[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, most of the issues that come before this 
body are complex and nuanced. Rarely are we faced with simple issues. 
But today we have a very simple, clear-cut issue before us. It is as 
straightforward and clear-cut as any one question could be. Do you 
support American workers or do you not support American workers?
  Under our law, workers have the right to unionize and have their 
voices heard in the workplace. Through elections, workers choose for 
themselves whether to form a union.
  Last year the National Labor Relations Board took important steps to 
modernize and streamline union election procedures--commonsense, simple 
advancements. Rule changes are good for workers and good for 
businesses.
  This whole fight isn't about business versus workers. We would have 
to search long and hard to find a business that opposes what the NLRB 
did. It is all the anti-union rhetoric of the Republicans here in the 
Senate.
  The reform that the NLRB pushed forward allows employers and unions 
to file forms electronically--kind of the modern world in which we all 
live. It also allows communications with workers by email and cell 
phone--pretty reasonable, it sounds like to me. Yet today Senate 
Republicans are trying to roll back rule changes instituted by the 
NLRB.
  Later this afternoon we will vote on a resolution of disapproval to 
undo these commonsense reforms. Republicans think they are striking a 
blow against labor unions with votes like today's, but what they are 
really doing is undermining American families.
  American workers and their families have come to rely on many of the 
benefits provided by collective bargaining: higher wages, safe working 
conditions, decent health care. It is no surprise that some of the most 
prosperous times in American history--namely, the middle 20th century--
came about in times of record union membership. Even today in my home 
State of Nevada, unions protect wages for casino employees on the Las 
Vegas Strip, up at Lake Tahoe, and all over the State. We ensure 
through the unions safe working conditions--certainly for miners in 
Elko and around the State--and also, with rare exception, quality 
health coverage for educators statewide.
  So I want to be very clear. This is about whom the Republicans really 
are attacking, and it is the middle class. Each time Republicans throw 
roadblocks for workers to organize, they are weakening the middle 
class.
  I support American families. I support American workers. I support 
the middle class. Senate Democrats support the middle class. We do not 
support this Republican attack on unions. We will vigorously fight any 
attempt to weaken worker protections, including today's resolution 
vote.

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