Marathon Pundit: Townhall: The worst is yet to come from the NLRB

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Townhall: The worst is yet to come from the NLRB

Union protest at O'Hare Airport

The National Labor Relations Board-Boeing dispute could look seem like a pie-fight, Fred Wszolek reasons in Townhall:

Yet, these aren't the only job-killing policies Obama's regulatory board is considering. 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.

As things stand today, voting to form a union takes a median of 38 days time after the initial election petition is submitted. This gives employers, unions and workers the chance to share information, set election rules and seek outside counsel if it is required. Typically, by the time the workplace election takes place, everybody has at least had a chance to receive information, consider the merits of forming a collective bargaining unit, and make a decision free from unnecessary anxiety and confusion.

Even though unions win a good majority of workplace elections, their numbers are diminishing as most employees are satisfied with their working conditions and oppose giving away hard-earned dollars to union bosses as opposed to keeping those funds themselves. Unfortunately, instead of standing with workers and respecting their decisions, NLRB members like Craig Becker and Mark Pearce believe it is the government's job to force unionization on workers. Becker wrote in the past that employers "should be stripped of any legally cognizable interest in their employees' election." And Pearce has thrown around the idea that elections should happen within five to 10 days after the initial petition.