In December 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) updated its procedures for union elections, with the new rules going into effect on April 16, 2020. These updated procedures include changes such as longer time periods for parties to negotiate election details, and resolving certain challenges to proposed bargaining units before rather than after elections. Full details on the new procedures can be found in our prior alert.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NLRB has announced that the new election procedures will be postponed until June 1, 2020. Until then, unions can continue to file petitions to hold union elections, and the current rules will continue to apply. However, parties can expect delays in case processing. For instance, currently scheduled elections have been cancelled until April 3, 2020. We will continue to keep you updated on these developments.