Official Statement of President Haynes on Senator Brown's Refusal to Allow for a Vote on NLRB Nominee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2010

Press Contact: Tim Sullivan, Legislative & Communications Director, Massachusetts AFL-CIO / tsullivan@massaflcio.org / (617) 680-2344

Official Statement of Robert J. Haynes, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President, on Senator Brown's Refusal to Allow for a Vote on NLRB Nominee

"The Massachusetts AFL-CIO is deeply disappointed in Senator Brown's refusal to allow the president's nominee for the NLRB to be given an up or down vote. By using his first opportunity to vote to be against cloture on this issue Senator Brown chose to invoke his newfound role as 'the man who stops government' to prevent workers from getting a representative on the NLRB that would uphold basic rights to organize and collective bargaining. By joining the obstructionist Republican mega-minority, Senator Brown's first vote kept in line with all national Republicans in saying nothing to the American people beyond the word 'No.' Workers deserve a fully functional NLRB and the president deserves his choice of nominee - just like President Bush got when he had barely any majority at all and stacked the NLRB with anti-union ideologues. A vote against cloture for an NLRB nominee today was a vote against workers' collective bargaining rights, and collective bargaining is the vehicle which created the very middle class among which Senator Brown garnered so much support in his election. There is no question that NLRB nominee Craig Becker is qualified beyond any doubt and it is no secret that he is pro-union and pro-worker. To be against the nomination of a pro-union, pro-worker, well-qualified nominee speaks for itself and is the source of our deep disappointment. In his first test of what kind of senator he would be, Senator Brown chose to be lockstep with Republicans in their mission to take care of the Chamber of Commerce, and chose not to be with workers at the first instance we needed him. We do appreciate Senator Kerry's vote to support workers in our quest for workplace dignity and worker rights."