Marathon Pundit: Obama regulatory agency rewards union bosses at workers’ expense

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Obama regulatory agency rewards union bosses at workers’ expense

Yet more union overreach. From a Workforce Fairness Institue press release:

Obama Regulatory Agency Rewards Union Bosses At Workers’ Expense
Closing Election Window Guarantees Employees Are Not Fully Informed & Hurts Nation’s Small Businesses

Washington, D.C. (June21, 2011) – The Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) today issued the following statement in response to news reports that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will propose new rules to close the window of time during workplace elections:

“Once again, President Obama has sided with Big Labor bosses over American workers and jobs. The latest move by Obama’s National Labor Relations Board to impose ‘quickie elections’ is indefensible as they allow union organizers to prepare for months for an organizing campaign, while businesses have only hours to respond. This is a blatant attempt to ensure workers do not have objective information and are forcibly unionized,” said Fred Wszolek, spokesman for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI). “If President Obama is serious about job creation as he repeatedly claims, he must stop the anti-job creation menace that his NLRB has become.”

BACKGROUND:

“Rules Would Speed Up Union Elections ”:

“Labor regulators are set to propose sweeping new rules Tuesday that would dramatically speed up the time frame for union elections, a move that could make it easier for struggling unions to organize new members, and cut the time businesses have to mount anti-union campaigns. A copy of the planned rules, to be announced by the National Labor Relations Board, was obtained by The Associated Press. The proposal is expected to irritate Republicans and business groups who have complained about the board's pro-labor actions. Most labor elections currently take place within 45-60 days after a union gathers enough signatures to file a petition, a time many companies use to discourage workers from unionizing. The new plan could cut that time by days or even weeks – depending on the case – by simplifying procedures, deferring litigation and setting shorter deadlines for hearings and filings. ” (Sam Hananel, “Rules Would Speed Up Union Elections,” The Associated Press, 6/21/11)

White House Chief Of Staff Bill Daley: “Sometimes You Can’t Defend The Indefensible”:

“It was supposed to be the White House’s latest make-nice session with corporate America – a visit by Chief of Staff William M. Daley to a meeting with hundreds of manufacturing executives in town to press lawmakers for looser regulations. But the outreach soon turned into a rare public dressing down of the president’s policies with his highest-ranking aide … Daley said he did not have many good answers, appearing to throw up his hands in frustration at what he called ‘bureaucratic stuff that’s hard to defend. Sometimes you can’t defend the indefensible,’ he said.” (Peter Wallsten & Jia Lynn Yang, “White House’s Daley Seeks Balance In Outreach Meeting With Manufacturers,” The Washington Post, 6/16/11)

“The Worst May Be Yet To Come From Obama’s Regulatory Board”:

“As more Americans become familiar with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) due to the complaint it filed against the Boeing Company for building a production facility in a right-to-work state against the wishes of the union representing its Washington State employees, the regulatory agency stocked with President Obama’s appointees continues to deliberate over job-killing policies that reward Big Labor bosses and hurt workers … With unemployment over nine percent and every major economic indicator revealing serious challenges for families and small businesses, the NLRB has indicated in public commentary that it is considering changing the time frame within which union elections take place. Big Labor is pushing the idea, supported by its allies at the NLRB of squeezing a 38-day median election period into as little as seven to 10 days after a petition is filed.” (Fred Wszolek, “ The Worst May Be Yet To Come From Obama’s Regulatory Board,” Townhall, 6/18/11)

“Quickie Elections: Rigging The Rules To Favor Big Labor”:

“After the forces of organized labor lost their battle for mandatory card check in Congress, it was widely anticipated that the board would give them the next best thing – ‘quickie elections,’ which are held seven to ten days after a petition is filed. Like card check, quickie elections rig the rules to favor a union outcome … Imagine a political election in which only one party were given the opportunity to tell voters its side of the story, and could set an election date only days away, all without prior notice to the other side. Sound unfair? This is the model the Obama board intends to impose on American business for union-representation elections.” (Peter Schaumber, “Quickie Elections: Rigging The Rules To Favor Big Labor,” National Review Online, 6/13/11)

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.