A joint resolution to halt the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) controversial ambush election rule passed the U.S. Senate March 4 by a vote of (53-46) after being introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓsupported the bill, and sent a letter to each Senator urging its passage and informing them that ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓwould consider the vote as a key vote on its 114^th Congressional Scorecard.

The joint resolution was introduced by Sen. Alexander and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.)   (S.J. Res. 8 in the Senate and H.J. Res. 29 in the U.S. House of Representatives) and will now be taken up by the House before it is sent to President Obama. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions also on March 4. The hearing was chaired by Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓsubmitted a letter for the hearing record in support of H.J. Res. 29.

In its letter to the Senate ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓexplained “The majority of ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmember companies are small businesses, which typically do not employ legal counsel or a human resources representative. Under the rule, employers are required to disclose voter eligibility lists to petitioning unions within two days after the direction of election. This creates a heavy burden on construction employers who are bound by unique voter eligibility requirements that allow laid off employees meeting criteria specified by the Board to vote in NLRB elections. In addition, the rule defers the question of which employees are considered to be in supervisory positions until after the election; this will result in greater uncertainty regarding the treatment of construction foreman by both sides during the election campaign, leading to the greater possibility of unfair labor practices or objectionable conduct.” 

ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓhas  the NLRB’s as unfair to  and has raised privacy concerns over the proposal’s distribution of employees’ personal contact information, including in testimony . In addition, ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓof Texas and the Central Texas Chapter of ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓJan. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas the latest version of the NLRB’s . 

The changes are scheduled to take effect April 14, 2015, unless a court or Congress blocks enforcement of the new rule.