National Labor Relations Board Proposes New Rule to Streamline Union-Forming Process

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has proposed a new rule that is designed to simplify its secret ballot election process by which employees form a union. The NLRB is a federal agency that is responsible for holding elections so workers can vote on whether or not they want to join a particular union. 

The board is proposing the rule to “fix flaws in the board’s current procedures that build in unnecessary delays, allow wasteful litigation, and fail to take advantage of modern communication technologies.” 

Under current board procedures, workers looking to form unions face delays that can last months, sometimes even years, before they get to vote. Some never get to vote at all. The rule will give workers a fair chance to vote on whether to form a union.

“Ensuring workers have a fair chance to vote and to join a union, should they so choose, is a pillar of our democracy as well as our economy,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.  “The right to join together to form a union can help restore our middle class, put foods on the table of working families, and stabilize communities that are reeling from loss of income.”

The Board has instituted a 60-day comment period, which gives individuals, organizations, and companies an opportunity to weigh in on the effect the proposed rule would have on workers and employers.