On Wednesday March 4, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled, “H.J. Res. 29, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to representation case procedures.”

According to a press release by the House Education and the Workforce Committee:

In December 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finalized its ambush election rule, which dramatically alters long-standing policies governing union elections. The rule significantly shortens the time between the filing of a petition for a union election and the election date, limits the opportunity for a full and fair hearing of issues that may arise during the election proceedings, and grants union organizers greater access to employees’ personal information. As a result of these and other changes, the rule will undermine the right of employers to speak to employees, cripple the ability of employees to make informed decisions, and jeopardize the privacy of workers and their families.  Under the Congressional Review Act, the House and Senate may vote on a joint resolution of disapproval to stop a federal agency from implementing a rule or regulation. H.J. Res. 29 would block the NLRB’s ambush election rule and safeguard election procedures that have served employees, employers, and unions well for decades. Wednesday’s hearing will provide members the opportunity to examine H.J. Res. 29 and the harmful consequences of the NLRB’s unprecedented re-write of union election procedures.

The witness list for the hearing included:

Ms. Brenda Crawford – Registered Nurse (Murrieta, CA)

Mr. Roger King – Senior Labor and Employment Counsel, Testifying on behalf of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (Washington, DC)

Mr. Arnold E. Perl – Member, Glankler Brown, PLLC (Memphis, TN)

Mr. Glenn M. Taubman – Staff Attorney, National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, Inc. (Springfield, VA)

Click here to view an archived webcast of the hearing.

Click here to read the opening statement by Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL).