Card Check by Regulation
Thursday, April 1st, 2010 by AdminWho ever imagined the National Labor Relations Board — a relatively obscure (though important) agency — would get so much attention? With the push to make the board seemingly more of an activist agency based on the recent addition of union attorney Craig Becker, employers are concerned and media members are taking note.
First, though, is the addition to the discussion that Sen. Arlen Specter has made part of his reelection campaign a five-point “workers bill of rights” that includes:
Forcing China to end its practice of pegging its currency to the U.S. dollar, more aggressive U.S. enforcement of trade laws, rescinding the president’s authority to overrule the International Trade Commission’s recommendations, speedier remedies for illegal trade claims, and stronger “Buy American” requirements under the stimulus.
(As the blog post from The Hill notes, Specter’s office took exception to the characterization of his speech as “campaign rhetoric.”)
But back to Becker. The New York Times offers its
spinanalysis under the headline “Deadlock Is Ending on Labor Board.” You know, if you polled 10 people on the street and told them there was an end to political deadlock 9 would say that’s a great thing, until you told them the price could be a worker’s right to a private ballot and an end to the right to vote on a final contract if a government-imposed arbitrator gets involved.The Wall Street Journal’s take: “Unions Could Benefit From Labor Board’s Power Shift”. We suppose there’s something to be said for understatement.
The Battle of the Board is just heating up.
