Yesterday, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) put out a press release showing that there has been significant growth in the number of representation petitions being filed for union elections with the Board.  

A representation petition is the document filed with an NLRB Field Office to have the NLRB conduct an election in order to determine if employees wish to be represented by a union. According to the NLRB, for the six-month period ending March 31, 2022, the number of representation petitions rose to 1,174 petitions nationwide. This compares to only 748 petitions in the six-month period ending March 31, 2021. This means the number of petitions filed in the last six-month period is almost 160% higher than the number of petitions filed in the same period a year ago.  

Essentially, this evidence demonstrates that the perceived recent surge in labor activity is real, and that unions are having greater success in organizing workers and getting enough support to be able to petition for a union election. This is not surprising. The COVID-19 pandemic, recent inflation, and the significant changes and turnover occurring in many workplaces has upset some employees and resulted in increased interest in unionization. In addition, the Biden administration is probably the most pro-union administration we have had in charge of our federal government in many decades. Many unions feel empowered by the government to aggressively move forward with organizing efforts as a result.  

If you are a California employer and concerned that your workforce could be a target for union organization, you should contact an experienced traditional labor law attorney who works in this area.