Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act

To amend the National Labor Relations Act with respect to the timing of elections and pre-election hearings, identification of pre-election issues, and interpretation of employer rules and policies. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act 2. Pre-election hearing; ambush election rule Section 9(c)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. 159(c)(1) (1) by inserting , but in no circumstances earlier than 14 calendar days after the filing of the petition upon due notice (2) by inserting after with respect thereto. An appropriate hearing shall be one that is non-adversarial with the hearing officer charged, in collaboration with the parties, with the responsibility of identifying any relevant and material pre-election issues and thereafter making a full record thereon. Relevant and material pre-election issues shall include, in addition to unit appropriateness, the Board’s jurisdiction and any other issue the resolution of which may make an election unnecessary or may reasonably be expected to impact the outcome of the election. Parties may independently raise any relevant and material pre-election issue or assert any relevant and material position at any time prior to the close of the hearing. It shall not constitute or be evidence of an unfair labor practice under any of the provisions of this Act for any party or their counsel to pose any question at the hearing: Provided, That this shall not limit the authority of the hearing officer to rule on objections and otherwise to conduct the hearing consistent with this Act. (3) by striking and shall certify the results thereof to be conducted as soon as practicable but no earlier than 20 business days after the Board directs that an election be held. The Board shall certify the results of the election after it has ruled on each pre-election issue not resolved before the election and any additional issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election 3. Appropriate units for collective bargaining Section 9(b) of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. 159(b) (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively; (2) by striking The Board shall decide or subdivision thereof: (1) In each case, prior to an election, the Board shall determine, in order to assure to employees the fullest freedom in exercising the rights guaranteed by this Act, the unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining. Unless otherwise stated in this Act, and excluding any bargaining unit determination promulgated through rulemaking before August 26, 2011, the unit appropriate for purposes of collective bargaining shall consist of employees that share a sufficient community of interest. In determining whether employees share a sufficient community of interest, the Board shall consider— (A) similarity of wages, benefits, and working conditions; (B) similarity of skills and training; (C) centrality of management and common supervision; (D) extent of interchange and frequency of contact between employees; (E) integration of the work flow and interrelationship of the production process; (F) the consistency of the unit with the employer’s organizational structure; (G) similarity of job functions and work; and (H) the bargaining history in the particular unit and the industry. To avoid the proliferation or fragmentation of bargaining units, no employee shall be excluded from the unit unless the interests of the group seeking a separate unit are sufficiently distinct from those of other employees to warrant the establishment of a separate unit. Whether additional employees should be included in a proposed unit shall be determined based on whether such additional employees and proposed unit members share a sufficient community of interest, and when considering or deciding to include such additional employees in the proposed unit the Board shall give no consideration to whether they share an overwhelming community of interest with proposed unit members: Provided ; and (3) by striking Provided (2) The Board . 4. Handbooks Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. 158 (h) (1) The Board shall find that facially neutral rules, policies and employee handbook provisions adopted or maintained by an employer are lawful under this Act, unless the Board applies the principles and makes findings set forth in paragraphs (2) and (3). For the purposes of this subsection, facially neutral 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq. facially neutral (2) When considering claims that the adoption or maintenance of a facially neutral rule, policy, or employee handbook provision violates this Act, the Board in each case must consider and make findings regarding both— (A) the justifications associated with the rule, policy, or handbook provision; and (B) the nature and extent of the impact on protected rights, if any. (3) The Board shall find that the adoption or maintenance of a facially neutral rule, policy, or employee handbook provision violates this Act only if the General Counsel 16 shows by clear and convincing evidence that— (A) adoption or maintenance of the rule, policy, or employee handbook provision has an adverse impact on the exercise of rights under section 7; and (B) the adverse impact described in subparagraph (A) outweighs the justification associated with the rule, policy, or handbook. (4) If a facially neutral rule, policy, or employee handbook provision, which is lawful and consistent with this subsection, is found to have been applied in a case involving the exercise of rights under section 7, and if the Board concludes that said application violates section 8(a)(1) or another provision of this Act, the Board’s remedy shall not include the rescission or modification of such rule, policy, or employee handbook provision. .

Summary: Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act This bill establishes requirements for the National Labor Relations Board during a unionization election and the formation of a proposed bargaining unit. The bill also limits when the board is allowed to find that a workplace rule or policy is an unfair labor practice. The bill sets minimum waiting periods for certain board activities during a unionization election. Specifically, the bill bars the board from conducting (1) a pre-election hearing earlier than 14 calendar days after receiving a petition to unionize, and (2) a union election earlier than 20 business days after the board directs the election. Additionally, the board must rule on all hearing issues and challenges before certifying an election. (The board currently exercises discretion about whether and when to rule on certain issues.) The bill also requires the board to apply a sufficient community of interest analysis to determine the scope of a proposed bargaining unit. The board may not exclude workers from the unit if it determines that they are sufficiently similar according to eight factors, such as employees' compensation and job functions. Currently, the board accepts a proposed bargaining unit that excludes some workers unless the unit shares an overwhelming community of interest with those workers. Finally, the board is only allowed to find that a facially neutral workplace rule violates labor law if (1) it has an adverse impact on an employee's right to collectively bargain, and (2) this adverse impact outweighs the employer's justification for the rule.