littler's workplace policy institute™ “nlrb ambush...
TRANSCRIPT
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Littler's Workplace Policy Institute™ “NLRB Ambush Election Rule:
The Practical Impact on Employers”
March 24, 2014
Presented by Maury Baskin, Michael J. Lotito, Ilyse W. Schuman
Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute™
www.littler.com/wpi
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Presented by:
Michael Lotito, Shareholder Littler Mendelson, P.C. San Francisco Office [email protected] Cell: 415.722.6280
Ilyse Schuman, Shareholder Littler Mendelson, P.C. Washington, D.C. Office [email protected] Cell: 202.412.6399
Maury Baskin, Shareholder Littler Mendelson, P.C. Washington, D.C. Office [email protected] Cell: 301.922.1308
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Today’s Agenda
How Did We Get Here? NLRB Ambush Election Rule DOL Update Putting the Pieces Together Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute™
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How Did We Get Here?
Congressional stalemate Midterm elections looming Administration is increasingly turning to
Federal agencies to advance agenda
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The New NLRB
“Recess” appointees replaced, though Supreme Court challenge is proceeding (Noel Canning case) Board now has 5 confirmed Members
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National Labor Relations Board
Mark Gaston Pearce (D) Kent Hirozawa (D) Nancy Schiffer (D) Harry Johnson, III (R) Philip Miscimarra (R)
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NLRB General Counsel
Former Recess Appointee Richard Griffin, Jr.
confirmed as General Counsel
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NLRB Proposed Election Rules
June 2011 NPRM – Original NPRM published June 22, 2011
– Public hearing July 18-19, 2011
– 65,958 comments were filed plus 438 pages of oral transcript positions articulated to NLRB
December 2011 Final Rule – Final rule published December 22, 2011
– Did not include all proposed changes
– Federal district court invalidated final rule in May 2012. Board appeal dismissed
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NLRB Proposed Election Rules
February 6, 2014: – NLRB re-issued June 2011 proposed rule as NPRM
on representation elections (otherwise known as the “quick election rule,” “ambush election rule” or “EFCA-lite”)
– Majority says “Re-issuance is the most efficient and effective rulemaking process to follow at this time.”
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NLRB Election Rule Process
Comments Due April 7, 2014 – Seeking comments on “new” issues
• Specialty Healthcare
• Blocking charges
• Excelsior list issues
• Electronic signatures
Public Meeting April 10 and 11
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NLRB Election Rule Process
Anticipate 3-4 months for final rule or wait until after mid-terms but before 12-31-14 when Nancy Schiffer’s term expires Lawsuits will seek to
enjoin and overturn
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Why Change Things?
What the NLRB majority says – “The Board is proposing a number of changes to
remove unnecessary barriers to the fair and expeditious resolution of questions concerning representation”
What the NLRB minority says – “ The uniform thrust of the proposed changes is to
greatly reduce the time between a representation petition’s filing and the election.”
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Why Change Things?
2013 Statistics Union membership rate = 11.3 percent Total workers belonging to unions = 14.5 million Private-sector union membership rate = 6.7 percent Public-sector union membership rate = 35.3 percent Median number of days from petition to election =
38 days Percentage of elections held in 56 days = 94.3%
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Current Rules
TODAY 40th Day
Election Petition Filed Hearing or Stipulation Request for Review Possible
Excelsior List Due 7 days after stipulation or DDE. Election notice sent and posted no later than 3 days before election.
Election
• RD Sends to Employer
• Can have hearing • No delay to election
• Names and home address
• Count Ballots
• Commerce questionnaire
• Open question if employer needs to take position on unit placement issues
• Most denied
• Requests posting • Briefs filed approximately 7 days after hearing
• Might impact ballot counting - impounding
• Suggest hearing date 7-14 days
• DDE issued
• Goal: election 38-42 days from petition filing
Day 1 7-14 Days 14-28 Days Approx. 20 days After Petition
38-42 Days
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NPRM
Day 1 Day 8 Day 10 10-14 Days 15-20 Days
Election Petition Filed 7th Day “Hearing” Excelsior List Due 2 days after Stipulation or DDE
Election Notice Sent and posted at least 2 days before election
Election Post-Election Issues
• Immediately served on Employer • HO has discretion to have hearing if material issues
• Available emails addresses
• 7 days with supporting documentation
• RD sends mandatory poster • HO will not conduct hearing if unit placement involve less than 20% of unit
• Job classification • Hearing is discretionary
• RD sets hearing 7 days out • HO will not accept testimony on voter eligibility (not a QCR)
• Location of facility
• RD requires statement stipulating o Who is in? o Who is out? o Supervisors o Contract Bar o Anything else o If not included, forever waived o Election details – time, place,
manner o Names, work locations, shifts, job
classifications of all unit employees
o Payroll period eligibility
• No Request for Review possible
• Home address
• Available phone numbers
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Proposed Changes – Initial R Case Hearing
To start 7 days from filing of petition – Currently 7 to 14 days
Statement of Position on Issues – Employer must know its position and submit it in
writing prior to the start of the hearing
– Failure to raise an issue amounts to a waiver
Preliminary voter list – Names, work location, shift, job classification
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Proposed Changes – Post Hearing
Final voter eligibility list – Electronic submission 2 days after unit determination
made
– Includes email addresses and telephone numbers in addition to names and mailing addresses
Board review of post-election issues – Would become discretionary, leaving Regional
Directors with the final word on most issues
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What does this all mean?
Union decides who they want to represent – Union asserts the bargaining unit they want
– Employer has the burden to prove unit is not appropriate
Employers now have to demonstrate the existence of an “overwhelming community of interest” – Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Mobile,
357 NLRB No. 83 (August 26, 2011)
– Has redefined the scope of unit determinations and is not limited to the health care industry
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What does this all mean?
The rules breach employee privacy concerns – Requires substantial information about employees – Phone numbers (mobile, home, and work?) – Email addresses (home, work, personal?)
The rules create a virtual access by unions to the workplace – Access to employee work email addresses confer
access to employees at work while they are working – No limitations on the scope or extent of use
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Open Questions
1. What to do with blocking charges?
2. What to do with email addresses?
– Where stored?
– How disseminated?
– Home or business or both
– How do business email addresses relate to Register Guard?
– How are email addresses only used for upcoming election and not beyond?
• For example, can a union use them for organizing if they lose election?
• Can union sell them?
3. What are “available telephone numbers?”
– Cell
– Home
– Work 20
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Open Questions
4. Privacy Issues regarding email and telephone numbers – e.g., what if phone number unlisted?
5. What do you do with questionable supervisors? – Train or not train
– Vote or not vote
– Attend/not attend union meetings
6. Specialty Healthcare – Units are contracting
– Harder to expand units
– Voter confusion if Employer alleges different unit
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More Bad News Coming From The NLRB
Union access to private property Union access to company email systems Finding unfair labor practices in employee
handbooks Restricting social media policies Tougher remedies and injunctions The new General Counsel memo
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To do list for Employers
Make your voice heard about the rule to the NLRB Clearly identify supervisors under Section 2 (11) Do bargaining unit analysis now – prepare your position
Establish a clear corporate reporting structure for location responsible personnel – time is critical
Select counsel now – no time under new rule Consider campaign in the box Establish rapid response team Conduct, measure and follow-up on location vulnerability
assessment Oppose Persuader Rule
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DOL Update
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Emboldened Department of Labor
Secretary Thomas Perez
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The Persuader Rule
Under the Labor-Management Reporting & Disclosure Act of 1959, employers and outside labor relations consultants must file disclosure reports regarding persuading employees
– Employer report – LM-10
– Labor consultant reports – LM-20 and LM-21
Potential proposed rule would effectively eliminate the “advice” exemption
Last DOL regulatory agenda scheduled publication of Final Rule in March 2014
Persuader Rule Delayed: New publication date will be announced in next regulatory agenda.
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The Persuader Rule
Many employers and their advisors will have to file reports on the internet – criminal penalties
Persuader activity if consultant’s activity on behalf of employer in whole or in part have the direct or indirect object to persuade employees concerning their rights to organize or bargain collectively
Traditional guidance received by employers in connection with union organizing efforts would no longer be considered advice
May go beyond union organizing to all protected concerted activities – even handbook advice and management training
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Labor Law Reform without Congress
Employee Free Choice Act (by rule-making)
Version 2.0
NLRB: Quick elections
DOL: Restrictions on advice
NLRB Specialty Healthcare
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Questions?
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THANK YOU
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Contact us anytime:
Michael J. Lotito, Co-Chair of WPI [email protected]
Ilyse W. Schuman, Co-Chair of WPI [email protected]
Maury Baskin, Shareholder [email protected]
Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute™
www.littler.com/wpi