Byrne Votes to Protect Fairness in the Workplace

Press Release

In his first committee markup as a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee today, Representative Bradley Byrne (AL-1) recommended H.R. 4320, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, and H.R. 4321, the Employee Privacy Protection Act, for consideration before the full House of Representatives.

The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (MN-2), addresses the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) "ambush election' rule, which drastically shortened the waiting period between the filing of a union election and the election itself. This bill would roll back provisions in the NLRB rule that provide only seven days for an employer to find and hire counsel, and that force employers to file all concerns before a hearing, effectively silencing the employer during an election hearing.

The Employee Privacy Protection Act, introduced by Representative Phil Roe (TN-1), gives workers more control over the disclosure of their personal contact information to the NLRB for the purposes of a union election, protecting the privacy of workers and their families.

Byrne said: "Having represented employers in union elections for many years in the private sector, I know firsthand the importance of preserving the balance between workers and employers in the workplace. The NLRB's "ambush election' rule represents nothing less than a direct assault on this delicate balance, tossing aside decades of negotiations and precedent. It impedes employers from being able to fully voice their concerns in a union election and allows the NLRB to collect sensitive and private data from workers without their consent.

"I'm proud to support legislation that restores this balance in the American workplace. I thank Chairman Kline and Congressman Roe for their leadership on this issue, and look forward to passage of both of these bills through the full House of Representatives."

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