WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent business group is challenging government rules that require federal contractors to display posters telling workers they have a legal right to form a union.
The National Association of Manufacturers filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday that asserts the Labor Department regulations violate the free speech rights of employers.
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court struck down a similar rule from the National Labor Relations Board that would have affected a much wider swath of business. TheLabor Department rules, which have been in place since 2010, cover about 22 percent of U.S. businesses that have federal contracts.
Businesses complain the rules unfairly force them to promote unionization or risk being debarred from federal contracts. Federal officials say the posters simply inform workers of their legal rights.
