The National Restaurant Association today voiced strong support for H.R. 3094, “The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act,” which aims to ensure fairness for employers in the face of recent anti-business actions by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The Association is considering a vote on the bill to be a “key vote,” and sent a key vote letter to all members of the House of Representatives today.
“The restaurant industry is the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer, providing jobs to nearly one in every 10 workers,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Association. “With the right policies, America’s restaurants will be able to create even more jobs and provide greater opportunities to more Americans.”
H.R. 3094 blocks the NLRB from moving forward with its ambush election proposal allowing union representation elections to be held in as few as 10 days after the filing of a union petition. This move would shorten the period between petition to elections to such a degree that it would deny employees the time and information needed to make an informed decision on union representation.
The bill also would reverse the NLRB’s recent decision in the Specialty Healthcare case, which opens the door to micro-unions. The Specialty Healthcare decision would allow the creation of mini-unions, making it easier for unions to organize by allowing them to form small groups of workers who support the union without allowing other workers who oppose the union an opportunity to vote. Job creators would then be in the unworkable situation of bargaining with multiple unions for similarly situated employees.
View the key vote letter here.
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.
