NLRB: Union petitions for combined bargaining units don't require both employers' consent

Unions seeking to represent employees in bargaining units that combine solely and jointly employed workers no longer need the consent of both employers, the National Labor Relations Board decided yesterday. In a 3-1 decision, the Board held that bargaining units seeking to combine solely and jointly employed workers must demonstrate a “community of interest” in order to be an appropriate unit and that the traditional community of interest factors will be applied in determining appropriateness. The AHA and Federation of American Hospitals had urged the Board to affirm its long-standing requirement for the consent of both employers when a bargaining unit combines a sole employer’s workers with those found to be joint employees.