Legislative Update for the Week of March 24, 2014

Legislation would Effectively Prevent NLRB's Representation Election Rule From Moving Forward

As a preemptive strike against a final “ambush” representation election rule, Republican lawmakers in both chambers introduced legislation that would blunt its intended effects. In February, the National Labor Relations Board reissued its controversial proposal that would not only expedite union election procedures, but also fundamentally alter the way elections are carried out, and remove many employer due process rights. The reissued proposal was substantively the same as that initially introduced in June 2011, which triggered over 65,000 comments.  The Board will hold public hearings on this proposed rule in the coming weeks. Read the full post here. (March 27, 2014)

Labor Secretary Discusses Persuader Rule, Overtime Regulations, OSHA Actions During House Budget Hearing

Labor Secretary Thomas Perez fielded questions about current Department of Labor rulemaking, past sub-regulatory actions, and future agency plans during a hearing before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to discuss the DOL’s FY 2015 budget proposal. Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) emphasized that “budgets are about priorities,” and that the hearing would elucidate the areas and policies the Department deems most important. Read the full post here. (March 26, 2014)

Immigration Update for the Week of March 10, 2014

Employers Should Anticipate Tougher Worksite Enforcement Efforts in the Near Future

In a recent report entitled “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Worksite Enforcement Administrative Inspection Process,” Acting Assistant Inspector General for Audits Mark Bell discussed the results of an audit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (“ICE”) worksite enforcement processes. The purpose for the audit was to determine whether ICE was meeting directives set out in the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. The report concluded that ICE has been inconsistent in its enforcement policies and made recommendations to improve ICE’s implementation of its worksite strategy and uniformly strengthen its fine and audit procedures. Read the full post here. (March 28, 2014)

Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.