NLRB still weighing election rule changes

The National Labor Relations Board is still considering whether to roll back an Obama-era rule that sped up union elections, Chairman John Ring said today.

Speaking at a conference in New York, Ring said the board is “considering rulemaking regarding changes to the 2014 elections rules, the so-called ambush elections,” according to Bloomberg Law. “We are looking right now at different aspects of those election rules that may require some changes and will be addressing those in the coming months.”

The NLRB signaled it would revisit the rule in late 2017, publishing a request for information asking whether it should revise the policy or get rid of it altogether.

The 2014 rule sought to speed up union organizing by postponing litigation on eligibility issues until after an election takes place. It also scrapped a mandatory 25-day waiting period between when an election is ordered and when it takes place and required employers to release employees’ contact information to organizers. Supporters said it eliminated common stall tactics by businesses, while opponents argue it allowed unions to “ambush” employers with elections.