Providing for Congressional Disapproval of a Rule Submitted by the National Labor Relations Board

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, sadly, today the Republicans are again
coming to the Senate floor--not to help the working people who work
every day to make our country great--but to silence their voices.

They aren't here to reward the hard-working families that work from
paycheck to paycheck just to give their children a better life and the
education that they deserve. They aren't here to pass a highway bill
that would support millions of jobs.

Instead, they want to hold the highway bill hostage to big polluting
Canadian special interests and build the Keystone pipeline which will
only create 35 permanent jobs.

They aren't here to raise the minimum wage. They aren't here to
expand the child care tax credit. They aren't here to ensure equal pay
for equal work. They aren't here to try to make college more affordable
for middle-class families. They aren't here to help workers get health
care--we know that because right now Republicans are suing to take away
health care from more than 8 million Americans.

They certainly aren't here to fix our Nation's broken immigration
system. If Republicans were interested in that, they would be
supporting the reasonable, commonsense immigration measures proposed by
President Obama that will result in indisputable economic gains for our
country--raising the Nation's GDP by up to $90 billion over the next 10
years.

No, the majority in the House and Senate don't have time for any of
these measures to help working families--they are too busy pursuing
their latest attack on the middle class.

I oppose this resolution because it would impede one of the basic
rights of America's workers: to form a union.

If enacted, this resolution would prohibit the National Labor
Relations Board from implementing rules to streamline and modernize
union election procedures that will ensure union elections are
conducted in a more fair and efficient manner.

These employees who work so hard deserve a union elections process
that is free from unnecessary delays and wasteful stall tactics.

Let me tell you a little bit about those tactics. This comes from the
testimony of someone who represents unions in California.

In 2010 a petition for representation was filed for approximately 45
automobile mechanics. Even though there were well-established NLRB
rules that governed the proceedings on a petition for a unit of
automobile mechanics, management asked for hearings, extensions, filed
objection after objection, until finally, 427 days after the petition
was filed, the union was certified.

Corporations are getting the benefits of increased profits and
productivity. Why should they be allowed to stall these proceedings?
Why do they oppose giving these workers a voice so that they can
improve their working conditions and wages?

First, let me tell you what these rules do not do: They do not
mandate timetables for elections to occur. Rather, the new rules simply
eliminate existing barriers that get in the way of providing both
employees and employers with access to a fair election process.

These rules do not prevent employers from discussing their views on
unions with workers. What these modest changes will accomplish: The new
rules, which will go into effect on April 14, will reduce unnecessary
litigation on issues that are not relevant to the outcome of the
election. The new rules will modernize the current outdated process. In
the past, employers had to send out mail through the post office, which
cost time and money. The new rule will allow employers and unions to
file forms electronically. It will also allow the use of more modern
forms of communication to employees through cell phones and email.

Instead of standing up for workers across the country who are
struggling with stagnant wages, Republicans have chosen to challenge
these common-sense reforms.

The right to form a union is a right guaranteed by the National Labor
Relations Act and by the First Amendment of our Constitution.

These modest changes will merely allow workers to exercise that right
in a fair and efficient process in order to protect their rights,
increase wages, and grow our Nation's middle class.

What is so sad is that this is just the latest attack on the middle
class and their economic security. Instead of taking up more floor time
going after the rights of workers, let's fight to help working
families. Instead of trying to undo measures that help the middle
class, let's fight to do more for them.

At a time when wages are stagnating, instead of trying to silence the
voices of hard-working men and women, let's fight to empower them
through collective bargaining.

I urge my colleagues to support modernization and oppose this
resolution. Let's let our workers know that we hear them, that we
support them, and that we will fight to make life better for our middle
class families.

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