The Associated Builders and Contractors, a group that promotes
non-union construction and free-market principles, is cheering the passage of a
U.S. House bill.
Called the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, the bill
would override a recent move by the National Labor Relations Board to speed up
union-organizing elections.
Opponents,
including the ABC and many Republican lawmakers, say the bill would kill
employers’ right to lobby against a union organizing drive and limit workers’
choice to freely vote for or against union representation.
“A majority of U.S. House
members today sent a clear message to the NLRB that protecting the workplace
rights of both employees and employers is critical when deciding whether to unionize,”
said Geoff Burr, the association’s vice president of federal affairs. “With the
nation’s construction unemployment rate at 13.7 percent - 4.7 percent higher
than the national average - the last thing the NLRB should be doing is enacting
rules and policies that will cripple businesses.
“We urge the U.S. Senate to
quickly vote on this important legislation to protect and preserve workplace
rights,” Burr said.
When or if the Senate will take
up the bill is not known.
