In June of this year, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced a pro-worker proposed rule change to the current archaic private sector union election process. About ten seconds after the announcement, the Board (and workers around the country) witnessed the beginning of an all out assault from the opposition. The corporations, and the politicians carrying out their dirty work on the Hill did all they could to spin myths from reality, twisting truths around like a pretzel. Some of the opposition even went on a talking box tirade saying that any change in favor of working people would destroy the economy and kill jobs - huh?
To review a real fact sheet on the rule change, click here.
So, the fight was on!
We gathered 15,000 signatures co-signed on a letter of support to the Board during its open comment session- that delivery coincided with testimony from a member who shared about her 15-year process in organizing a union in her workplace. SEIU also filed its formal comments to the Board's proposed rule.
After the open hearings we had until September 6th, yesterday, to provide responses to the comments that were made both in person at the hearings and in print. Our online effort in getting additional worker advocates heard resulted in more than 500 people co-signing a separate letter. As last time, our online activism was mirrored with another formal letter sent on behalf of the entire union.
What's next?
Now we will wait for the Board to issue the final rule while we continue to defend against opposition attacks on the Hill and in court. Our best defense for now is to educate one another about this proposed rule change, but to also look at the bigger picture.
At the end of the day we need to acknowledge that the opposition attacking the Board's proposal is really an attack on all workers. For folks to look at this as a way to destroy jobs instead of creating and maintaining jobs is really shortsighted (or absurd), and we need to get that message heard as loud and clear as we had our voices heard in the initial support to the Board's proposed rule change.
Here are some basic actions we can take right now:
On Facebook:
Like the NLRB page Once you're in, leave a message - any of these or your own.* "Workers have the right to fair and just union elections, the NLRB proposed rule change is a small step in that direction."
* "Don't believe the hype opposing the Board's proposed rule change, most of them likely never worked a day in their lives!"
* "I support the Board's proposed rule change -- it is so commonsense that any opposition the Board receives should be taken with a grain of salt..."
On Twitter: Follow @NLRB - let them know your thoughts on this! Add the hashtag "#"SEIU so we can follow your activism.
