Howard Bloom, a partner at Jackson Lewis LLP of Boston and a speaker last month before the Massachusetts Credit Union League, has warned that a delayed regulation from the National Labor Relations Board will likely cover credit unions.
The new rules make it clear that employees have the right to join unions, according to Bloom. The NLRB has delayed the effective date of the new regulations from Nov. 14 to Jan. 31, 2012 to allow more time to clarify them, Bloom said, after he addressed a meeting of the League's Human Resources Network.
“The NLRB decided to postpone implementation because of confusion among small and medium sized businesses like credit unions on whether they were covered but credit unions are covered,” declared Bloom.
National business groups have opposed the NLRB regulation on grounds the agency is unfairly promoting unionization. The new rules stipulate how a CU or small business should post a stand-alone 11 x 17 poster so it “can be easily seen” by workers, said Bloom.
Under the NLRB guidelines, said Bloom, the rights notice can be consolidated or combined with other government posters.
The Boston labor attorney also stressed the importance of CU management understanding employees are protected under the NLRB when two or more “get together to discuss or complain about improving wages or hours.” He pointed also to recent agency rulings protecting employees surrounding employee rights on social media. “Facebook is an example,” said Bloom citing rulings regarding an employee fired after he criticized a supervisor on Facebook.
The NLRB Board which currently has three members “is particularly aggressive on protecting employee rights,” concluded Bloom
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