Senator DeMint (R-SC) Introduces Bill to Prevent NLRB "Quickie Elections"
Just over a week after the National Labor Relations Board held two days of hearings on its proposed rule to shorten the time between the filing of a petition and the conduct of a representation election, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) introduced “The Fair Representation in Elections Act of 2011” (S. 1425). The bill would guarantee that no representation election is held within forty (40) days after the filing of a petition, and until the Regional Director has resolved all jurisdictional, unit determination and eligibility issues.
When the NLRB announced its intent to change election procedures earlier this year, it claimed that "[t]he proposed amendments are intended to reduce unnecessary litigation, streamline pre- and post-election procedures, and facilitate the use of electronic communications and document filing." However, as many speakers opined during the July 18 and 19 hearings, the proposed amendments to the NLRB's Rules and Regulations will also have a drastic effect on an employer's ability to respond to organizing campaigns and for employees to become educated about the advantages and disadvantages of union representation and collective bargaining.
At least six (6) other Republican Senators joined as original co-sponsors of DeMint's bill which is obviously directly at odds with the Board's efforts in this area.
