NLRB Issues Rule to Speed Up the Scheduling of NLRB Representation Elections

By Edwin S. Hopson

The National Labor Relations Board, by a vote of 3 to 2, has issued a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2014, amending the Board’s representation–case procedures to, among other things, reduce the time between the filing of a petition for representation election with the NLRB and the date of the NLRB election. The rule is to take effect on April 14, 2015.

The final rule was approved by Democrats Mark Gaston Pearce, Kent Y. Hirozawa and Nancy Schiffer, with Republicans Philip A. Miscimarra and Harry I. Johnson III dissenting.

The final rule:

■ Provides for electronic filing and transmission of election petitions and other documents;

■ Adopts best practices and uniform procedures across all NLRB regional offices;

■ Requires that additional contact information for employees voting in the election (personal telephone numbers and email addresses) be included on voter lists to be turned over to the union, to the extent that information is available to the employer; and

■ Consolidates all election-related appeals to the Board into a single appeals process post-election.

The bottom line is, unions will be able to obtain much faster scheduling of elections, substantially reducing the time between the filing of the petition and the election during which the employer can campaign.

NLRB May Be Expanding Definition of Joint Employer

By Edwin S. Hopson

On May 13, 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (Members Hirozawa and Schiffer; Member Johnson, dissenting) announced that in Browning-Ferris Industries and Leadpoint Business Services, Case No. 32-RC-109684, a union representation election case, that it had granted review of the regional director’s decision in order to determine if the Board’s current joint employer standard should be modified. The current Board consists of three Democratic and two Republican Members. One can assume that the Democratic Members wish to loosen the standard so that union bargaining units can be expanded to include persons formerly considered independent contracts or employees of another employer.

The Board has invited the filing of briefs by not only the parties but also interested amici. The issues identified to be addressed are:

1. Under the Board’s current joint-employer standard, as articulated in TLI, Inc., 271 NLRB 798 (1984), enfd. mem. 772 F.2d 894 (3d Cir. 1985), and Laerco Transportation, 269 NLRB 324 (1984), is Leadpoint Business Services the sole employer of the petitioned-for employees?
2. Should the Board adhere to its existing joint-employer standard or adopt a new standard? What considerations should influence the Board’s decision in this regard?
3. If the Board adopts a new standard for determining joint-employer status, what should that standard be? If it involves the application of a multifactor test, what factors should be examined? What should be the basis or rationale for such a standard?

The briefs may be filed on or before June 26, 2014.

Full Complement of Five Members Assume Office at the NLRB

By Edwin S. Hopson

On August 12, 2013, the National Labor Relations Board announced that, for the first time since August 21, 2003, it has a full complement of five Senate-confirmed Members.  The last of four new members, Harry Johnson, III, was sworn in on August 12, 2013. NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce was also confirmed last month to an additional five year term on the NLRB.

Chairman, Mark Pearce has served as a Member of the NLRB since March 2010. His new term ends August 27, 2018.  Pearce is a Democrat.

New Member Nancy Schiffer’s term ends December 16, 2014.  She is also a Democrat.

New Member Kent Hirozawa’s term ends August 27, 2016.  He is a Democrat.

New Member Harry I. Johnson, III’s term ends August 27, 2015.  He is a Republican.

New Member Philip A. Miscimarra’s term ends December 16, 2017.  He also is a Republican.

New NLRB Members Confirmed by the Senate

By Edwin S. Hopson

On July 30, 2013, the Senate voted to confirm the President’s recent nominations of Democrats Kent Hirozawa and Nancy Schiffer to be Members of the National Labor Relations Board.  Hirozawa is currently Chief Counsel to NLRB Chairman Pearce.  Schiffer was most recently Associate General Counsel of the AFL-CIO.  The Senate also confirmed the reappointment of Chairman Mark Pearce, also a Democrat.

The vote for confirmation as to Hirozawa and Schiffer was 54 to 44.  Pearce was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 38.

The nominations of Republicans Harry Johnson and Phillip Miscimarra to the NLRB were confirmed by “voice vote.”

Thus, for the first time in about 10 years, there is a five member Board in place as confirmed by the Senate.

NLRB Nominees Hirozawa and Schiffer Are Approved By the Senate HELP Committee

By Edwin S. Hopson

On July 24, 2013, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held an executive session to discuss and vote on the President’s recent nominations of Democrats Kent Yoshiho Hirozawa and NancyJeanSchiffer to be Members of the National Labor Relations Board.  Hirozawa is currently Chief Counsel to NLRB Chairman Pearce.  Schiffer was most recently Associate General Counsel of the AFL-CIO.

Ranking Member Alexander (R-TN) voiced objections to both nominees, opining that he doubted their impartiality.  He also noted that some outstanding written questions to the two nominees remained to be answered.   On motion of Committee Chairman Harkin (D-Iowa) to report the two nominations favorably out of committee, both nominations were approved by a vote of 13 to 9. 

Harkin also agreed that the record should remain open for the consideration of answers to the outstanding questions, and stated that he expected a vote on the nominations by the full Senate during the week of July 29.

NLRB Nominations Considered by the Senate HELP Committee

By Edwin S. Hopson

As part of the agreement regarding the Senate filibuster rules, on July 23, 2013, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held about a two hour hearing on the President’s recent nominations of Kent Yoshiho Hirozawa and Nancy Jean Schiffer to be Members of the National Labor Relations Board.  Both faced stiff questioning from Republican Senators on the Committee.  On July 24, 2013, the Committee is scheduled to vote on the nominations, to be followed by a vote by the full Senate later in the week on the nominations of Hirozawa, Schiffer and current NLRB Chairman, Mark Pearce.  It is not clear whether the full Senate will also vote on the confirmation of Republicans Harry Johnson and Philip Miscamarra, whose nominations were earlier favorably voted out of committee.

NLRB Members Griffin and Block to be Replaced as Part of Filibuster Deal

By Edwin S. Hopson

Politico.com and other media are reporting that on July 16, 2013, as part of the agreement to resolve the deadlock over possibly changing the filibuster rules in the Senate, Democrats in consultation with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka agreed that Recess-Appointee Members Richard Griffin and Sharon Block of the NLRB would be removed and replaced by Nancy Schiffer, former Associate General Counsel at the AFL-CIO, and Kent Hirozawa, currently Chief Counsel to NLRB Chairman, Mark Pearce.  A hearing is to be scheduled the week of July 22 before the Senate HELP Committee to approve Schiffer and Hirozawa.  The GOP also agreed not to block the nominee for an opening next year on the NLRB. 

This agreement does not affect the pending case before the Supreme Court in Noel Canning v. NLRB regarding the validity of the President’s recess appointments to the NLRB in January 2012.

See http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/white-house-consults-with-afl-cio-head-on-nlrb-picks-94280.html#ixzz2ZJKIhWik