Last week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proposed a new rule that, if implemented, will make hiring workers in America more difficult for businesses. The proposed rule would allow union bosses to hold workplace elections less than two weeks after announcing them.
Unions typically spend 6-8 months campaigning secretly for unionization. Under current law, employees and employers have 38 days to consider and debate whether employees are better off with or without a union. The proposed rule would shorten this to as few as 10 days. This would rush employees into voting and deny employers enough time to make their case that employees are not better off with a union. This is not just an ambush on business, but also on basic electoral principles.
These proposed “quickie elections” are not about helping workers make informed decisions. In fact, these elections would accomplish exactly the opposite.
The impact of this decision in clear: American businesses will have yet another reason to invest elsewhere rather than in creating new jobs here at home.
Instead of rigging the process for union elections, our leaders in Washington should be doing what it takes to get more Americans back to work and our economy moving again by easing regulatory burdens on job-creating businesses. At a time of stubbornly high unemployment, ambushing business — the true engine of economic growth — is precisely the wrong strategy.
Mike Whalen is founder and CEO of Heart of America Group, which operates dozens of hotels and restaurants throughout the Midwest and employees 3,000 people. For more information, visit www.jobcreatorsalliance.org.