Pursuant to one of President Obama’s executive orders issued on January 30, 2009, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Labor-Management Standards is rescinding regulations requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to post notices informing employees of their rights to refrain from joining a union, otherwise known as Beck notices.  The executive order at issue – Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws (number 13496) – requires such contractors to instead post notices explaining employees’ rights to join unions and bargain collectively under the National Labor Relations Act. Executive Order 13496 also revokes Executive Order 13201 issued under the Bush administration, which mandated that federal contractors post Beck notices at the worksite.

Because Obama’s executive order revokes Bush’s order, the regulations implementing that order are no longer in force or effect. Therefore, the DOL is rescinding these regulations through a final rule, and not a proposed rule, which would necessitate public comment.