Today, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reintroduced a proposed rule to ensure a more streamlined and fairer union election process for workers. In response, Jobs With Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta issued the following statement:

“We applaud the Board’s decision to reintroduce this commonsense rule. This modest reform would streamline the drawn-out union election system, reducing a number of obstacles faced by men and women trying to form a union to better their workplaces.

“Currently, workers who petition for a union election encounter delays of months and even years before an election is held, and some never get to vote at all. The current protracted election process sacrifices workers’ rights to an election and, instead, incentivizes coercive and often illegal activity by employers. This rule would cut back on senseless procedural delays, closing the loopholes employers have exploited for decades.

“Let’s be clear, this rule will only address employers’ cynical procedural maneuvers and not their anti-union conduct or communications with employees. There are countless examples of major corporations—like Walmart, Home Depot and Target—that subject employees to preemptive, intimidating anti-union campaigns, starting as early as their first day of work.
“In today’s upside-down economy, any attempt to restore some balance for working people is a good thing. While the agency’s proposed rule is a basic step toward protecting workers’ rights, much more needs to be done to fully address the significant challenges people face when they try to come together for a voice on the job.”