Welcome!

We're glad you chose to visit our website. This site is designed to inform North Carolina's retailers of political and industry developments that impact their stores.

The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) is a non-profit trade association that was organized in 1902 to improve the business climate for retail merchants in North Carolina.  Now, over 100 years later, NCRMA is the voice of the retail industry in North Carolina.  We invite you to learn more about who we are.

NC State Issues

Federal Issues

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
for the Interstate 95 (I-95) Corridor
PLANNING AND FINANCE STUDY

Seven public hearings for the expansion of Interstate 95 (I-95) are scheduled for February 7 – 27. Click on the link below for more information.

Hearing Dates and Locations

NLRB Update

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) agreed to postpone the implementation date of its required employee rights posting at the request of the federal court in Washington, DC, hearing a legal challenge regarding the Board's rule.

Most private sector employers will be required to post the 11-by-17-inch notice on the new implementation date of April 30 (the notice was originally scheduled to go into effect January 31). The notice is available at no cost from NLRB through its website, www.nlrb.gov, which has additional information on posting requirements and NLRB jurisdiction.

As we've been reporting to you for months, the NLRB has been using case decisions and regulatory rules in an effort to create a more pro-union environment in which employees can unionize. And while the NLRB is down to two active board members, employers should be preparing now for additional activity in 2012.

As of last week, when Craig Becker's appointment ended, the NLRB was reduced to two members, one Democrat and one Republican. (A 2010 Supreme Court decision [New Process Steel] ruled that a two-member Board lacks a quorum and cannot exercise its full authority in a number of critical areas.) Currently in Washington, there is a procedural debate going on about whether or not President Obama has the ability to make a recess appointment to a regulatory agency. We will keep you posted as this issue unfolds.

For the full story:
https://www.nlrb.gov/news/nlrb-postpones-effective-date-rights-posting-rule-april-30

Delays Implemention of New Rule
The new effective date is
January 31, 2012. 

The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months in order to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small- and medium-sized businesses. 

Click below for more information:

• Final Rule for Employee Rights Q & A
• NLRB Report
• National Labor Relations Board Poster
  (via website)

Last week the Triangle Business Journal published an article about several American with Disabilities lawsuits being filed against retailers and restaurants in North Carolina. The lawsuits are being filed by two Florida plaintiffs with the basis being that the businesses have not made reasonable accommodations for customers with disabilities.  Please take time to make sure your store is ADA compliant in case these plaintiffs visit your store. Click here to be linked to the original article.

Many retail industry employees and customers may not be taking advantage of a great opportunity to get extra money back from their taxes. Many people fail to file for these credits because they don't know they exist!  NCRMA staff has worked with various state agencies and EITC Carolinas to develop posters promoting these programs. The group of posters (available in both English and Spanish) can be:

• E-mailed to employees;
• Posted in the Employee Break Room;
• Included with employee pay stubs or with the
  W-2 form; or
• Posted on your Customer Bulletin Board.

Click on the links below to download free copies of:

Tax Refund Posters (NC) include:

• Earned Income Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Child or Dependent Care Expense, and
• How to Obtain Free Tax Preparation

Complete Set available in English AND Spanish

Food Stamp Eligibility (NC):

Poster Available in English AND Spanish