For Immediate Release: Monday, July 18, 2011
Contact: Phoebe Silag or Karen Conner, news@epi.org 202-775-8810

Proposed workplace election rules are positive step, says Economic Policy Institute

The National Labor Relations Board recently proposed new rules to make union elections more democratic.  A policy memo, Proposed rule changes by Labor Board would make workplace elections more democratic, released today by the Economic Policy Institute, sees the proposed rules as a positive and important, if modest, step toward making workplace elections more democratic.

The new rule proposals focus on guaranteeing that management and employees have equal access to the list of potential voters, and on removing incentives for frivolous legal claims whose purpose is to artificially delay the vote for partisan purposes.  Under the new roles, hearings on legal and logistical objections regarding the election will be held after the election if they affect less than 20% of potential voters, with ballots impounded until all claims that might affect the election’s outcome have been resolved.

EPI vice president Ross Eisenbrey will speak in favor of the proposed rule changes today at the National Labor Relations Board public meeting. Click here for his remarks.