In an article published by Washington Healthcare News, Stoel Rives attorney Tim O'Connell discusses proposed workplace regulations and recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings that he predicts will "dramatically change the landscape" in favor of union organizing. The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed to overturn decades of precedent by extending detailed disclosure requirements to professionals who merely advise employers about union strategy and the legality of dealing with an organizing campaign. The NLRB, meanwhile, has made several separate rulings making it easier for unions to organize new workplaces.
After reviewing the rulings and proposed regulations in detail, O'Connell warns that employers should review their vulnerability to union organizing efforts as soon as possible. "An employer that pays no attention to union avoidance until the union files a petition for an election will find the rules stacked against it, with little time to respond and fewer resources available," he notes.
Read O'Connell's full article at the Washington HealthCare News Website (PDF)
"Changing the Rules: The Federal Government Makes Union Organizing Easier" was published by Washington Healthcare News, November 2011.