Campaigns and Elections

General:

Employees have a choice to belong or not belong to a union. Usually this choice is made via an election process. Sometimes an employer may opt to recognize a union in lieu of an election.

Employer Recognition:

If the employer opts to recognize a union in lieu of an election, that means that based on one-half (plus one) of the eligible employees in a specific work group signing authorizations cards, that work group may become represented by a union. If this occurs, after recognition the employer and union will begin negotiations to determine future terms and conditions of employment. The employer may opt for this path based on certain business conditions or other business reasons. The employer may also decline recognition and opt for an election.

Representation Election

The National Labor Relations Board oversees the election process and is charged with protecting the employee’s right to choose. In these elections, the NLRB does not endorse a choice but wants to ensure that employees are free to choose to be represented by a union or remain union free. The NLRB wants all eligible voters to be fully informed and also wants to make sure that unions and employers know the conduct expected of them in the course of an election.

The NLRB runs a very good election and they do no tolerate voter fraud or election shenanigans from unions or employers. Employees can rest assured that the NLRB will protect their right to a secret ballot election.

Education & Information:

While the NLRB wants all voters (participating in a representation election or decertification election) to be fully informed, it does not provide a specific way to do that. Employees are allowed to tap into any source of information they feel is appropriate. Those sources could include local media (print or broadcast), the internet, government publications, union publications and meetings, or employer publications and meetings.

The employee is not required to review information from any of these sources, but we would encourage them to review information from all of those sources.

Often employers will ask our consultants to provide information to employees on how the process works. Our goal is to provide this service in an informational way that helps employees choose the best situation for them personally and professionally. In these sessions, employees are often impressed to find out the meetings are usually conducted in a very pleasant way. Further, they are often surprised at how much they learn about labor relations rules and how they work. After the workshops are completed, employees eventually have the opportunity to vote and make a decision for their future. After that… life goes on.