NLRB Shortens The Union Election Time Frame

Jim Walters, a senior partner in the Atlanta office, was quoted in the February 2012 InsideCounsel article "NLRB Shortens The Union Election Time Frame." The article reported on a recent National Labor Relations Board ruling that will shorten the length of time between when a union files a petition to hold a representation election and the date the election is held. The board described the ruling as a way to reduce unnecessary litigation, but business leaders argue that it gives unions an unfair advantage by shortening the election time frame. Management attorneys say the time frame is crucial because companies are often caught unaware by an election petition and need time to prepare employee communications that present the argument for staying nonunion. Jim said, "Academicians have found in study after study that the more time between the filing of a petition and the conducting of the election, the better chance the employer has." He added that, even under the old rules, unions won two-thirds of the elections held in recent years.