Background · President Obama has nominated a package of five individuals to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. It is essential that the Senate act promptly to confirm these individuals in order to keep this important agency operational to protect workers’ rights. · The package of five nominees includes three current members of the Board—Chairman Mark Pearce and Members Sharon Block and Richard Griffin—and two nominees who have not served previously on the Board and who have been drawn from the ranks of attorneys who represent management in disputes with employees: Philip Miscimarra and Harry Johnson. Update · On May 16, the Senate HELP committee, after holding a confirmation hearing, approved the nominees as a package on a 13-5 vote with only one Republican, Lisa Murkowski, voting for all the nominees. (Chairman Pearce received a number of GOP votes). It is not likely to win over any more Republicans to support the package. · The Republican leadership is threatening to filibuster these nominees unless the two current recess appointees (Block and Griffin) are replaced by different nominees. · At present, Chairman Pearce’s term, will expire on August 27. Without action by the Senate before the August recess, the Board will be left without the quorum of at least three members that is required in order for the Board to function. The Ask · It is of the highest priority for the AFL-CIO and its affiliates that the NLRB is fully functional. · We ask that you give your support for changing the Senate rules in order to confirm these nominees as a package. Republican obstructionism cannot prevent the only federal agency that protects the rights of America’s workers to form unions and bargain collectively from fully operating. · President Obama won the election in 2012 which has given him the right to nominate who he sees fit to serve in the various vacancies across the federal government. It is extraordinary that the Republicans will attempt to roll back the elections by simply refusing to allow the government from functioning. · In addition to the NLRB, the GOP has been blocking Presidential nominees to a wide range of positions including the EPA Administrator, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Secretary of Labor, and a record number of judicial nominees. · The Republicans’ unprecedented and extraordinary obstructionism requires an extraordinary response to protect America’s workers. · The Senate must act promptly to confirm the nominations. We ask that you give your support for changing the Senate Rules in order to confirm these nominees as a package. · Working people need and deserve a confirmed NLRB now.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 23:14:08 +0000
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