During the previous administration, it is hard to argue that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) didn’t virtually become an appendage of Big Labor. For eight years, the union bosses who pumped millions of dollars into President Barack Obama’s campaigns were rewarded with nominations leading to decisions that served as political payback. Losing any semblance of independence, the agency that exists in part to protect our nation’s workers, instituted job-killing regulations advancing Big Labor’s priorities.
However, it is a new day at the NLRB. During his first year in office, President Donald Trump has nominated respected legal and workplace experts who are taking the initial and critical steps to return the agency to its intended role of protecting “the rights of private sector employees” and restoring the balance of power in the workplace.
On the heels of Marvin Kaplan and William Emanuel — both well-respected lawyers — being seated on the Board and Peter Robb taking over as general counsel, President Trump has nominated John Ring to serve as a Board member.
Ring’s credentials include working in the law practice of Morgan Lewis as a partner assisting clients on a range of issues, including labor contract negotiations and corporate restructuring. Ring as is a member of the Washington D.C. and Connecticut bars, and a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
During his time at Morgan Lewis, Ring tried cases in front of the NLRB and represented workers impacted by Obama-era decisions, such as the ambush election ruling. This misguided decision shortened the time frame for union elections to as few as 11 days, allowing union organizers to quietly garner support for unionization, then ambush workers with a vote before they had a chance to receive and review critical information concerning the implications unionization could have on their lives.
In response to these actions, Ring wrote, “the proposed rules represent a significant encroachment into both an employer’s business and an employee’s privacy,” an assessment that was a far cry of the union shills previously in the NLRB. As for the ambush rule, the Workforce Fairness Institute supports the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (WFDA), legislation requiring at least 35 days between filing an election petition and holding an election.
For eight years under the former administration, workers faced stagnant wages, job-killing regulations and limited opportunities. Now, with Ring’s nomination to serve under Chairman Kaplan, workers can have a newfound confidence that the agency will once again act as an impartial defendant of their rights and stand up to the Big Labor bosses who encroached on the workplace in recent years.
The new members of the Board represent a real opportunity to roll back the anti-worker rulings of the last administration and restore the balance of power in the workplace, starting with rescinding the ambush election rule.
Heather Greenaway is a spokesperson for the Workforce Fairness Institute.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.
