Statement in Support of H.R. 3094

H.R. 3094, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, passed the U.S. House by a vote of 235-188 on November 30, 2011.

Mr. PLATTS. I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I cosponsored and rise today in support of H.R. 3094 because it aims to restore key protections to the American workplace, protections for both workers and their employers from overreach by the National Labor Relations Board. 

This important legislation intends to protect job growth by deterring harmful NLRB regulations. The NLRB's recent notice of proposed rulemaking would significantly alter NLRB union election procedures, thus undermining the rights of employers and employees alike. The proposed rules will unacceptably shorten the time between the filing of a petition and the election date, which will limit the opportunity for a full hearing of contested issues, including the appropriate bargaining unit, voter eligibility and election misconduct. 

I share the concerns of my constituents regarding the shortened timeframe for union elections and the potential it may have on an employer's ability to communicate with his or her own employees regarding unionization. H.R. 3094 aims to ensure that employers and employees are able to participate in a fair union election process by providing 14 days for employers to prepare their case to present before the NLRB, providing employees with at least 35 days to deliberate over the pros and cons of unionizing prior to voting on this issue, discouraging the so-called practice of ``ambush elections,'' and guaranteeing the right of employers to discuss the pros and cons. 

This legislation is not about whether employees should have the right to unionize. As a former Teamster member who worked his way through college, I certainly strongly support that right. This legislation is about giving employees a fair and deliberate opportunity to make that decision, one of the most important decisions they'll make in their life, because it deals with their livelihood. 

Outside of family matters and health concerns, deciding where you work and in what type of environment you work is going to be probably more important than anything else you do related to your career. What this legislation says is we think employees should have a fair opportunity to make that decision. 

I support this legislation and urge a ``yes'' vote.