NLRB issues rule to speed up union organizing

WASHINGTON – The National Labor Relations Board is issuing a final rule to modernize and streamline the union election process.

The new rule will shorten the time between when an election is ordered and the election itself, eliminating a previous 25-day waiting period. And it seeks to reduce litigation that can be used to stall elections. It will also require employers to furnish union organizers with email addresses and phone numbers of workers.

The changes are a win for unions, which have long complained the process is too long. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the NLRB's "modest but important reforms" will help reduce delays and make it easier for workers to vote on forming a union.

But it also generated criticism from the business community, which called it an overreach.