DeGette Statement on Bill to Strip NLRB of Enforcement Mechanism

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) issued the following statement today following House passage of H.R. 2587, which would strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its ability to restore jobs to workers who are illegally punished for exercising their right to organize.

"Throughout my career in Congress I have staunchly defended American workers against efforts to roll back the protections on which they rely to work in safe conditions and to earn a decent wage for their families. Thankfully, in this country it is illegal for a company to retaliate against workers who attempt to negotiate fair wages and safe working conditions. The NLRB has been an invaluable resource for hard-working Americans unfairly punished for exercising their rights. But this legislation would leave the NLRB with no authority to restore jobs that are illegally eliminated as punishment for union activity. It would leave a stacked deck in the hands of corporations who attempt to openly flaunt the law and threaten their workers with the loss of their job should they exercise their legal rights. It is an open invitation to ship jobs overseas, and would provide companies with such insurmountable leverage in future negotiations that workers' rights and safety could fall by the wayside.

"While I strongly support the rights of companies like Boeing to open new facilities wherever they see fit, they must ensure they follow the law when doing so, and it is not in our nation's best interest to enact legislation that strips the NRLB's ability to enforce that law."

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