CDW Warns of Specialty Healthcare Case Threat To Small Business, Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. // MARCH 8, 2011 // Today, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) submitted a brief on what may be the most significant and troubling case before the National Labor Relations Board – Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Mobile and United Steelworkers, District 9, 356 NLRB No. 56 (2010).

At issue in Specialty Healthcare is whether Big Labor may organize by cherry picking groups of workers that support the union without providing many co-workers who may oppose the union an opportunity to vote. Such a ruling would reverse over 50 years of standards for bargaining units.

As a result of the decision, businesses could be forced to bargain with multiple unions for similarly situated employees, with each group of employees having separate wage schedules, benefit packages and work rules.  Businesses, workers, consumers and the economy would suffer, as the negative impact on business productivity and competitiveness would be significant.

“What we are seeing is another blatant, politically motivated effort by the NLRB to subvert employee wishes and the framework of the law in favor of forced unionization no matter what the cost,” said Geoffrey Burr, Chairman of CDW. “The fractured bargaining scenarios that would result out of this will be nightmares for everyone involved.”

About the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, www.MyPrivateBallot.com
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is a coalition of workers, employers, associations and organizations who are fighting to protect the right to a federally supervised private ballot when workers are deciding whether or not to join a union.