The National Labor Relations Board has issued final rules that are intended to speed up the union election process.  These new rules will take effect on April 14, 2015. Read more about the final rule in the Federal Register.

The new election rules are being heralded by organized labor and decried by many in the business community.  The new rules compress the timeline between petition and election, give unions access to more information about employees, set up new employer procedural requirements, and limit hearing issues and appeals that may be raised before an election.  The end result is that the timeframe from petition to election will be significantly shorter, which is generally viewed as an advantage for unions.

Unless these rules are overturned, employers are well-advised to take precautionary steps to prepare for a union organization effort, rather than waiting for a representation petition to be filed.