Employers may have to tell employees how to form a union

The National Labor Relations Board is concerned that your employees don’t know how to form a union. And the Board wants YOU to tell them how to do it. Don’t believe me? Read all about it after the jump.

According to a recent press release from the NLRB:

*cue the violins*

The Board “believes that many employees protected by the NLRA are unaware of their rights under the statute. The intended effects of this action are to increase knowledge of the NLRA among employees, to better enable the exercise of rights under the statute, and to promote statutory compliance by employers and unions.”

Private-sector employers (including labor organizations) whose workplaces fall under the NLRA would be required to post the employee rights notice where other workplace notices are typically posted. If an employer communicates with employees primarily by email or other electronic means, the notice would be posted electronically as well.

The proposed notice states that employees have the right to act together to improve wages and working conditions, to form, join and assist a union, to bargain collectively with their employer, and to choose not to do any of these activities. It provides examples of unlawful employer and union conduct and instructs employees how to contact the NLRB with questions or complaints.

Employers who are already ill-prepared to deal with union organization will find themselves further behind the 8-ball if this proposed Board rule takes effect.