A big victory for Labor ahead of Labor Day weekend!

On Aug. 25, the National Labor Relations Board ruled to change the framework for unionizations, making it easier for workers to organize and harder for companies to fight back against them. 

The new unionization process framework is part of a decision in a case between Cemex Construction Materials Pacific and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. If a majority of workers ask a company to recognize their union, under the new rules, the company must now immediately either recognize the union or petition the NLRB to hold a union election.

Essentially, if a company tries to union-bust, it will instead be forced to automatically recognize the union and start negotiating with them.

"For decades, if a union demanded recognition based on signed union cards, the employer could simply decline recognition, and the union would be required to file a petition with the NLRB, requesting an election. Only if the union won the election and was certified as bargaining representative would the employer be obligated to bargain with the union," explained Mark Keenan, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Atlanta. Under the new decision, "the onus will be on the employer to essentially challenge the union's majority status through the representation process."

While the changes "won't necessarily make it easier to organize, it almost certainly will result in a drastic increase in bargaining orders or unions imposed on a workgroup without a chance to vote," said Phillip Wilson, president and general counsel for the Labor Relations Institute.

This ruling comes amid several different union strikes, including the writers strike and UWA. Power in labor groups is shifting after decades, making opportunities to join these fields more promising than ever!