Because of President Obama’s recess appointments of two union lawyers to the National Labor Relations Board, business groups are warning that the panel will kick quickly into a pro-union gear after 26 months of near paralysis, when just two of its five seats were filled.
Business groups fear that the appointment of Craig Becker, a lawyer for the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Service Employees International Union, will push the board to favor unions on dozens of issues.
Labor unions argue that the recess appointments of Mr. Becker and Mark Pearce, a Buffalo-based lawyer, will merely restore some balance after the board favored business under President George W. Bush.
"The Bush board took things in a really anti-worker direction," said Jonathan Hiatt, chief of staff of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.. "Workers have taken a beating under board rulings in recent years, and we hope the new board will provide a little more fairness to workers who want to exercise the right to organize and bargain collectively."
One thing labor and business agree on is that the board’s deadlock will soon end. Since January 2008, the board has had just one Democratic member, its chairwoman, Wilma B. Liebman, and one Republican, Peter C. Schaumber. Now there will be three Democrats and one Republican.
"There’s now a full complement of Democrats on the board so they can start doing something," said Samuel Estreicher, a labor law professor at New York University. "I think you’re going to see a more activist N.L.R.B."
Many academic experts predict that the Democratic-dominated board will revamp rules so that unions do not feel the system is tilted against them.
"The union movement feels the board processes are not giving them a fair shake," said James J. Brudney, a labor law professor at Ohio State.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01labor.html?scp=1&sq=national labor relations&st=cse
Business groups fear that the appointment of Craig Becker, a lawyer for the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Service Employees International Union, will push the board to favor unions on dozens of issues.
Labor unions argue that the recess appointments of Mr. Becker and Mark Pearce, a Buffalo-based lawyer, will merely restore some balance after the board favored business under President George W. Bush.
"The Bush board took things in a really anti-worker direction," said Jonathan Hiatt, chief of staff of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.. "Workers have taken a beating under board rulings in recent years, and we hope the new board will provide a little more fairness to workers who want to exercise the right to organize and bargain collectively."
One thing labor and business agree on is that the board’s deadlock will soon end. Since January 2008, the board has had just one Democratic member, its chairwoman, Wilma B. Liebman, and one Republican, Peter C. Schaumber. Now there will be three Democrats and one Republican.
"There’s now a full complement of Democrats on the board so they can start doing something," said Samuel Estreicher, a labor law professor at New York University. "I think you’re going to see a more activist N.L.R.B."
Many academic experts predict that the Democratic-dominated board will revamp rules so that unions do not feel the system is tilted against them.
"The union movement feels the board processes are not giving them a fair shake," said James J. Brudney, a labor law professor at Ohio State.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01labor.html?scp=1&sq=national labor relations&st=cse
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