The House Committee on Education and the Workforce recently approved the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094),that helps curb the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and reaffirm protections for both workers and employers.
The committee passed the legislation by a vote of 23 to 16.
“We can’t wait for Democrats in Washington to wake up to the fact that the NLRB’s actions are wreaking havoc on American workplaces,” said committee chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) in a statement. “By crippling important rights employees and employers have enjoyed for decades, the Obama board is creating uncertainty and undermining an employer’s ability to hire new workers.”
The bill addresses the NLRB’s rule that would shorten the time workers have to make an informed decision in union elections and permit certain categories of employees, such as nurses, dining staff, or maintenance crews to form “micro-unions.”
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has announced its support for the bill, which was introduced by Chairman Kline. The NLRB’s rule would likely increase costs substantially for employers and health care providers, an ALFA spokesperson previously told SHN.
Before H.R. 3094 can become a law, it must first be approved by the full House of Representatives and the Senate, and then be signed by President Obama. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has expressed his intent to bring the legislation before the full House this winter, according to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
View Kline’s statement here.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
