Teamsters Applaud Support for NLRB's Reform of Election Process

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Apr 24, 2012, 04:03 ET

Hoffa: Today's Vote Showed Who Is on the Side of Middle-Class Workers

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today said he is pleased a majority of U.S. senators voted to uphold National Labor Relations Board reforms that make union representation elections more efficient.

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The Senate blocked by a vote of 45-54 an effort to overturn the new NLRB election rule. President Obama said he'd veto the resolution if it came to his desk.

"Today's vote was about one thing: whether American workers should have the right to a fair vote for a union," Hoffa said. "Now we know which side our Senate representatives are on. Fortunately, a majority are on the side of the American middle-class worker."

Until the rule change, the NLRB supervised union elections under rules that caused long delays and costly, frivolous litigation. These delays allowed employers to mount aggressive anti-union campaigns, intimidating employees so they would not seek union representation.

"Extremist, anti-worker politicians tried and failed to overturn a common-sense rule that got rid of voting delays and made sure workers had the basic right to vote," Hoffa said. "You have to ask who these senators represent, American working families or corporations who want to pay their employees as little as they possibly can?"

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hard-working men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Go to www.teamster.org for more information.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters