An Appointment That Should Not Be Kept

Although Senate Democrats earlier this week lost their bid to advance the nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (the "NLRB"), organized labor is calling upon President Obama to seat Mr. Becker as a "recess appointment." In effect, Mr. Becker would become a member of the NLRB without Congressional approval. Why could this be a somewhat Earth-shattering event in the field of labor relations, you say? I'm glad you asked. Mr. Becker, a Union attorney, favors the Employee Free Choice Act (the "EFCA"). As I've posted on this blog previously [check the archives], the EFCA is proposed legislation that denies employers the right to demand a secret ballot employee representation election, and could result in compulsory unionism; this could likely put many small to medium-sized employers out of business and increase an already high rate of unemployment. So, what organized labor could not achieve through Congressional action, it now seeks to force upon the Nation through political arm-twisting. Stay tuned.