Howard Bloom, a partner at Jackson Lewis LLP of Boston and aspeaker last month before the Massachusetts Credit Union League,has warned that a delayed regulation from the National LaborRelations Board will likely cover credit unions.

The new rules make it clear that employees have the right tojoin unions, according to Bloom. The NLRB has delayed the effectivedate of the new regulations from Nov. 14 to Jan. 31, 2012 to allowmore time to clarify them, Bloom said, after he addressed a meetingof the League's Human Resources Network.

“The NLRB decided to postpone implementation because ofconfusion among small and medium sized businesses like creditunions on whether they were covered but credit unions are covered,”declared Bloom.

National business groups have opposed the NLRB regulation ongrounds the agency is unfairly promoting unionization. The newrules stipulate how a CU or small business should post astand-alone 11 x 17 poster so it “can be easily seen” by workers,said Bloom.

Under the NLRB guidelines, said Bloom, the rights notice can beconsolidated or combined with other government posters.

The Boston labor attorney also stressed the importance of CUmanagement understanding employees are protected under the NLRBwhen two or more “get together to discuss or complain aboutimproving wages or hours.” He pointed also to recent agency rulingsprotecting employees surrounding employee rights on social media.“Facebook is an example,” said Bloom citing rulings regarding anemployee fired after he criticized a supervisor on Facebook.

The NLRB Board which currently has three members “isparticularly aggressive on protecting employee rights,” concludedBloom