Today, the NLRB voted 2–1 to adopt a resolution put forth by Chairman Pearce that will result in significant changes to the Board’s representation case procedures—changes that most view as decidedly pro-union. Under the Board’s current rules, an employer has the unqualified right to insist on a pre-election hearing, at which it can introduce testimony and evidence, and file a post-hearing brief, addressing issues concerning the scope of the proposed bargaining unit, supervisory status, and other issues. Employers also can seek full NLRB review of any post-hearing decision by a Regional Director on these issues. Under the resolution adopted today, these rules and other election case procedures will change as follows:

• The Hearing Officer may limit the issues that can be litigated in the case to those relevant to whether a question concerning representation exists. During the meeting, Member Becker suggested that supervisory status—often a hotly contested issue in Representation cases—may not be litigated during the hearing.
• The Hearing Office will have discretion whether to allow parties to file post-hearing briefs.
• Requests for Review and Post-Election Objections will be consolidated into a single appeal that may be filed after the election.
• Elections will no longer be postponed pending resolution of a Request for Review. The practical result of the elimination of the existing 25-day period between the Regional Director’s decision and the election date is that elections may be scheduled shortly after the decision issues.
• Review by the Board of all election issues will be discretionary.

While these changes do not go as far as those initially sought by the NLRB Chairman, they mark a significant restriction on parties’ procedural rights before the Board. Now that the resolution has been approved, barring any legal challenges, the rule will be finalized and must be approved by a majority of the Board. Click here to read the Chairman’s resolution and hereto read the NLRB’s explanation of the resolution. We will continue to monitor this issue and report on it.