Sept. 13, 2004 – The conservative-dominated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may soon issue a crucial ruling on card check elections. Members of the labor movement say a negative ruling will lead to the further decline of the labor movement.
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Card check elections, used in many organizing drives, allow workers to vote for a union simply by signing a union pledge card. The company agrees to recognize the union if a majority of workers sign the cards. Unlike the complicated NLRB-supervised voting process, card check elections can be conducted quickly, and organizers contend, with less employer interference.
At issue is whether workers can vote to decertify a union immediately following a successful card check election. The NLRB typically does not allow a decertification vote for at least one year following union recognition. The Right to Work Foundation, an anti-union advocacy group, has brought two cases in front of the Board challenging that rule and arguing that a decertification election should be held immediately if at least 30 percent of the workers request one.
