The National Labor Relations Board moved a step closer Wednesday to streamlining the union organizing elections process. The board passed a resolution that would prohibit employers from stalling union election votes with pre-election appeals.
NLRB chairman Mark Pearce and board member Craig Becker, whose recess appointment expires at the end of the year, voted to approve the elections resolution [PDF]. It is subject to a final vote before being published in the Federal Register.
A day ahead of the vote, Pearce said that the amendments would not affect uncontested—or about 90 percent—of union elections.
“Rather, the amendments would apply to the minority of elections which are held up by needless litigation and disputes which need not be resolved prior to an election,” he said. “In these contested elections, employees have to wait an average of 101 days to cast a ballot.”
