Reinstated NLRB Rules and Union Organization: Lessons Learned From Amazon

Description

Under the prior administration, the NLRB took an unquestionably pro-employer position on many issues that impacted union organizing. Before the election, the current president claimed he would be the most pro-labor president in history. The current administration appears poised to follow through on that claim by reversing many of the prior administration's labor policies.

For example, many anticipate that the NLRB will reinstate union election procedures that permitted "ambush elections" and restore the rules allowing employee use of employer email systems for union organizing activity. Similarly, it is anticipated that the NLRB will ease the restriction on non-employee and union organizer access to employer property, reinstate the rules that made it easier for unions to organize “micro units” within facilities, and return to a less-stringent joint-employer standard. Needless to say, all of these actions may lead to a dramatic increase in union organizing activity.

Additionally, the vote in Bessemer, Ala., by Amazon warehouse employees has major ramifications for employees, employers, and communities. The process is a signal to union-free employers that they must continually assess workplaces by considering policies and procedures that enhance effective communication with employees.

Listen as our expert panel discusses the current state of the NLRB, the rules that have been reinstated, and what is most likely to come. The panel will advise what the Amazon union vote means for the future of labor organization in the U.S. and what the next steps are in the Alabama warehouse, as well as what impact increased union organizing has on non-union employers.