Harkin Praises NLRB's Proposed Voting Rules

WASHINGTON—Today , Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the National Labor Relations Board's proposal of modernized election rules, which will clear the way for workers to vote on unionization by streamlining regulatory processes:

"To ensure a strong economic recovery, America needs a strong middle class," Harkin said. "A key part of rebuilding the middle class is ensuring that every American worker has the same right that powerful CEOs take for granted—the right to sign a contract ensuring fair treatment on the job.  The National Labor Relations Board’s modernized election rules take an important step forward in making this right a reality.  By giving workers the right to a fair, up-or-down vote, the rules don't encourage unionization or discourage it —workers get to make the decision that is best for them.  But preserving this right brings some balance to the system, so that the deck isn’t always stacked against ordinary working people and in favor of the wealthy and the powerful."

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