Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act

Bill: 113-s-2178
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2014-03-27
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative remedies

Labor-management relations

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Personnel records
Latest action: action_date: 2014-03-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-03-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to require that no investigative hearing take place until at least 14 days after the filing of an election petition regarding collective bargaining representation when the NLRB has reasonable cause to believe that the petition raises a question of representation affecting commerce. Requires such hearings to be non-adversarial, and the hearing officer, in collaboration with the parties, to identify any relevant and material pre-election issues.</p> <p>Requires the NLRB, in cases where it finds that a question of representation exists, to: (1) direct an election by secret ballot as soon as practicable but not before 35 calendar days after the filing of the election petition, and (2) certify election results only 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 that election.</p> <p>Requires the Board also, not earlier than seven days after a final determination of the appropriate bargaining unit, to acquire from the employer a list of all employees eligible to vote in the election, which shall: (1) be made available to all parties, and (2) include the employees' names as well as one additional form of personal contact information (such as telephone number, email address, or mailing address) chosen by the employee in writing.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2178 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 27, 2014 Mr. Alexander (for himself, Mr. Enzi , Mr. Isakson , Mr. Hatch , Mr. Scott , and Mr. Barrasso ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the National Labor Relations Act with respect to the timing of elections and pre-election hearings and the identification of pre-election issues, and to require that lists of employees eligible to vote in organizing elections be provided to the National Labor Relations Board.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act . 2. Pre-election hearings; list of employees eligible to vote in elections Section 9(c)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. 159(c)(1) ) is amended in the matter following subparagraph (B)— (1) by inserting , but in no circumstances less than 14 calendar days after the filing of the petition after upon due notice ; (2) by inserting after with respect thereto. the following: ‘‘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 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.’’; (3) by striking and shall certify the results thereof and inserting to be conducted as soon as practicable but no earlier than 35 calendar days after the filing of an election petition. 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 ; and (4) by adding at the end the following: Not earlier than 7 days after a final determination by the Board of the appropriate bargaining unit, the Board shall acquire from the employer a list of all employees eligible to vote in the election to be made available to all parties, which shall include the names of the employees, and one additional form of personal contact information of the employee (such as telephone number, email address, or mailing address) chosen by the employee in writing. .