Can authorization cards be revoked?

An employee may, upon realizing that the signed authorization card is being used for purposes beyond the employee's intention in signing, revoke the card. No formality is required to do so: It may be accomplished by a letter to the union or by a statement to the union organizer who initially solicited the signature. The only requirement is a simple, clear, and unambiguous declaration that the employee no longer wishes to be represented by the union and wants the card returned.

On its own initiative an employer may inform employees of their right to revoke signed union authorization cards. The employer may communicate the procedure for revoking the cards by bulletin board notice, letter, speech, or individual conversation, providing the employer does not monitor the results or create a situation where employees might feel peril if they refrain from such revocation.

Beyond providing information on the procedure for revoking cards, an employer may render only limited ministerial assistance, such as providing the union's address. If the assistance becomes more than ministerial, it may be unlawful.

Cards validly revoked by employees prior to the company's receipt of a demand for recognition generally will not be counted in establishing the union's majority status. However, the cards may be counted for purposes of determining the union's 30-percent showing of interest to support a petition for a representation election.

Source: Employer's Guide to Union Organizing Campaigns, Jackson Lewis (Aspen Publishers).