06.21.11

NLRB Proposal A Modest Step Forward to Ensure Fairer Workplace Elections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement after the National Labor Relations Board proposed to improve workplace elections by ensuring a fairer, standardized process for all parties.

“Workers deserve a fair process to choose whether to form a union. While I am continuing to study it, today’s proposal by the National Labor Relations Board to provide a clearer, more standardized workplace election process presents a modest step forward to ensure greater fairness and transparency in representation elections for both workers and employers.    

“The current election process is broken and vulnerable to manipulation and delay.  The proposed changes, while certainly not solving all the difficulties workers face when attempting to exercise their rights, reduce opportunities for bad actors who want to obstruct or interfere with an election.    

“Ideologues will undoubtedly criticize and scaremonger over this modest, commonsense proposal.  In reality, the proposal will reduce costly litigation for all parties and reduce unnecessary conflict in the workplace.  CEOs should not fear a level playing field or fairer elections.  They should embrace them.  As history shows, when workers’ rights are respected, our nation’s families, businesses, and the economy win.”

For more on the NLRB's proposed election reform rule, click here.

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