National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon has announced implementation of a pilot program consolidating Regional Offices effective May 1, 2012.
The pilot program will consolidate regional offices in Atlanta, Ga. (Region 10) and Winston-Salem, N.C. (Region 11). This program will also consolidate Regional Offices in St. Louis, Mo. (Region 14) and Kansas City, Kansas (Region 17). In addition, the sub-regional office in Peoria, Ill., will move from the jurisdiction of the St. Louis office to that of the regional office in Indianapolis, Indiana (Region 25).
No offices will be closed under this pilot program, but in each consolidation the two regions will report to a single Regional Director. Similarly, if the consolidation of offices is later made permanent, it is not contemplated that any office would be closed.
The pilot program will allow the agency to gather information and sort out questions that arise on internal management and case processing. Based on that experience, the acting general counsel could choose to present a formal proposal to the Board. Any permanent structural change would need to move through the federal rulemaking process, the NLRB announcement stated.
The pilot program is part of an ongoing effort by the agency to explore ways to restructure its field operation in light of new technologies and changing patterns in case intake. Further restructuring could be proposed in the future, officials said.