As Promised, GOP Introduce Laws to Gut the NLRB and Labor Rights for American Workers

The so-called 'NLRB Reform Act' would guarantee a perpetual stalemate on the National Labor Relations Board because Sens. Lamar Alexander and Mitch McConnell propose to add a sixth member to it. And, in the House, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is introducing a federal right-to-work bill to "free" workers from paying union dues.

These are not new. King's proposal is a barely warmed over version of a bill he introduced nearly two years ago. His aim is to undermine collective bargaining rights for workers. Last fall, Sen. Alexander of Tennessee and Senate Majority Leader McConnell raised the curtain on their proposal to cripple one of the last remaining institution set up to fight for workers.

In plain language on the government's own website about the law that set up the board:

"Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers, 'to encourage collective bargaining' and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy."

Dysfunctional U.S. Senate rules and recalcitrant Republican senators kept the NLRB from having a full slate of members for a decade. Then, with the extraordinary efforts of thousands of CWA activists and the Fix the Senate Now coalition, the movement succeeded in changing the rules and the Senate confirmed a full five-member board.