On Tuesday, President Barack Obama used just the fourth veto of his presidency to block a Senate joint resolution that would have killed the new National Labor Relations Board’s “Ambush Elections” rule providing for, among other things, speedier union elections. Historically, unions have about a 60% win rate of elections conducted after the normal 7-8 week election campaign period, but they have a nearly 90% win rate after the accelerated 2-3 week campaign period called for in the new rule. President Obama said that halting the rule would “block modest but overdue reforms.” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) blasted Obama’s move, saying the changes would harm workers and business owners alike. While two lawsuits alleging the rule change is unlawful remain pending, most legal scholars believe those suits lack the ability to stop the rule from going into effect on April 14, 2015.
To read about the changes this law makes – the most significant in the past 50 years of labor relations – click here for an article previously distributed by the labor law attorneys at Roetzel, or contact the Roetzel Labor Law attorneys.
By Matthew D. Austin of Roetzel