The NLRB has issued its proposed changes to representation procedures that will dramatically affect the representation election process by shortening the time between petition and election, by creating administrative traps to prevent employers effectively to  investigate issues before they are precluded and by creating union access to employees for communication. For example, the Excelsior list requirement is expanded to include known e-mail addresses of employees, and the information must be provided to the labor organization within 2 days of a direction or stipulation for an election. This together with the new persuader rules for attorneys and consultants finally provides substance to the claim the NLRB is changing the game to help unions organize. There is so much here to digest you can expect much disinformation and a lot of teeth gnashing. We will provide an objective analysis soon.

Randy Shaw takes on the SEIU and its strategy of non-workplace organizing.

Here is a pretty interesting long post about union organizing in the construction industry in and around Washington D.C.

The IBEW is publicizing its use of a blogger.com blog to communicate among workers interested in the unionization effort at an Anheuser–Busch InBev Metal Container Corporation facility that manufactures beer cans. The blog appears to have overcome two crucial issues. First, employees had accessibility to information and the ability to discuss and ask questions 24/7. Second, because the blog participation was anonymous, employees were less susceptible to pressure. This makes a lot of sense, and employers need to respond with a lot more than a static downward communication web site.