On December 20, 2011, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the NLRB’s amendments to its regulations governing union representation elections and seeking injunctive relief to stop the Board’s enforcement of the new rules.

The suit claims that the amendments violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the National Labor Relations Act, as well as the First and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Chamber also alleges that:

 “The Board rushed through the rulemaking process because it was committed to put the Rule in place before the end of Member Becker’s recess appointment, following which there would be no majority support among Board members in favor of the Resolution or the Final Rule and the Board itself would be reduced to two members, rendering it incapable of further action.”

As to many of its claims and bases for relief, the Chamber relies upon statements made by Republican Member of the Board, Brian Hayes, in his dissent to the proposed rule making.

The following is a link to the lawsuit: 

http://www.chamberlitigation.com/sites/default/files/cases/files/2011/Chamber%20of%20Commerce,%20et%20al.%20v.%20NLRB%20(Ambush%20Election%20Rule)%20Complaint).pdf