Civil and Human Rights Coalition Welcomes Recently Proposed Rules for Union Elections

Media 07.1,11

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the rules governing union elections proposed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

“The labor and civil rights movements today confront a shared crisis—the systematic and pernicious denial of the basic right of our nation’s working people to bargain with their employers.

Ensuring workers have a fair chance to vote and to join a union, should they so choose, is a pillar of our democracy as well as our economy.  The right to join together to form a union can help restore our middle class, put foods on the table of working families, and stabilize communities that are reeling from loss of income.

The proposed rule by the NLRB would help ensure workers have a basic civil right that we hold dear—a fair chance to vote.  By eliminating unnecessary delays and modernizing an outdated system, the rule removes unfair hurdles to workers choosing whether to form a union.  Eliminating excessive delays and litigation reduces costs for employers, workers, and taxpayers.

The recent state attacks on collective bargaining and organizing rights of public workers are one element of an overall assault on civil and workers’ rights that poses a threat to all Americans. The Leadership Conference welcomes this proposed rule as a modest step forward in blunting the impact of these attacks and removing roadblocks for workers who wish to decide for themselves whether or not to bargain with their employers.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.