April 23, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson issued the following statement urging Senate adoption of S.J. Res. 36 proposed by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) that would rescind a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulemaking requiring unionization elections occur within seven to ten days of being filed:
“The Senate has an opportunity to rein in the NLRB’s abusive power grab instituting snap elections on behalf of unions, which will shorten the amount of time businesses have to make their case to employees. This has been a top priority of big labor as union membership wanes nationwide to expedite the process in as little as seven to 10 days.
“The urgency for union certification elections — and the speed with which the NLRB adopted the new rule — is curious when, by the NLRB’s own data, it only took about 38 days to wrap up a unionization election under the old rule. The old process has allowed employers the opportunity to present a case against unionization in a manner allowing for deliberation. While it may be more convenient — for union bosses — to dispense with this process as quickly as possible, it neither serves the interests of businesses nor employees who are given little time to weigh the pros and cons of the decision.
“While the Senate should certainly rescind this rulemaking, it should also be mindful that it underscores just how much power this agency really has to issue sweeping regulations affecting tens of thousands of places of business.
“That is why it is no longer enough to treat the symptoms of the agency’s overreaching quasi-judicial powers with mere stopgap measures. In the House, Rep. Austin Scott has proposed HR 2978 that will address this rogue agency in a comprehensive manner. Scott’s legislation will abolish the NLRB’s powers to serve as prosecutor, judge, and jury in favor of unions. If congressional Republicans are truly committed to reining in the abuses at the NLRB, they should carefully consider the Scott bill, which will eliminate the agency’s power to regulate in such a far-reaching manner.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
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