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Legislation Would Save American Taxpayers Almost $300 Million a Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Westmoreland is proud to announce his support for H.R. 2926, the National Labor Relations Board Reorganization Act of 2011. The legislation, sponsored by Representative Trey Gowdy (SC-04) would eliminate the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and transfer their responsibilities to the Department of Justice and the Office of Labor-Management Standards at the Department of Labor. The NLRB came under fire earlier this year when they filed a lawsuit against Boeing and demanded Boeing close its new plant in Charleston, South Carolina, claiming they had violated labor laws by building the plant there rather than in Washington State.
“In the 2010 fiscal year, the National Labor Relations Board spent $283.4 million of the American taxpayers’ money,” stated Westmoreland. “And they used that money to sue an American company for creating jobs in a state disproportionately hard hit by the economic downturn because it’s a right-to-work state. The NLRB clearly has an agenda that supports labor unions above the actual workers, putting the interests of unions ahead of employees. They should no longer be trusted with taxpayer money.”
The Bureau of Labor Relations Enforcement would be created within the Department of Justice to specifically handle claims of unfair labor practices. As the agency tasked with ensuring American law is properly enforced, they have the necessary resources to handle claims that the National Labor Relations Act has been violated. In addition, the Office of Labor-Management Standards within the Department of Labor already has regional offices across the United States with experienced employees who could take care of the union election certification process currently under the purview of the NLRB.
“The recent overregulation by the National Labor Relations Board has made it clear they are no longer an ‘independent’ or ‘objective’ agency,” stated Westmoreland. “Provisions of the National Labor Relations Act must continue to be enforced, but the NLRB is an unnecessary agency. Between the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor, the federal government has ample resources to protect workers without the assistance of the activist members of the National Labor Relations Board.”
H.R. 2926 was introduced in mid-September and has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.