Untangling the Web? Senator Introduces Bill to Reverse Obama-Era Ambush Union Election Rules

During President Obama’s two terms in office, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a slew of game-changing decisions and rules affecting labor-management relations in the U.S. Perhaps none more so than the “ambush election rules” that took effect in April 2015. Those rules dramatically shortened the time an employer has to campaign against a union prior to an election in its workplace, among other things, and they continue to make headlines. On June 15, a group of senators, led by labor committee chair Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), introduced the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act in an effort to undo the ambush election rules, including by guaranteeing that companies have at least 35 days to conduct a campaign in advance of any union vote. The Act would provide protections to employees as well, such as shielding some personal contact information from union organizers. Additional context can be gleaned from this press release. This comes just weeks after Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) introduced the “Representation Fairness Restoration Act” that would amend the National Labor Relations Act to prevent unions from going after fragmented “micro bargaining units.” Lots of legislative activity brewing on the labor relations front. We’ll see if any of it gains traction.

• RELATED TOPICS
• Labor Unions
• Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act