Washington, DC (December 22, 2011) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced new guidelines that give union organizers the upper hand over independent-minded employees in representation elections which will be implemented on April 30, 2012.
The new rules dictating how union organizing elections are conducted are designed to dramatically shorten the time individual workers have to share information with their coworkers about the effects of unionization. The new rules were rushed out before former Service Employees International Union (SEIU) lawyer and Obama recess appointee Craig Becker’s NLRB term expires, at which point the NLRB will drop to two members and no longer have a quorum necessary to take any action.
Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation – the nation’s leading advocate for workers who suffer from the abuses of compulsory unionism – released the following statement in the wake of the NLRB’s announcement:
“Christmas came early for Big Labor as the Obama Labor Board has once again given union bosses increased power to ambush workers into dues-paying union ranks.
“The NLRB’s new ambush union organizing election rules make union organizing campaigns even more one-sided and stifle the rights of employees who may oppose unionization in their workplace.
“Although a secret ballot election can’t prevent the fundamental violation of individual rights that occurs under union boss monopoly bargaining, at the very least an election period is needed that gives workers enough time to educate their coworkers about the potential impact of unionization after months or even years of union organizing and propaganda.
“This power grab reminds us once again that the Big Labor-dominated NLRB and in fact federal labor law is not written and enforced to help workers but to empower union officials with unique and damaging privileges designed to bolster their power and revenue.”
In August, the Foundation filed comments opposing the new rules because they expand union bosses’ compulsory unionism powers. Foundation staff attorneys are already combing through the details of the 205 page rules and considering possible legal challenges.
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.
