CWA President Larry Cohen, NASA Scientist and Activist to Discuss How the NLRB Crisis Hurts Californians
The all-out assault on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is threatening vital on-the-job protections for millions of California workers.
The NLRB is the sole agency responsible for enforcing federal labor law and protecting the rights of 80 million private sector employees nationwide. It’s been under attack by both conservative courts and House Republicans seeking to freeze all agency actions. Now, unless the Senate majority acts to confirm all five nominations to the NLRB before the August recess, the right to organize and bargain, the right to labor law protections, and the right to free speech in the workplace will all be in jeopardy.
If Senate obstruction on executive nominations and judgeships continues, as it has throughout Obama’s presidency, the Democratic majority – including Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer – can and must act to reform the Senate rules.
In California, the NLRB has recently come to the aid of scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who were unlawfully reprimanded for using JPL’s internal email system to discuss the implications of a recent Supreme Court ruling in their workplace. The board has protected free speech online, ordering clothing store Bettie Page to reinstate employees who had been illegally fired for discussing work conditions on Facebook. At a Dole Fresh Vegetables packing plant, the NLRB settled the case of a longtime employee who was fired after raising safety concerns on behalf of his workers, winning back his job with full back pay.
Cases like these and more will never get justice with a hollowed-out NLRB.
On the call, Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen will be previewing his remarks to Netroots Nation 2013, highlighting Senate obstruction and the importance of the NLRB. Retired JPL senior research scientist Robert M. Nelson will discuss his own unfair labor practice case. And CWA activist Robert England of Bakersfield, Calif., will talk about his recent trip to DC to lobby his senators to confirm all five NLRB nominees.
WHAT: Call to discuss the importance of the NLRB and why the Senate must confirm all five nominees to the board.
WHO: CWA President Larry Cohen, former JPL scientist Robert M. Nelson, CWA activist Robert England
WHEN: Monday, June 17 at 2:30 PM PST
WHERE: 1-866-952-1906 || Passcode: NLRB
