The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has announced that it will approve six amendments to the NRLB election process, which will ultimately result in a shorter time period between the filing of an election petition and the date of the election. With union membership in the U.S. private sector at an all-time low of 6.9%, this action by the Board majority is an attempt to give Big Labor what it wants: quicker elections so employers are denied a meaningful opportunity to educate employees on the risks and disadvantages of union representation. Companies can expect unions to seek to take advantage of these new election processes.

On December 1, 2011, the NLRB announced that it has voted 2-1 to proceed with some, but not all, of the amendments to its election procedure that were published in the Federal Register on June 22, 2011. As a result of the vote, the Board will draft a final rule containing the six amendments, which the Board claims will "reduce delays and unnecessary litigation in the pre-election process."