National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Vice President for Human Resources Policy Joe Trauger issued the following statement in support of amendments addressing recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) activity offered by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to the Fiscal Year 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. These amendments would halt the “ambush elections” rule and the Specialty Healthcare “micro-unions” rule.

“In recent months, the NLRB has advocated and implemented an agenda that has ignored congressional intent behind 75 years of labor policy and delivered damaging blows to manufacturers and their employees. The NAM has utilized every tool available to attempt to halt these egregious oversteps in their authority, and we're pleased to see Congress working to reassert its authority in the face of a struggling economy and high unemployment.

Allowing a new standard of ‘micro-unions' will create hostile work environments, pitting employees against each other and implementing a nearly impossible-to-manage situation for employers. Additionally, the ‘ambush elections' rule eliminates the necessary preparation time for employers and employees to make such an important decision. Manufacturers strongly support Sen. Graham's efforts to ensure that we don't fix what isn't broken in today's labor policy.”

Click here to view a copy of the NAM's letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee.