The investigation of the question as to whether the authority of a labor organization to make an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment is to be rescinded is initiated by the filing of a petition by an employee or group of employees on behalf of 30 percent or more of the employees in a bargaining unit covered by an agreement between their employer and a labor organization requiring membership in such labor organization. The petition must be in writing and signed, and either must be notarized or must contain a declaration by the person signing it, under the penalties of the Criminal Code, that its contents are true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief. It is filed with the regional director for the Region in which the alleged appropriate bargaining unit exists or, if the bargaining unit exists in two or more Regions, with the regional director for any of such Regions. The blank form, which is supplied by the Regional Office upon request or is available online, provides, among other things, for a description of the bargaining unit covered by the agreement, the approximate number of employees involved, the names of any other labor organizations which claim to represent the employees, the petitioner's position on the type, date(s), time(s), and location(s) of the election sought, and the name of, and contact information for, the individual who will serve as the petitioner's representative. The petition may be filed by facsimile or electronically. The petitioner must supply with the petition evidence of authorization from the employees.

(a) Upon receipt of the petition in the Regional Office, it is filed, docketed, and assigned to a member of the staff, usually a field examiner, for investigation. The field examiner conducts an investigation to ascertain:

(1) Whether the employer's operations affect commerce within the meaning of the Act,

(2) Whether there is in effect an agreement requiring as a condition of employment membership in a labor organization,

(3) Whether the petitioner has been authorized by at least 30 percent of the employees to file such a petition, and

(4) Whether an election would effectuate the policies of the Act by providing for a free expression of choice by the employees.

(b) The petitioner may on its own initiative request the withdrawal of the petition if the investigation discloses that an election is inappropriate, because, among other possible reasons, the petitioner's card-showing is insufficient to meet the 30-percent statutory requirement referred to in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) For the same or similar reasons the Regional Director may request the petitioner to withdraw its petition. If the petitioner, despite the Regional Director's recommendation, refuses to withdraw the petition, the Regional Director then dismisses the petition, stating the grounds for his dismissal and informing the petitioner of the right of appeal to the Board in Washington, DC. The petitioner may within 14 days appeal from the Regional Director's dismissal by filing such request with the Board in Washington, DC. The request shall contain a complete statement setting forth the facts and reasons upon which the request is made. After a full review of the file with the assistance of its staff, the Board may sustain the dismissal, stating the grounds for its affirmance, or may direct the Regional Director to take further action.

(a) The Board makes available to the parties three types of informal consent procedures through which authorization issues can be resolved without resort to formal procedures. These informal agreements are the consent election agreement with final regional director determinations of post-election disputes, the stipulated election agreement with discretionary Board review, and the full consent election agreement with final regional director determinations of pre- and post-election disputes. Forms for use in these informal procedures are available in the Regional Offices.

(b) The procedures to be used in connection with a consent-election agreement with final regional director determinations of post-election disputes, a stipulated election agreement with discretionary Board review, and a full consent-election agreement with final regional director determinations of pre- and post-election disputes are the same as those described in subpart C of 29 CFR part 102 and the statement of the general course in connection with similar agreements in representation cases under Section 9(c) of the Act, except that no provision is made for runoff elections.

If the regional director determines that the case is an appropriate one for election without formal hearing, an election is conducted as quickly as possible among the employees and upon the conclusion of the election the regional director makes available to the parties a tally of ballots. The parties, however, have an opportunity to make appropriate challenges and objections to the conduct of the election and they have the same rights, and the same procedure is followed, with respect to objections to the conduct of the election and challenged ballots, as is described in subpart C of 29 CFR part 102 and the statement of the general course in connection with the postelection procedures in representation cases under Section 9(c) of the Act, except that no provision is made for a runoff election. If no such objections are filed within 7 days and if the challenged ballots are insufficient in number to affect the results of the election, the regional director issues to the parties a certification of the results of the election, with the same force and effect as if issued by the Board.

(a) The procedures are the same as those described in subpart C of 29 CFR part 102 and the statement of the general course respecting representation cases arising under Section 9(c) of the Act insofar as applicable. If the preliminary investigation indicates that there are substantial issues which require determination before an appropriate election may be held, the regional director will institute formal proceedings by issuance of a notice of hearing on the issues which, after hearing, is followed by regional director decision and direction of election or dismissal. The notice of hearing together with a copy of the petition is served on the petitioner, the employer, and any other known persons or labor organizations claiming to have been designated by employees involved in the proceeding.

(b) The hearing, usually open to the public, is held before a hearing officer who normally is an attorney or field examiner attached to the Regional Office but may be another qualified Agency official. The hearing, which is nonadversary in character, is part of the investigation in which the primary interest of the Board's agents is to insure that the record contains as full a statement of the pertinent facts as may be necessary for determination of the case. The parties are afforded full opportunity to present their respective positions and to produce the significant facts in support of their contentions that are relevant to the issue of whether the Board should conduct an election to determine whether the employees in a bargaining unit covered by an agreement between their employer and a labor organization made pursuant to section 8(a)(3) of the Act, desire that such authority be rescinded. In most cases a substantial number of the relevant facts are undisputed and stipulated. The parties are permitted to argue orally on the record before the hearing officer.

(c) Upon the close of the hearing, the entire record in the case is then forwarded to the regional director, together with an informal analysis by the hearing officer of the issues and the evidence but without recommendations. Post-hearing briefs are filed only upon special permission of the regional director and within the time and addressing the subjects permitted by the regional director.

(d) The parties have the same rights, and the same procedure is followed, with respect to objections to the conduct of the election and challenged ballots as is described in connection with the postelection procedures in representation cases under Section 9(c) of the Act.