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November 29, 2017
CONTACT: Ryan Williams
202-677-7060

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

NLRB Has Critical Role To Play In Getting Us Back On Track

 

Heather Greenaway
November 28, 2017
InsideSources

Eight years under the Obama administration was a boon for Big Labor and its anti-worker agenda. The union bosses who pumped millions of dollars into President Obama’s campaigns were rewarded with nominations to various posts at the supposedly independent National Labor Relations Board, allowing them to create a series of job-killing regulations that advanced their own agenda to the detriment of employees and employers.

Fortunately, the Trump administration and this Congress have taken steps to put an end to their predecessors’ irresponsible practices. The president has nominated and the Senate has confirmed serious and experienced professionals so the NLRB can finally carry out its intended purpose, starting with “safeguard(ing) employees’ rights.” The process culminated with Peter Robb’s recent confirmation to serve as the agency’s general counsel, which came on the heels of William Emanuel and Marvin Kaplan joining the five-member board.

With these new voices at the agency, there is hope the NLRB will adhere to decades of precedence in its application of the law as opposed to concocting rules and regulations to reward special interests.

To start, Emanuel has years of experience practicing labor law at well-respected firms across the country and served as chairman of the Labor Relations Advisory Committee and Employers Group Legal Committee.

Prior to joining the board, Kaplan served as chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and counsel for multiple committees in Congress.

Both of these gentlemen have consistently demonstrated a dedication to the rule of law, as well as upholding the rights of employees and employers when threatened.

And under General Counsel Robb, the law will once again be the standard, stating upon being sworn-in that he had “always believed in the core values expressed in the National Labor Relations Act.”

This will be a dramatic improvement from the NLRB under Richard Griffin, the Obama-era general counsel, who can only be described as labor’s biggest shill who even acknowledged that his “sole reason” for pursuing a complaint against McDonald’s was that it was filed by a union-funded group.

In contrast, Robb is an experienced attorney having practiced in labor and employment law, including as staff attorney and counsel at the NLRB.

American workers are ready to take our nation’s economy to the next level. Under Obama they were burdened by regulations advancing the political agenda of labor bosses, such as the ambush elections rule, micro-union decision and new joint employer standard. To allow our employees and employers to thrive, these new NLRB members both on the board side and in the general counsel’s office, must re-examine these flawed approaches at once.

It’s time to pursue an agenda that benefits workers so the American people can have confidence their government is working in their own best interests. And the NLRB has a very important role to play in getting us back on track.​

 Heather Greenaway is a spokesperson for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI).

To access the op-ed, click here.

The Workforce Fairness Institute is an organization committed to educating voters, employers, employees and citizens about issues affecting the workplace.  To learn more, please visit: http://www.workforcefairness.com.

 To schedule an interview with a Workforce Fairness Institute representative, please contact Ryan Williams at (202) 677-7060.

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AZ Daily Sun--Coconino Voices: PRO Act legislation would hurt local businesses

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By: Julie Pastrik Arizona businesses and workers have had an incredibly challenging year given the economic slowdown that followed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However, local businesses and industries across the state are resilient and on the road to a strong recovery that will mean more jobs for Arizona workers and increased economic development to strengthen our communities. That is, as long as Congress does not move forward with potentially devastating legislation that would hurt local employers and employees alike while impeding our state’s economic recovery. Unfortunately, some members of Congress seem determined to do just that by pushing through the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. As harmless as the name may sound, the PRO Act would have serious repercussions for local businesses, particularly smaller ones, while undermining long-standing rights for employees and threatening the growing gig economy that has helped provide much-needed income for so many during this time. Arizona is fortunate to have leaders like Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, who have both refrained from joining the vast majority of their Democratic colleagues in cosponsoring the PRO Act. In a slap in the face to Arizona workers, the PRO Act removes one of the most fundamental rights a worker has when it comes to voting in elections to determine whether to unionize: the secret ballot. Instead, workers could be forced to sign union authorization cards in front of other employees, their employer, or union organizers. This bill would also destroy workers’ right to privacy by allowing unions access to personal information, including their home address and personal phone number. If that doesn’t open the door to union intimidation and harassment, I don’t know what does. As if that was not bad enough, the PRO Act would create major new challenges for Arizona businesses, making it harder for them to create jobs, expand in their communities, and even keep their doors open. It would redefine what it means to be a “joint employer” under national labor law, greatly complicating existing relationships between franchisors and franchisees as well as between business owners, contractors, subcontractors, and vendors and suppliers. At the same time, it would interfere with attorney-client confidentiality and make it much more difficult for small businesses to secure a legal advice on labor issues. Particularly harmful during these times, the PRO Act would apply a failed policy from California to national labor law by using the “ABC” test to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee. This makes it much harder to qualify as an independent contractor, threatening the freedom and flexibility that tens of thousands of Arizonans find in independent contracting and gig economy work. Ultimately, the PRO Act is bad public policy that only works for union leaders to inflate their falling ranks while threatening workers’ rights, undermining small businesses, and jeopardizing a growing part of our economy. This is not a good solution for Arizona, and Senators Sinema and Kelly should stay firm and not cosponsor this misguided legislation.
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