Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The National Labor Relations Board issued a rule that will lead to speedier U.S. union elections, a measure fought by business groups and Republicans.

The regulation, which will take effect April 30, will simplify union-election procedures and shorten the deadline for balloting after employees request a vote. The board, which resolves disputes between labor and management, adopted the change in a 2-1 vote.

 “This rule is about giving all employees who have petitioned for an election the right to vote in a timely manner and without the impediment of needless litigation,” NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce said in an e-mail statement.

Republicans and business groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers have said the labor board’s plan creates “ambush elections.”

“This rule has no conceivable purpose but to make it easier for unions to win elections,” Randy Johnson, vice president for labor policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobbying group, said in an e-mail.

Labor leaders have said the change won’t do much to help unions as representation among private companies fell to a record low 6.9 percent last year.

--Editors: Judy Pasternak, Steve Geimann

To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Geimann at sgeimann@bloomberg.net