By: Nathaniel G. Lambright and Christopher P. Getaz
On November 30, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board voted to approve a resolution by the Board’s Chairman, Mark G. Pearce, for new rules to expedite election cases. Many employers and conservative pressure groups reacted to the initial proposal and the recent vote with vitriol and calls for the one Republican member, Brian Hayes, to resign from his post. After Member Hayes threatened to resign, the Board’s Inspector General launched an investigation into whether Member Hayes was unduly influenced to issue his threat. As gridlock grinds governmental functions in DC to a near standstill, it is important to sweep the rhetoric aside and determine what Chairman Pearce’s resolution really means for future election cases.