On Thursday, July 7 at 10:00 a.m., the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), will hold a hearing entitled, "Rushing Union Elections: Protecting the Interests of Big Labor at the Expense of Workers’ Free Choice." The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
On June 22, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that could significantly alter existing rules governing union elections. The proposed procedures will substantially shorten the time between the filing of a petition for a union election and the election date, and limit the opportunity for a full and fair hearing of issues that may arise during the course of the election proceedings. Among other provisions, the proposal provides employers just seven days to prepare a case to present before the NLRB and eliminates any review by the Board of contested issues raised before the election.
Taken together, the NLRB’s proposed changes will restrict an employer’s ability to communicate with his or her employees and hinder a worker’s right to make a fully informed decision in a union election. According to Board Member Brian Hayes, elections generally occur within 31 days after a petition for an election is filed, yet the NRLB’s proposal may reduce that time to as little as 10 days. Thursday’s hearing will provide members the opportunity to examine the proposed rule and hear witness testimony about the potential impact on workers and employers.
To learn more about this hearing, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings. WITNESS LIST
Peter C. Schaumber
Former Board Member
National Labor Relations Board
Washington, D.C.
Michael J. Lotito
Partner
Jackson Lewis
San Francisco, CA
Larry Getts
Employee
Dana Corporation
Garrett, IN
John Carew
President
Carew Concrete & Supply Company, Inc.
Appleton, WI
Testifying on behalf of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Kenneth Dau-Schmidt
Professor of Labor and Employment Law
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
