Elections Now Characterized by Unnecessary Delays
WASHINGTON, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Teamsters Union spoke today in support of the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) proposed rule change that would make union representation elections more efficient. Peter Leff, General Counsel for the Graphic Communications Conference (GCC), spoke on behalf of the Teamsters Union at an NLRB hearing on the issue.
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The NLRB has been operating under election rules that have, in many circumstances, caused long delays in union elections. These delays have allowed employers to mount aggressive anti-union campaigns, ultimately quashing employees' desire to be represented by a union.
"This is a common-sense rule that eliminates voting delays and makes sure workers have the basic right to vote," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "The current system allows big corporations to abuse the legal system, delaying organizing votes and retaliating against employees who want to form a union."
In his testimony before the NLRB, Leff said, "The current system fosters uncertainty and chaos. The parties are left in the dark as what issues will be raised at a pre-election hearing, when those issues will be resolved and, most importantly, when an election will be held to determine the desires of employees for union representation."
Leff cited an example from 2003, when 69 Atlanta Journal Constitution employees who bag and deliver newspapers wanted to form a union. The employees all worked at the Cummings, Ga., facility. The company argued the appropriate unit involved all 3,800 employees at 70 facilities located over 58,000 square miles. The NLRB had to hold a six-day hearing to determine the appropriate unit. The election was delayed for 91 days.
"By instituting these new rules, employers, unions and employees will know from the beginning when a hearing will occur and when an election will be held," Leff said. "The predictability, uniformity and certainty of these rules will benefit everyone involved in these elections."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hard-working men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Go to www.teamster.org for more information.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
