Marathon Pundit: NLRB overreach: Double witching day edition

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

NLRB overreach: Double witching day edition

American Airlines flight attendants
at Occupy Chicago

There are two key votes--one by bureaucrats, one by elected members of Congress--in regards to the National Labor Relations Board.

From the Foundry Blog:

The Obama NLRB is also in the process [they're supposed to vote today] of implementing snap elections, designed to prevent employees from making an informed choice about unionizing. Under the current system, unions campaign for months (with management usually ignorant of it) before calling for an election, which occurs five to six weeks later. During the election period, the company tells its side of the story, filling in the details the union organizers omitted—strike histories, dues increases, and union corruption. Workers cast an informed vote after hearing the strongest case from both sides.

Obama's NLRB is in the process of shortening the election period from six weeks to as little as 10 days. These snap elections would allow unions to campaign for months and then call for a vote before workers hear the other side.

These changes benefit union organizers at the expense of workers. They will also hurt the economy. Unionized companies invest less, are less competitive, and create fewer jobs than nonunion companies. The government should not make it difficult for workers to stay nonunion.

The American Spectator:

Imagine voting in a presidential election where one candidate can campaign for a year and the other is only told he is running a week before Election Day. As absurd as that sounds, that is precisely the choice that President Obama's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is trying to impose on American workers.

The NLRB is the supposedly neutral federal agency charged with judging private sector labor law cases and interpreting labor statutes. However, under Obama, it has gone far beyond that mission, to propose sweeping rule changes favorable to unions.

Some members of Congress are focused on this problem and are trying to do something about it. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives is set to vote on the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094). The bill, introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.), would prevent these "ambush" elections by requiring all union representation elections to occur no less than 35 days following a union's election petition to the NLRB.

The Act would also allow workers to choose how a union can contact them. Currently, employers are required to give unions information such as a worker's home address, which can lead to intimidation by organizers.

The 2012 Democratic National Convention will be held in a right-to-work state. The Dems are scheming to get their union pals work--the state House is speaking out. From the Charlotte Observer:

North Carolina lawmakers approved a nonbinding resolution Tuesday asking the Democratic National Convention to change its rules and "respect North Carolina's right-to-work laws."

It comes after Republicans raised concerns about North Carolina firms not getting contracts for the September convention because they are not unionized shops.

The resolution asks the DNC to refrain from hiring workers and companies from outside North Carolina when qualified businesses or workers are available within the state.

So far, the convention committee has awarded three contracts to six firms totaling $7 million - but only one went to a unionized firm.

More from Red State: DNC discrimination against non-union business challenged By NC lawmakers
Still more from Hot Air: DNC may have to respect N.C. right to work for convention

The Workforce Fairness Institute weighs in:

North Carolina State Officials Have A Choice: Stand With Workers Or Labor Bosses

Washington, D.C. (November 30, 2011) – The Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) today released the following statement in response to news reports that the North Carolina House passed a resolution calling on the Democratic National Convention to respect that state's right-to-work law and hire state workers as opposed to rewarding companies run by union bosses:

"The North Carolina House deserves praise for stepping forward and defending the state’s laws and workers. We hope the Senate takes up the resolution expeditiously and sends the message to Big Labor that elected officials in North Carolina expect the Democratic National Convention to hire local workers, not penalize local businesses that aren’t unionized and respect the state's right-to-work law," said Fred Wszolek, spokesperson for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI). "This resolution is a rational step in favor of North Carolina employees and employers, and it only makes good sense elected officials both in the legislative and executive branches would step forward and endorse it."

BACKGROUND:

"House Approves Resolution Asking Democratic Convention To Hire NC Workers, Honor Law":

"House Republicans want organizers of next year's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte to hire more North Carolina workers and not to sidestep companies that aren't union shops. The GOP leadership Tuesday pushed a nonbinding resolution through the chamber. They said it was in response to media reports that Charlotte-area companies are missing out on convention contracts because the Democratic Party is favoring union companies." ("House Approves Resolution Asking Democratic Convention To Hire NC Workers, Honor Law," The Associated Press, 11/29/11)

Could the NLRB's recess-appointed general counsel, Lafe Solomon, become another Obama czar? From the Washington Times: Obama's Boeing bandit poised for promotion

Trouble on the rails coming? From House Speaker John Boehner: GOP leaders: House will act if necessary to avert job-crushing national railway strike

AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, declared bankruptcy yesterday morning. More from AP:

AMR has lost more than $12 billion since 2001, and analysts expect it will post more losses through 2012. Speculation about an AMR bankruptcy grew in recent weeks as the company was unable to win union approval for contracts that would reduce labor costs. The company said it was spending $600 million more a year than other airlines because of labor-contract rules - $800 million more including pension obligations.

Crain's Chicago Business:

Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection is "really designed to get their labor costs down," said Kenneth Button, director of the Center for Transportation, Policy, Operations and Logistics and professor of public policy at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. "If they get that done fairly quickly, it will firm up their orders."