President Obama’s decision to recess appoint Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is but another example of the stark contrast between his actions as president and his words as a candidate. Obama promised the American people that if elected president he would change the tone of politics in Washington, D.C. and turn the economy around.
He has done neither. He recess appointed labor radical Craig Becker after his nomination received bipartisan opposition, who together with Obama’s other nominees have poisoned the atmosphere of labor relations in the U.S. They have engaged in an unprecedented assault against the rights of workers and their employers chilling business investment during an economic downturn.
Why would a president who promised to make the economy his top priority turn his back on workers and small businesses? Big Labor payback and his need in 2012 for still more campaign cash. Less than a year before Election Day, Obama’s approval rating is one of lowest in modern times among incumbents seeking re-election. Consequently, he needs to grow his campaign war chest with the help of special interests, particularly Big Labor.
The White House has made the calculation that half a billion in political support from union bosses is more important than the economy and the tens of thousands of businesses struggling to survive and employ workers. The same government that these businesses support with their tax dollars has declared war on them.
As much as some believe, the government will not lead us to a real and verifiable economic recovery; the ingenuity, work ethic and industriousness of the American people will create jobs and turn things around. And that will only take place if the engine of American job creation – small business – isn’t drowned.Yet, the track record of Obama’s labor board demonstrates a deep resentment for the business community. Late last year, the NLRB issued a new, legally suspect rule concerning “quickie” or “ambush” elections that is already being challenged in court. The regulation will limit employer free speech by cutting the amount of time by at least half for workplace elections. Next, the so-called “independent” agency radically redefined what constitutes a collective bargaining unit in every American industry. The NLRB authorized labor to petition to represent “micro-units,” small numbers of employees, as few as two or three doing the same job in the same location. The rule change will give Big Labor instant access to an employer and result in increased labor costs and conflict among employees.