Unionized Employees at NLRB Distribute Fliers

The NLRB apparently has some issues with its own unionized employees.  According to a recent report, members of the NLRB Union, a labor union that represents NLRB attorneys, agents, and others in regional offices around the country, passed out fliers at a labor law conference.  The flier accuses Chairman Mark Pearce (D) and Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon of various actions like:

• reducing the time unionized employees have to participate in grievance meetings and arbitrations;
• unilaterally limiting what employees earn from a performance incentive program; and
• limiting alternative work schedules and telecommuting.

The NLRB has taken a number of steps recently to promote the ability of employees in the private sector to unionize and to otherwise strengthen collective bargaining.  The rules requiring a notice posting and speeding up union elections are just two examples of these actions.  Labor professionals shouldn’t expect the NLRB’s own union issues to slow the pace of its union-friendly actions.  Indeed, both the notice rule and the election rule are still slated to become effective on April 30, 2012.