WASHINGTON On Nov. 30, the U.S House strongly approved legislation aimed at stopping Obama Administration-appointed regulators at the National Labor Relations Board from forcing "ambush elections" on employees and employers, and reining in so-called micro-unions.

In a bi-partisan vote of 235 (54 percent) to 188 (43 percent) the House approved and sent to the Senate the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, HR 3094.

The legislation had broad support from small businesses and business organizations, including the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. The only motorcoach industry member of the coalition is the United Motorcoach Association. (See Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 issues of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

The legislation was opposed by union leaders and their allies in Congress who critics said were attempting to enact "card check" through regulation.

Under regulations proposed by the NLRB, the agency would have encouraged so-called ambush elections that dramatically shorten the time employers have to speak with their employees about union representation, potentially shortening the entire arcane election process to just 10 days from current median of 38 days.

The effect, said critics, would be to make a mockery of real elections and impose "card check" by regulation. It would unfairly tip the scale toward union organizers and leave employees without enough information or time to make a real decision in a real election, said critics of the proposed NLRB rules.

The NLRB also opened the door to "micro-unions," which make it easier for unions to organize in smaller bargaining units and exclude employees who oppose unionization, disenfranchising them.

As a result, businesses faced the possibility of having to manage multiple, small bargaining units of similarly situated employees with potentially different pay scales, benefits, work rules and bargaining schedules.

The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act stops the proposed NLRB rules.