‘Ambush Election’ Bill survives as President Obama vetoes resolution.
President Barack Obama vetoed a resolution yesterday put forth by Republicans that would have ended a labor board rule finalized in December that is set to go into effect this month.
The National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) rule in question shortens the length of time in which a labor union certification election is held from the current median of 38 days to as little as 11 days.
Republican lawmakers have argued the law forces employees to decide to unionize before they have time to understand the impact.
“Workers need a strong voice in the workplace and the economy to protect and grow our nation’s middle class,” the president argued. “Unions have played a vital role in giving workers that voice, allowing workers to organize together for higher wages, better working conditions, and the benefits and protections that most workers take for granted today,” he continued. “Because this resolution seeks to undermine a streamlined democratic process that allows American workers to freely choose to make their voices heard, I cannot support it.”
In response to President Obama’s veto of S.J. Res. 8, a joint resolution to overturn the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) ambush elections rule, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement.
“We are disappointed in the President’s decision to issue a veto of this resolution, which passed both chambers of Congress earlier this month,” said Kelly Kolb, vice president for government affairs. “This decision seems grounded in politics, rather than sound policy that balances the rights of employers and employees.
“Neither workers or employers should have their rights trampled by a politically motivated NLRB,” said Kolb. “The ambush election rule limits employees’ ability to make informed decisions and could ultimately have a significant negative impact on staffing and workforce development in the retail sector.”
The NLRB rule is now scheduled to go into effect on April 14.
RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
