Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has urged HELP Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to hold hearings for President Biden’s nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): current NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran and Joshua Ditelberg.

Traditionally, the Senate confirms both Democrat and Republican vacancies on important boards and commissions like the NLRB as a pairing. However, last year Senate Democrats confirmed Gwynne Wilcox, President Biden’s Democrat NLRB nominee, without considering a Republican nominee despite an existing vacancy.

Senator Cassidy expressed concerns about the consolidation of power by Democrats on the NLRB. He stated that under Chair McFerran's leadership, "the NLRB has strayed from [its] worker-focused mandate by overturning decades of federal labor law and implementing far-reaching rules singularly focused on advancing the interests and lining the pockets of big labor unions."

Cassidy emphasized that it is essential for the committee to question Chair McFerran about her tenure and Mr. Ditelberg about his qualifications and beliefs regarding the role and purpose of the NLRB.

Specific actions under McFerran's leadership cited by Cassidy include:

- Renewing “card check” in union elections, eliminating workers’ right to a secret ballot.

- Condensing the timeframe for union elections to as little as three weeks after a petition is filed.

- Implementing regulations preventing workers from leaving their union if it becomes ineffective or too costly.

Additionally, Cassidy criticized multiple NLRB decisions that have prevented employers from disciplining employees who use racist and hostile language during picket lines.

In his letter to Chair Sanders, Cassidy wrote: "The Biden administration’s strategy of promoting unionization at every turn is deeply concerning. Therefore, it is critical that this Committee exercise its responsibility to hold hearings for Chair McFerran and Mr. Ditelberg before voting on their nominations so that members of this Committee may examine their records."

He further noted that "this Committee should take seriously its obligations to appropriately and fully vet all Board nominees that may continue this unacceptable trend."

Cassidy highlighted several areas where he believes Chair McFerran has shown bias in favor of unions over employers and workers who do not wish to join unions. These include changes in union election processes and proposed rules making it harder for workers to leave ineffective unions.

Under McFerran's leadership, according to Cassidy, the NLRB has also made it more challenging for employers to maintain civil workplaces through new standards determining whether workplace rules are lawful under the NLRA.

In conclusion, Cassidy called for prompt hearings on these nominations: "For these reasons, I strongly urge you to hold hearings for Chair McFerran’s and Mr. Ditelberg’s nominations to the NLRB so that members of this Committee can question them about these issues and others."