new rules. A copy of that complaint can be found here.

The new rules become effective on April 30, 2012.

UPDATE: Barnes & Thornburg issued a legal Alert that outlines the various changes to the NLRB's election rules. You can read the entire Alert by simply clicking here.