Watson Coleman on Vote Prohibiting NLRB Rule Change: Republicans “Siding With Corporations Over the Constituents that Elected Them."
For Immediate Release:
Washington, DC (March 19, 2015) ― Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), issued the following statement after the House voted on a resolution that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from adopting a rule to modernize and streamline election procedures and appeals litigation.
“One of the first votes Republicans scheduled for this session of Congress was on legislation that would make it easier for employers to skirt the Affordable Care Act’s requirements that big businesses offer employees healthcare ― clear and obvious pandering to corporate interests. It’s only gotten worse since then, with legislative handouts to seemingly every industry imaginable, and still no support for hardworking Americans,” Watson Coleman said.
“Republicans are using the Congressional Review Act to hinder the NLRB from making basic, logical changes that will close loopholes currently exploited by businesses seeking to block unions. In so doing, they’re siding with corporations over the constituents that elected them, and making it clear that they do not care about the interests of American families. Enough is enough. The American people deserve better.”
On January 8, 2015 the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 30, which would change the definition of full time work within the Affordable Care Act from 30 to 40 hours, making it easier for companies to avoid offering insurance to their employees.
Today, the House voted on S.J.Res 8, which would prohibit the NLRB from moving forward with several essential reforms, including electronic filing of election petitions and consolidating all election-related appeals into a single appeals process ― a change that would prevent employers from stalling union formation by filing repeated appeals for the NLRB hearing officer to resolve before elections can move forward. The resolution also bars the NLRB from ever adopting another rule in “substantially the same form.”
The NLRB issued their final ruling on December 15, 2014.