NLRB Rulings Designed to Influence 2012 Elections
With the Iowa caucuses kicking off the primary season to decide the Republican presidential challenger, it is important to reflect on what President Obama will be doing to secure a second term as he has no Democratic challenger.
Enter the National Labor Relations Board and its radical Obama appointees Craig Becker and Mark Pierce, as well as proposed appointees Sharon Block, a former liberal NLRB attorney, and Richard Griffin, General Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and a member of the AFL-CIO Lawyer Coordinating Committee. The Senate has declined to vote on approval of the two appointees, or on the reappointment of Craig Becker, whose term ended December 31, 2011. However, it remains to be seen if Obama will use his Rule by Fiat mentality in an attempt to recess appoint them as he did with Craig Becker during a Senate recess in the spring of 2009. If he does it will be obvious pay back to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka and former SEIU President Andy Stern, both Obama cronies and admitted frequent White House visitors.
Under the regime of Becker and Pierce, the NLRB wreaked havoc on the business community in 2011, as highlighted in The Cold War Within: The Fight for America’s Future. The fallout is still being felt as two of the principal regulations implemented by the Becker-Pierce NLRB are set to take effect in 2012. The first of these, the “Posting” rule, requires employers to post information apprising employees of their right to organize in accordance with the National Labor Relations Act. Implementation has been delayed until April 30th, 2012 due to legal challenges, while the even more controversial “Quickie Elections” are also scheduled to go into effect April 30, 2011 (see NLRB Adopts Quickie Election Procedure, Sets Start Date). These regulations, however, are potentially just the beginning. A whole host of regulations and prior decision reversals favorable to big labor are pending on the docket, and quick recess appointment by Obama of either of his proposed appointees provides the opportunity for Obama and his labor allies to help fill union dues coffers and in turn Obama 2012 election supporters.
Basking in the Hawaiian sun this January, instead of having to campaign in the frozen Iowa tundra, Obama knows that he must spend some of his precious down time repairing his relationship with big labor. Obama’s inability to pass the “Employee Free Choice Act” (a.k.a. “Card Check”) and his recent opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline has created a rift with big labor. His opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, as a favor to his environmental buddies, has reportedly cost 20,000 union jobs. One would think big labor would rebel against Obama’s use of Corporate Campaigns tactics against his own buddies; however both sides know big labor has no other option but to support him. Knowing he must have big labor’s full support, Obama will now attempt to make up for the Keystone XL pipeline opposition by attempting to unleash the “nuclear option” of Card Check through the Rogue NLRB.
Now it’s World War III at the NLRB, between business and labor, despite the fact that many of big labor’s desires, including card check, are A Death Penalty for Employees and Employers. Obama and his NLRB cronies, despite attempts by the U.S. House to pass “The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act” and limit NLRB power (see H.R. 3094) will attempt to neutralize business opposition during the 2012 election campaign, while ramping up big labor contributions and securing its much needed foot soldiers for ground operations. His methods should be a dire warning for the American electorate. If Obama is willing to throw his own supporters under the bus to achieve his goals, it should be very clear he is willing to place Political Aspirations & Payback Ahead of American Jobs. He will utilize his time not to move the country forward in the spirit of bipartisanism, but will stall any meaningful legislation and place immediate blame on the Republicans, the wealthy and the business community, as he is a socialist at heart, and can do nothing more than what he believes. So Why are Businesses Sitting on the Sidelines when they understand this president intends to destroy them and the free market through his regulatory scheme. It is truly a shame the mainstream media, and the business community in its own right, continues to Address the Symptoms, Not the Disease instead of getting on board. The media should be providing coverage of what is going on behind the scenes, and exposing Obama’s plan to allow the NLRB to steal the 2012 election.
About the author: David A. Bego is the President and CEO of EMS, an industry leader in the field of environmental workplace maintenance, employing nearly 5000 workers in thirty-three states. Bego is the author of “The Devil at My Doorstep,” based on his experiences fighting back against one of the most powerful unions in existence today.